As we were walking along a carriage came up after us, in which were two ladies.  A bunch of primroses, thrown from this carriage, fell at my feet.  I picked it up, and then the carriage stopped, and the ladies requested to know if I was Mrs. Stowe.  On answering in the affirmative, they urged me so earnestly to come under their roof and take some refreshment, that I began to remember, what I had partly lost sight of, that I was very tired; so, while the rest of the party walked on to get a distant view of Ben Lomond, Mr. S. and I suffered ourselves to be taken into the carriage of our unknown friends, and carried up to a charming little Italian villa, which stood, surrounded by flower gardens and pleasure grounds, at the head of the loch.  We were ushered into a most comfortable parlor, where a long window, made of one clear unbroken sheet of plate glass, gave a perfect view of the loch with all its woody shores, with Roseneath Castle in the distance.  My good hostesses literally overwhelmed me with kindness; but as there was nothing I really needed so much as a little quiet rest, they took me to a cozy bedroom, of which they gave me the freedom, for the present.  Does not every traveller know what a luxury it is to shut one’s eyes sometimes?  The chamber, which is called “Peace,” is now, as it was in Christian’s days, one of the best things that Charity or Piety could offer to the pilgrim.  Here I got a little brush from the wings of dewy-feathered sleep.

After a while our party came back, and we had to be moving.  My kind friends expressed so much joy at having met me, that it was really almost embarrassing.  They told me that they, being confined to the house by ill health, and one of them by lameness, had had no hope of ever seeing me, and that this meeting seemed a wonderful gift of Providence.  They bade me take courage and hope, for they felt assured that the Lord would yet entirely make an end of slavery through the world.

It was concluded, after we left here, that, instead of returning by the boat, we should take carriage and ride home along the banks of the river.  In our carriage were Mr. S. and myself, Dr. Robson and Lady Anderson.  About this time I commenced my first essay towards giving titles, and made, as you may suppose, rather an odd piece of work of it, generally saying “Mrs.” first, and “Lady” afterwards, and then begging pardon.  Lady Anderson laughed, and said she would give me a general absolution.  She is a truly genial, hearty Scotch woman, and seemed to enter happily into the spirit of the hour.

As we rode on we found that the news of our coming had spread through the village.  People came and stood in their doors, beckoning, bowing, smiling, and waving their handkerchiefs, and the carriage was several times stopped by persons who came to offer flowers.  I remember, in particular, a group of young girls brought to the carriage two of the most beautiful children I ever saw, whose little hands literally deluged us with flowers.