First impressions of the New World on two travellers from the Old, in the autumn of 1858Trotter, Isabella Strange
History
First impressions of the New World on two travellers from the Old, in the autumn of 1858
Trotter, Isabella Strange
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
and contortion we had witnessed within. I thought of the poor young
negro girl's quiet testimony, and gentle voice and manner, and wondered
if _she_, too, would learn in time to become uproarious, and shout,
"Glory! Glory!" The probability is, that she will become like her
neighbours; for I can tell you later other stories about the necessity
these poor nigger women seem to be under to shout "Glory!" I was glad to
have seen this specimen of the camp-meeting style.
Although I have felt it scarcely possible to describe the scene without
a certain mixture of the ludicrous, no feeling of irreverence crossed my
mind at the time. On the contrary, my sympathies were greatly drawn out
towards these our poor fellow-creatures; and there was something most
instructive in the sight of them there assembled to enjoy those highest
blessings--blessings of which no man could rob them. Religion seemed to
be to them not a mere sentiment or feeling, but a real tangible
possession; and one could read, in their appreciation of it, a lesson to
one's own heart of its power to lift man above all earthly sorrow,
privation, and degradation into an upper world, as it were, even here
below, of "joy and peace in believing."
To-day, after posting our letters for England, papa went to General
Cass, Secretary of State for the United States, and delivered his letter
of introduction from Mr. Dallas, the American Minister in London. He had
a long and interesting interview with him.
We went afterwards to the Capitol, and all over it, under the guidance
of our coachman, a very intelligent and civil Irishman. We were quite
taken by surprise at what we saw; for not only is the building itself,
which is of white marble, a very fine one, but the internal fittings, or
"fixings," as they perpetually call them here, show a degree of taste
for which before leaving England we had not given the Americans credit.
Two wings are now being added to the original building, and are nearly
completed; and a new and higher dome than the original one is being
built over the centre. The wings are destined to be occupied, one by the
Senate, and the other by the House of Representatives: in fact, the
House of Representatives already make use of their wing; but the Senate
will still hold another session in the old Senate House, as the Senators
have not yet quite decided upon their "fixings." The new chamber is,
however, sufficiently advanced to enable us to form a judgment of what
it will be; and although, perhaps, inferior in beauty to that of the
House of Representatives, it is in very good taste: but the room where
the Representatives meet is really most beautiful. The seats are ranged
in semi-circles, with desks before each, in much the same manner as in
Paris; which gives a more dignified appearance than the arrangement of
the seats in our House of Commons. The floors throughout a great part of
the building are in very good tesselated work, made by Minton, in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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