Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. I.djvu/62

Rh who came to see the Swedish stranger. In the afternoon I visited two or three beautiful places in the neighbourhood. On one of these, a point projecting into the river, has a ruin been built, in which are placed various figures and fragments of walls and columns, which have been brought from the remarkable ruins lately discovered in Central America or Mexico. The countenances and the head-dresses resembled greatly those of Egyptian statues: I was struck in particular with a sphynx-like countenance, and a head similar to that of a priest of Isis. This ruin and its ornaments in the midst of a wild, romantic, rocky, and wooded promontory, was a design in the best taste.

In the evening we left this beautiful Blithewood, its handsome mistress and our friendly entertainers. We returned home in the night. The cabin in which we sate was close and very hot. Just beside us sate two young men, the one of whom, smoked and spat incessantly just before Mrs. Downing and myself. “That gentleman needs a Dickens!” said I softly to Mr. Downing. “But then,” replied Mr. Downing, in the same under tone, “Dickens would have committed the mistake of supposing him to be a gentleman!”

Of my Blithewood visit I retain the Katskill mountains and Mrs. D. I made a little sketch of her profile in my album (I took one also of Miss Sedgwick), and she gave me at parting a beautiful purse, made with an unusual kind of beads.

Another festivity at which I was present during this time was at Mrs. Downing's grandmother's. It was a family party, on the occasion of her ninetieth birthday. She lives on the opposite shore; and there assembled this day in her honour, children and grandchildren, and grandchildren's children, as well as other near connections, an assembly of from fifty to sixty persons. The little old lady of ninety was still lively and active, almost as