hole performance。 The little； precocious； full…blown beauty of four signifies that she has completed her mealor is 〃through〃 her dinner； as she would express itby carefully extricating herself from the napkin which has been tucked around her。 Then the waiter； ever attentive to her movements； draws back the chair on which she is seated； and the young lady glides to the floor。 A little girl in Old England would scramble down； but little girls in New England never scramble。 Her father and mother； who are no more than her chief ministers； walk before her out of the saloon； and then sheswims after them。 But swimming is not the proper word。 Fishes； in making their way through the water； assist； or rather impede； their motion with no dorsal wriggle。 No animal taught to move directly by its Creator adopts a gait so useless； and at the same time so graceless。 Many women； having received their lessons in walking from a less eligible instructor； do move in this way； and such women this unfortunate little lady has been instructed to copy。 The peculiar step to which I allude is to be seen often on the boulevards in Paris。 It is to be seen more often in second…rate French towns； and among fourth…rate French women。 Of all signs in women betokening vulgarity； bad taste； and aptitude to bad morals； it is the surest。 And this is the gait of going which American mothers some American mothers I should saylove to teach their daughters！ As a comedy at a hotel it is very delightful； but in private life I should object to it。 To me Newport could never be a place charming by reason of its own charms。 That it is a very pleasant place when it is full of people and the people are in spirits and happy； I do not doubt。 But then the visitors would bring； as far as I am concerned； the pleasantness with them。 The coast is not fine。 To those who know the best portions of the coast of Wales or Cornwallor better still； the western coast of Ireland； of Clare and Kerry for instanceit would not be in any way remarkable。 It is by no means equal to Dieppe or Biarritz； and not to be talked of in the same breath with Spezzia。 The hotels； too； are all built away from the sea； so that one cannot sit and watch the play of the waves from one's windows。 Nor are there pleasant rambling paths down among the rocks； and from one short strand to another。 There is excellent bathing for those who like bathing on shelving sand。 I don't。 The spot is about half a mile from the hotels； and to this the bathers are carried in omnibuses。 Till one o'clock ladies bathe； which operation； however； does not at all militate against the bathing of men； but rather necessitates it as regards those men who have ladies with them。 For here ladies and gentlemen bathe in decorous dresses； and are very polite to each other。 I must say that I think the ladies have the best of it。 My idea of sea bathing； for my own gratification； is not compatible with a full suit of clothing。 I own that my tastes are vulgar； and perhaps indecent； but I love to jump into the deep； clear sea from off a rock； and I love to be hampered by no outward impediments as I do so。 For ordinary bathers； for all ladies； and for men less savage in their instincts than I am； the bathing at Newport is very good。 The private housesvilla residences as they would be termed by an auctioneer in Englandare excellent。 Many of them are； in fact； large mansions； and are surrounded with grounds which； as the shrubs grow up； will be very beautiful。 Some have large； well…kept lawns； stretching down to the rocks； and these； to my taste； give the charm to Newport。 They extend about two miles along the coast。 Should my lot have made me a citizen of the United States； I should have had no objection to become the possessor of one of these 〃villa residences；〃 but I do not think that I should have 〃gone in〃 for hotel life at Newport。 We hired saddle…horses； and rode out nearly the length of the island。 It was all very well； but there was little in it remarkable either as regards cultivation or scenery。 We found nothing that it would be possible either to describe or remember。 The Americans of the United States have had time to build and populate vast cities； but they have not yet had time to surround themselves with pretty scenery。 Outlying grand scenery is given by nature； but the prettiness of home scenery is a work of art。 It comes from the thorough draining of land； from the planting and subsequent thinning of trees； from the controlling of waters； and constant use of minute patches of broken land。 In another hundred years or so； Rhode Island may be； perhaps； as pretty as the Isle of Wight。 The horses which we got were not good。 They were unhandy and badly mouthed； and that which my wife rode was altogether ignorant of the art of walking。 We hired them from an Englishman who had established himself at New York as a riding…master for ladies； and who had come to Newport for the season on the same business。 He complained to me with much bitterness of the saddle… horses which came in his wayof course thinking that it was the special business of a country to produce saddle…horses； as I think it the special business of a country to produce pens； ink； and paper of good quality。 According to him； riding has not yet become an American art； and hence the awkwardness of American horses。 〃Lord bless you； sir！ they don't give an animal a chance of a mouth。〃 In this he alluded only； I presume； to saddle…horses。 I know nothing of the trotting horses； but I should imagine that a fine mouth must be an essential requisite for a trotting match in harness。 As regards riding at Newport； we were not tempted to repeat the experiment。 The number of carriages which we saw there remembering as I did that the place was comparatively emptyand their general smartness； surprised me very much。 It seemed that every lady； with a house of her own； had also her own carriage。 These carriages were always open； and the law of the land imperatively demands that the occupants shall cover their knees with a worked worsted apron of brilliant colors。 These aprons at first I confess seemed tawdry； but the eye soon becomes used to bright colors； in carriage aprons as well as in architecture； and I soon learned to like them。 Rhode Island； as the State is usually called； is the smallest State in the Union。 I may perhaps best show its disparity to other States by saying that New York extends about two hundred and fifty miles from north to south； and the same distance from east to west； whereas the State called Rhode Island is about forty miles long by twenty broad； independently of certain small islands。 It would； in fact； not form a considerable addition if added on to many of the other States。 Nevertheless； it has all the same powers of self… government as are possessed by such nationalities as the States of New York and Pennsylvania； and sends two Senators to the Senate at Washington； as do those enormous States。 Small as the State is； Rhode Island itself forms but a small portion of it。 The authorized and proper name of the State is Providence Plantation and Rhode Island。 Roger Williams was the first founder of the colony； and he established himself on the mainland at a spot which he called Providence。 Here now stands the City of Providence； the chief town of the State； and a thriving； comfortable town it seems to be； full of banks； fed by railways and steamers； and going ahead quite as quickly as Roger Williams could in his fondest hopes have desired。 Rhode Island； as I have said； has all the attributes of government in common with her stouter and more famous sisters。 She has a governor； and an upper house and a lower house of legislature； and she is somewhat fantastic in the use of these constitutional powers； for she calls on them to sit now in one town and now in another。 Providence is the capital of the State； but the Rhode Island parliament sits sometimes at Providence and sometimes at Newport。 At stated times also it has to collect itself at Bristol； and at other stated times at Kingston； and at others at East Greenwich。 Of all legislative assemblies it is the most peripatetic。 Universal suffrage does not absolutely prevail in this State； a certain property qualification being necessary to confer a right to vote even for the State representatives。 I should think it would be well for all parties if the whole State could be swallowed up by Massachusetts or by Connecticut； either of which lie conveniently for the feat； but I presume that any suggestion of such a nature would be regarded as treason by the men of Providence Plantation。 We returned back to Boston by Attleborough； a town at which； in ordinary times； the whole population is supported by the jewelers' trade。 It is a place with a specialty； upon which specialty it has thriven well and become a town。 But the specialty is one ill adapted for times of war and we were assured that the trade was for the present at an end。 What man could now…a…days buy jewels； or even what woman； seeing that everything would be required for the war？ I do not say that such abstinence from luxury has been begotten altogether by a feeling of patriotism。 The direct taxes which all Americans will now be called on to pay； have had and will have much to do with such abstinence。 In the mean time the poor jewelers of Attleborough have gone altogether to the wall。
CHAPTER III。 MAINE； NEW HAMPSHIRE； AND VERMONT。
Perhaps I ought to assume that all the world in England knows that that portion of the United States called New England consists of the six States of Maine； New Hampshire； Vermont； Massachusetts； Connecticut； and Rhode Island。 This is especially the land of Yankees； and none can properly be called Yankees but those who belong to New England。 I have named the States as nearly as may be in order from the north downward。 Of Rhode Island； the smallest State in the Union； I have already said what little I have to say。 Of these six States Boston may be called the capital。 Not that it is so in any civil or political sense； it is simply the capital of Massachusetts。 But as it is the Athens of the Western world； as it was the cradle of American freedom； as everybody of course knows that into Boston harbor