condemnation of the state of things, but strongly of opinion that to move at all in the matter would be highly inopportune and injudicious.  Time, they said, would settle all these questions; and, without doubt, it will.  Charles Sumner, who thought Time could afford to have his elbow jogged about them, had just gone to his grave, leaving, unfortunately, incomplete his bill of rights in behalf of the colored citizens of the United States.

My servant was a citizen of the United States, having a vote, when he was turned from the theater door as a person of color; and negroes had been elected as Members of Congress at that very time.  Strangely enough, Philadelphia, once the seat of enthusiastic and self-devoted Quaker abolitionism, the home of that noble and admirable woman, Lucretia Mott, who stood heroically in its vanguard, is now one of the strongholds of the most illiberal prejudice against the blacks.]

On Friday we acted “The School for Scandal.”  Our houses have been very fine indeed, in spite of the intolerable heat of the weather....  My ill-starred Fazio of Thursday night is making a terrible stir in the papers, appealing to the public, and writing long letters about his having merely studied the part to accommodate me.  “Hard case—­unjust partiality—­superior influence,” etc., etc.—­in short, an attempt at a little cabal, the effect of which is that he has obtained leave to appear again to-morrow night in Jaffier to my Belvidera.  The poor man is under a strong mental delusion, he cannot act in the least; however, we shall see what he will do with “Venice Preserved.” ...

Yesterday evening we dined with some English people who are staying in this hotel, and met Dr. Wainwright, rector of the most “fashionable” church in New York; a very agreeable, good, and clever man, who expressed great delight at having an opportunity of meeting us in private, as his congregation are so strait-laced that he can neither call upon us nor invite us to his house, much less set his foot in the theater.  The probable consequence of any of these enormities, it seems, would be deserted pews next Sunday, and perhaps eventually the forced resignation of his cure of souls.  This is rather narrow minded, I think, for this free and enlightened country.  Think of my mother’s dear old friend, Dr. Hughes, and Milman, and Harness, and Dyce, and all our excellent reverend friends and intimate acquaintance....

To-morrow we act “Venice Preserved,” on Tuesday “Much Ado about Nothing,” Wednesday is a holiday, on Thursday, for my benefit, “The Stranger,” and on Friday “The Hunchback.”  On the 10th of next month we act in Philadelphia, where we shall remain for a fortnight, and then return here for a fortnight, after which we go on to Boston.  God bless you, dear!  It is past twelve at night, and I have a ten-o’clock rehearsal to-morrow morning.

Ever your affectionate
F. A. K.