This evening, in addition to my usual morning letter from your father, I have another; a new postal arrangement beginning to-day with the New Year. He gives me a most interesting conversation he has just been having with Baron von Humboldt, who is now in Paris. He says he poured out a delicious stream of remarks, anecdotes, narratives, opinion. He feels great interest in our Mexican affairs, as he has been much there, and is a Mexican by adoption. His letter, dated the 31st December, says: “Madam Adelaide died at three this morning.” This death astonished me, for he saw her only a few evenings since at the Palace. She was a woman of strong intellect and character, and her brother, the King, was very much attached to her as a counsellor and friend. . . . There were more than 100 Americans to be presented on New Year’s Day at Paris, and, as Madam Adelaide’s death took place without a day’s warning, you can imagine the embroidered coats and finery which were laid on the shelf. Saturday, January 7th. Yesterday, my dear son, I had a delightful dinner at the dear Miss Berrys. They drove to the door on Thursday and left a little note to say, “Can you forgive a poor sick soul for not coming to you before, when you were all alone,” and begging me to come the next day at seven, to dine. There was Lady Charlotte and Lady Stuart de Rothesay, who was many years ambassadress at Paris, and very agreeable. Then there was Dr. Holland and Mr. Stanley, the under-Secretary of State, etc. In the evening came quite an additional party, and I passed it most pleasantly. . . . Your father writes that on Friday he dined at Thiers’ with Mignet, Cousin, Pontois, and Lord Normanby. He says such a dinner is “unique in a man’s life.” “Mignet is delightful, frank, open, gay, full of intelligence, and of that grace which makes society charming.” . . . Your father to-day gives me some account of Thiers. He is now fifty: he rises at five o’clock every morning, toils till twelve, breakfasts, makes researches, and then goes to the Chambers. In the evening he always receives his friends except Wednesdays and Thursdays, when he attends his wife to the opera and to the Académie. _To Mr. and Mrs. I. P. D._ LONDON, January 28th, 1848.