for the odd thing is that, although the eating luxuries were profuse at this grand banquet,—­whole salmons, bolsters of truffled turkey, oysters in every form, and plenty of terrapines, canvas-back ducks, and other costly comestibles,—­not a drop of anything but water (except indeed tea and coffee) was to be had, the excuse being that at least some of the party would be sure to take too much; so all are mulcted for a few as usual.”  But my American journals are full of that sort of thing, and this honest extract may serve as a sample.  I never guessed how crowded up by popularities a poor author may be till I had crossed the Atlantic and reaped the kindness of Greater Britain.

After all this, I went down South,—­where I have seen brilliant humming-birds flying about, some two or three days after I had waded through deep snow northwards; my chief host, and a right worthy one, being a good cousin, S.Y.  Tupper, President of the Chamber of Commerce at Charleston, S.C.  With him and his I had what is called over there a good time, and indited several poetical pieces under his hospitable roof, in particular “Temperance” (see a former page).  Also I wrote there another stave of mine which caused great discussion in the States, because I, reputed a Liberian and Emancipator, was supposed to have recanted and turned to be South instead of North; but I was only just and true, according to my lights.  Here is the peccant stave, only to be found in Charleston and other American papers of February 1877, therefore will I give it here:—­

    To the South.

    “The world has misjudged you, mistrusted, maligned you,
      And should be quick to make honest amends;
    Let me then speak of you just as I find you,
      Humbly and heartily, cousins and friends! 
    Let us remember your wrongs and your trials,
      Slander’d and plunder’d and crush’d to the dust,
    Draining adversity’s bitterest vials,
      Patient in courage and strong in good trust.

    “You fought for Liberty, rather than Slavery! 
      Well might you wish to be quit of that ill,
    But you were sold by political knavery,
      Meshed in diplomacy’s spider-like skill: 
    And you rejoice to see Slavery banished,
      While the free servant works well as before,
    Confident, though many fortunes have vanished,
      Soon to recover all—­rich as before!

    “Doubtless, there had been some hardships and cruelties,
      Cases exceptional, evil and rare,
    But to tell truth—­and truly the jewel ’tis—­
      Kindliness ruled, as a rule, everywhere! 
    Servants, if slaves, were your wealth and inheritance,
      Born with your children, and grown on your ground,
    And it was quite as much interest as merit hence
      Still to make friends of dependents all round.