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Story of the Hutchinsons,  Vol. 1:   Chapter 4, "In England," pp. 142-198.

During the spring and summer of 1845, we had been singing through the towns of New Hampshire, and were in hopes of having a vacation, and to pass it in fishing and rustic enjoyments. We were, in the early part of August, giving some concerts in Massachusetts; and in Lynn on the 11th, we met Frederick Douglass and James N. Buffum, an anti-slavery sympathizer of that town, who, having purchased their tickets, and made arrangements for a trip to Europe, were expecting to sail on the 16th on the steamship Cambria of the Cunard line. They urged us to go with them; and as we had been contemplating a tour of England for some time, it did not take much persuasion to induce us to go: we straightway began to make preparations for our departure.

As exhaustive as John W. Hutchinson's book may seem  -  Story of the Hutchinsons is over 900 pages in length  -  there's actually a lot of Hutchinson Family history that it touches on only lightly or that it doesn't cover at all. By far the most complete treatment of this pivotal period, from the quartet's 1842 grand start through the 1845-1846 United Kingdom tour, is to be found in Excelsior: Journals of the Hutchinson Family Singers, 1842-1846 (Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1989). Excelsior is still in print and is available from the publisher and from Amazon.com. Recommended reading.

"Old John was frank, and every rank":   Can you identify these lines of verse?

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We returned to our home in New Hampshire to take leave of our dear ones, which we did not find a very easy matter. They all said "Don't go, don't go"; and when mother found we were bound to go and take Abby with us, she was almost heart-broken, for a journey to England in those days was looked upon as being attended with more danger than at present, and they were all afraid they would never see us again. But they being finally reconciled, we set to work in earnest, as time was short. We had to raise about two thousand dollars, which we finally succeeded in doing, and we were ready to start. As we had to give a concert in Gloucester on the evening of the 14th, we left home early on the morning of that day for Lynn, where we took a carriage to meet our engagement, accompanied by our sister Rhoda and Harriet Jackson, daughter of our anti-slavery friend, Francis Jackson. I had not slept any the night before, being kept awake by the entreaties of my wife to stay at home, and was up before daylight. Mother was up, and all our brothers came to say good-by. The time to depart had arrived; and I had given my watch and some tokens to my wife to keep in remembrance of me, as though I never expected to see her again. The dear old father, whom we all revered and honored, was solemn and very prayerful, saying but a word, "Be true to each other, my children."  Then the blessed mother let us go, with tears in her eyes, watching us till the darkness of the early morn bid us from her sight; but her voice still sounded over the hill as the last echo died on our ears. I shall never forget the ring of that voice as the old horse drew us from the "cot where we were born."

That day, so mother related to us afterward, she climbed to the summit of the steep hill in sight of the

"We returned to our home in New Hampshire to take leave of our dear ones":   We may well imagine that this parting was particularly difficult for Judson and Jerusha, for their first child, Kate Louise Hutchinson, was born only weeks before, on May 14, 1845. Kate is not given a lot of space in Story of the Hutchinsons. But she had an important part in the family's career in music, as a singer in several ensembles of varying size and as the mother of a third-generation vocal group, the Dearborn Quartet. Kate also delivered a valuable paper in 1904 on the subject of Hutchinson Family history.

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house, seven miles away, and sat under an old chestnut-tree, a journey she had longed to accomplish, and wept when she thought of her children gone so far away. Meanwhile, we prayed for our precious ones gathered in the home by the old Souhegan, among the granite hills, and stole away in the morning twilight, our hearts sad and oppressed. The next day came the final preparations in Boston: buying the tickets, getting the baggage on board, and taking leave of the many friends who had gathered to see us off; the getting on board the small tug-boat, as the steamer could not get up to the wharf; the parting of the two sisters, Rhoda and Abby, the former a widow, left behind to go back to the Granite State and comfort the old folks at home till we might return. These things all touched our hearts. The attempt to sing under these circumstances seemed almost sacrilegious, but as Jesse had composed some verses for the occasion, we attempted to put them into music. The first verse was gone through quite respectably. As the bell rang and the friends were about getting on the tug to return to the shore, the second verse was begun, when catching sight of Sister Rhoda, whose earnestness bespoke the deep sympathy of a feeling heart, we broke down, and gave only a last farewell as the old ship carried us away over the bounding deep.

When we became accustomed to our confined quarters, the motion of the steamer and the surroundings, we began to feel quite at home. We early formed the acquaintance of Captain Judkins, whom we found to be a bluff old sterling Englishman, full of music and good cheer. We passed much of our time in his society on deck, and many a night we sat and sang together and told stories till midnight.

We of course suffered from sea-sickness a part of the

"The attempt to sing under these circumstances":   This original song by Jesse Hutchinson, Jr., was written to a German folk tune, "Cranbambuli" (sometimes written, instead, as "Crambambuli"). The location of these verses is not commonly known, if they have been preserved at all. It seems likely that most of Jesse's lyrics have been lost; but one never knows, and we keep looking.

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time, and were confined to our staterooms, but soon got regulated so that we could enjoy the bountiful table which was spread for us.

Life was quite monotonous; but between eating, sleeping, reading and singing, we managed to pass the time very pleasantly, often gathering on deck with some of our English and American friends, who seemed very glad to linger with us to enjoy our harmonies. We saw some big waves, some big icebergs, and some big fish, while on board we had some big slave-holders from Cuba, who somewhat marred the pleasure of the voyage. One of them, at the table one day, accidentally spilled some wine on the dress of my sister; his profuse and distressing apologies, coming from such besotted lips, were much worse than the wine stains on the silk skirt.

Frederick Douglass, for the crime of color, was forced to take passage in the steerage, where Mr. Buffum accompanied him. It was only by sufferance that Douglass was allowed to come on the promenade deck, and then had no freedom except when with a friend. We frequently invited him to walk with us, when he freely expressed to us his feelings and sentiments on the subject of slavery, and among other things said he would rather trust his liberties with the English government than with the American rabble.

The curious of both nationalities were interested in him, and after reading his little "Narrative," which we took pains to circulate among the passengers, the desire to hear him speak was expressed. We obtained permission from the captain to give him an audience on the forward deck. Most of the foreigners and some of the Americans were assembled; and our colored brother began at first standing under the awning, but I persuaded

"The curious of both nationalities were interested in him":   Judging by hitlists from my Web searches on the Hutchinson Family, it appears to me that a tremendous amount has been written about Frederick Douglass' on-deck talk during this voyage. Though John spoke of Douglass' liberties being greatly limited, evidently the fact that he was permitted or even encouraged to address his fellow passengers was a considerable advance over past more restrictive practice.

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him to come into the open, by the main-mast, where he read from a pamphlet containing the statutes of South Carolina on the subject of slavery. We soon saw that the reading was not relished by some of the auditors, as the sequel proved. The cluster of slave-holders and slave-drivers were preparing to resent what they claimed was an insult to them. They soon so disturbed the speaker that he was forced to suspend, and with a sentence half-finished, he retreated under the awning and thence down the stairs to the steerage, his only hiding place, where he was sheltered from the wrath of those blood-thirsty Americans whose "chivalry" was so much shocked. Then followed threats of killing, and throwing the "nigger" overboard, and for a few minutes anarchy ruled and the war spirit was rampant.

The captain was sent for; he came suddenly from his quarters, where he had been enjoying a siesta after a luxurious banquet tendered him by his friends. He took in the situation at a glance, and when one of the fire-eaters approached him, threatening insult because he had allowed a "nigger" to speak, the old British lion awoke in him, and asserting his authority as captain, he shouted lustily for the bos'n to bring the irons. This at once quelled the disturbance, and quiet was restored.

The captain then turning to us, said, "I was once the owner of two hundred slaves, but the government of Great Britain liberated them, and I am glad of it." We stuck up "God save the Queen," and followed by singing "Yankee Doodle," "America" and "A Life on the Ocean Wave."

We made some very pleasant acquaintances on the voyage, but were more strongly than ever prejudiced against the institution of slavery from this exhibition

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made on board ship by the scions of southern aristocracy, as also by the supercilious airs they put on.

Everything was done for our comfort while on board, and we were almost sorry when land was announced, though we were anxious to reach the shores of Old England and ascertain what fate had in store for us.

On August 26th, the captain informed us we could see land that evening, which caused a small commotion on board, each one being anxious to be the first to discern it. At about 10.30 p.m. we saw the first light, which we were told was at the southern extremity of Ireland; and the next morning before breakfast we hailed the land with delight. It was the Emerald Isle: the mountains loomed up in their grandeur; and dotted here and there with their fields of grain, white unto harvest, the land presented a very picturesque and interesting appearance. Our hearts bounded with rapture:

One man hailing from Philadelphia exclaimed as he came on deck, "Oh, the dear spot where I was born!"

Soon we were in sight of Wales. We had just finished our dinner; toasts had been given to the Queen and the Army of England, and to the United States. Jesse gave the following toast, "Our country is the world, our countrymen all mankind," which was received with warm applause.

The next morning broke bright and clear, and we were up early making preparations to go ashore. Books were laid aside, and we were engaged packing trunks, putting off our sea-scented clothing and Scotch caps, and donning our long coats, broad collars and beaver hats, assuming the airs of strangers, we, who

"The cold cheerless ocean in safety we've passed":   From "Land Ho!" by George Pope Morris.

"Jesse gave the following toast":   Compare the toast given by Jesse Hutchinson, Jr., to "Every man's a brother, And our country is the world" from "The Old Granite State," in John Hutchinson 1896, 2:300).

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but a few hours before were intimate friends or hail-fellows well met with everybody on board. We ranged ourselves on the deck in position to give a lusty cheer to the people of Liverpool as the steamer drew alongside of the wharf. Here we were in a foreign land three thousand miles from our own native home  -  though in the land of our forefathers  -  in smoky old Liverpool.

We disembarked, and getting our baggage through the custom-house, with some trouble, even being required to pay a duty on a daguerreotype of our family group, were conducted to a hotel, and in company with Edward N. Wright, one of our own countrymen, and Edmund Sharpe, a clever Englishman, were soon seated at the sumptuous table of a foreign hotel.

How odd and singular everything appeared! The meat looked delicious, tasted some like pork, cut like beef. We ventured to ask the name of it, when our English friend answered with a smile, "This is the famous Southdown mutton." We often called for that dish during our eleven months' stay in England, readily perceiving why the English bragged, and still brag, about it. Judson called for some molasses, being very fond of this sweet; the servant seemed disturbed, not understanding the order, took a few steps backward, then tried to comprehend what the gentleman wanted. The request was repeated, at which the girl was completely non-plussed. Our friend Sharpe, being familiar with the language on both sides, informed the girl that "treacle" was wanted, whereupon she jumped for the article and Judson's wants were at once supplied.

We were settled for the time in very comfortable quarters, Douglass and Buffum being with us, and spent the time in looking about and observing the

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manners and customs of the people, which seemed strange to us. When we left the steamer and walked up the street we were struck with the order and decorum of the working-classes as they passed along to their daily toil. As it was early in the morning they were just going to their work, lunch in hand  -  the tin-pail parade  -  dressed according to their different occupations, apparently cheerful and happy. But everywhere poverty, in the form of human beings, came under our notice to mar our pleasure.

Our hearts grew sick to see the suffering and distress there was in the city.

The next day after our arrival, being the 29th of August, and the birthday of our sister Abby, we all took a trip into the country to see the estate of a famous marquis, to reach which we had to go to Eaton Hall, a distance of nineteen miles from the city, and to cross the River Dee, the bridge or arch over which was the greatest in the world at that time. This estate was one of the largest in England, covering an area of sixty-three square miles, and the income from it was said to be two million dollars. Passing through the walled town of Chester on our way, we were shown some very ancient buildings, among them a chapel which was said to be six hundred years old, in a good state of preservation and still used regularly as a place of worship.

On this estate, we were informed, there were two hundred men kept constantly employed. We soon came in sight of the mansion, a most splendid structure of white marble. After waiting about half an hour, we were admitted and conducted through the principal

"Begging, begging, England's squalid poor":   Can you identify these lines of verse?

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rooms. The hall through the centre of the house was very wide and four hundred and seventy-two feet long, the floor laid in marble. The rooms, besides containing family portraits, were hung with the most gorgeous and expensive silk and worsted fabrics. Everything was on a magnificent scale, and displayed not only the wealth but the taste of the occupants. After we had inspected the interior of the house we went into the garden, where the same evidences of wealth and taste were shown: flowers, trees, shrubs and plants in profusion. On our return to town we passed fields of grain which were all loaded with a bountiful harvest; the land seemed to be good and under a high state of cultivation. It was just harvest time, and thousands of people, men, women and children, were out from the cities, some of them hundreds of miles, working in the fields.

At this time rumors of war with America were very common; but they gave us little uneasiness, as we told our English friends that Uncle Sam had whipped John Bull twice, and could do it again if necessary. But next to our own native land our hearts went out in love to this merry Old England.

We found the season was early for concerting, and in addition to this, began to fear we had brought our coals to Newcastle, for many of the singers in the street had fine voices, yet made only a precarious living. We began in earnest to seek an engagement to sing, realizing that we must soon begin to replenish our treasury. Board bills were coming in, expenses going on. New clothes, cut in the fashion of our English cousins, were thought indispensable; so we doffed our long tails for the "stubs" of John Bull. We had already spent a good deal of money, and knew that unless some resource was soon provided we should be "broke." We tried to

"At this time rumors of war with America were very common":   This is most decidedly not Hutchinsonian talk, and it seems about certain that John W. Hutchinson was joking about what family members said to their English friends.

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find some one who knew us or had confidence enough to make an engagement with us for a concert. Nobody came to the rescue.

A few friends came to see us at the hotel; we sang for them to gain their approval; they all cheered us, shook hands and expressed a wish that we might succeed, but left us alone in our glory. We soon realized that popularity in our own country gave us little fame here, and that we must begin over again and sing our way into public favor and thus overcome the prejudice we found existing against Yankee talent. Some people seem to delight at times in doing what they know will make them miserable; that is the only reason I can now give for our often repairing to the pier, at that time, to witness the arrival and departure of the steamers from and to our own land; and we would turn away from the scene and sigh that our mission was still unaccomplished.

[American actor] Edwin Forrest was in Liverpool at this time, called upon us several times with his wife, and encouraged us much by his words of cheer.

We finally succeeded in getting an engagement for the evening of Wednesday, September 10th, in Concert Hall, Mechanics Institute, for which we were to receive ten pounds. We had two days in which to look around and prepare for our first appearance before an English audience. The Disston family was giving concerts in Liverpool at this time, and being attracted by the novelty of their instruments (sax horns), we went to hear them and decided it was the sweetest music we had ever heard. The family consisted of the father and four sons: we advised their coming to this country, and I think they met success by taking the advice.

Dining at our hotel, the boarders, men and women,

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all drank a sort of ale or beer or some kind of wine:  glasses were put at our plates, some of the liquor poured into them; but we being teetotallars, the color of the liquid aroused our suspicions, and not being certain what it was, we declined to partake, fearing we should find the "old critter" in it and break our pledge. Not wishing to expose our ignorance, we decided to take some of it to our rooms and find out what it was; this we did, and all together, found the stuff tinctured with the "Fiendish Reaper."  Then we realized that we had broken our pledge, and resolved to sign over again, and relinquish all drinks of this description during our stay in the kingdom.

Later, while in Dublin, under the hospitable roof of Richard Haughton, we all signed the pledge. The article of agreement, I am informed, hangs to-day in the parlor of that honorable gentleman; and his daughter, surviving him, thirty-one years later pointed with pride to this pledge. Abby, who saw this only a few years ago, wrote, "The precious signatures are in as good a state of preservation as when made, with the signers now, some in the spirit world, others surviving, all  the  living true to the pledge."

Messrs. Isaacson and Atkinson were the proprietors of the Zoölogical Gardens, and being asked by them to go out there and sing a few songs, we walked out, a distance of about two miles. Of all the sights I had seen up to that time, this was the grandest: beasts of all kinds, from the monkey to the elephant; birds from all parts of the world; and flowers of the most brilliant hue. The gardens, about ten acres, were laid out in a most artistic manner. We sang a few songs, hoping to get an engagement at no distant day.

As the time drew near for our début before an English

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audience, we all felt nervous and excited. We found that our voices had not improved by crossing the Atlantic. We went to the hall to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, and were on the anxious seat all day. The hour having finally arrived we went to the hall. With trembling step and throbbing brow we entered our dressing-room; met Jesse, who seemed very much excited, and asked him what kind of a house, "Oh, not very full."  He had expected a full house.

Our hearts beat fast as we went in before the audience. Thunders of spontaneous applause burst forth from every part of the hall. Every eye was fixed on us as we took our seats and laid down our instruments. When we stood up with trembling limbs and voices we were received with another round of applause. When this subsided, we commenced the song, "The Pirate's Glee, or Blow on."  When we had finished the cheering was renewed; our confidence was restored, and we went through our programme, being cheered on every number. We were relieved, feeling that our reputation was made; and though fifty dollars was a small sum for our effort, considering that we had sacrificed engagements in New York, Philadelphia and other cities in America which would pay us one thousand dollars a night, we were well satisfied, and encouraged to believe that we should soon have the people with us, and be able to reap the reward for which we came, appreciation, fame and cash, the latter of which we needed very much. There were quite a number of Americans present, among whom were the Forrests.

We felt that now we had broken the ice; our first concert had been given, and as we thought very acceptably, so we should have no trouble in getting further engagements. But the first thing to do was to have

"But the first thing to do was to have one of our number act":   This sentence, the heart of which continues onto the next page, is quite curious. It seems about certain that the main reason Jesse Hutchinson, Jr., went on this trip to the United Kingdom in the first place was to act as the quartet's business manager. It is inconceivable that the revelation that Jesse would be needed in such a capacity would have waited until after the troupe landed in England.

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one of our number act as agent for the family. As Jesse had already acted in that capacity at home, and his voice could not be much addition to the quartette, the duty was put upon him, and he continued to serve as our business agent during our stay abroad. As a result we were engaged nearly every evening, either on our own responsibility or on special terms.

After giving one or two more concerts in Liverpool we began to receive letters from all directions soliciting engagements.

On the ship coming over was a Scotchman by the name of Mackintosh, who made us promise to come over to Dublin; and receiving letters from Douglass, who was there, we at last decided to go, and wrote that we would be over very soon.

About this time Jesse came near getting us into a scrape by bringing into question our musical abilities and judgment as critics. An aspiring individual applied to a committee for a professional engagement, referring to us as to his musical abilities. Jesse was approached, and having heard the man sing, he inadvertently said the man was a clever fellow, which was enough and he was engaged. His performance on the first occasion was so displeasing that the audience left the hall in disgust, so we heard, before the programme was completed, and he was left to sing to empty seats. We were taken to task for recommending such a fellow, but when it was understood that what we meant by "clever" was simply that he was a good-natured fellow, possessing an agreeable disposition, instead of possessing skill or talent, as they construed it to mean, they had a good laugh over it, and we were exonerated from blame.

We watched the manners of men and of the times with wonder and surprise, trying to realize the conditions

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we saw in society. Such extremes of wealth and poverty we could not reconcile.

One day as we gazed from the hotel window there came into the public square a woman, poorly clad, with a basket on her head. She was gathering with her hands the offal from the streets, and as she continued to fill the basket the rain, which was falling, saturated the contents and ran down upon her person. When she had filled the basket she trudged away with it, a sight to behold. We thought, what a contrast to the wealth we see all about us, and felt inclined to murmur against Providence for allowing such a wretched state of society. Good sweet-voiced singers came and sang their doleful, sympathetic strains under our windows, and we would remark, "What a pity such gifts could not be better appreciated and utilized!" To us it was soul music, and our enjoyment in listening was only marred at the thought of the condition of the singers, and we would sing a verse of our song,

The very next night we were listening to delightful music rendered by no less personages than Grisi, Mario, Miss Whitnall and Signor Lablashe, who were singing in concert, and their voices charmed all who listened. But, strange to say, they were singing in the magnificent opera house for the small price of one and two shillings, and sixpence for the poor, and a small house they had, too. Of course we could not expect to approach the character of music they sang. Novelty and harmony were all we could count on for success, but we thought we could give just as acceptable a concert as they.

"New England, thou land of the brave and the free":   From "Recollections of Home: New England."

"The very next night we were listening":   Giulia Grisi, Giuseppe Mario, and Luigi Lablache, though his oldest son Federico Lablache may be another possibility. Do you know who John W. Hutchinson had in mind when he spoke of Miss Whitnall?

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After being in Liverpool about two weeks and giving concerts to crowded houses, we started for Dublin to keep our engagements there. In crossing the Channel, which we did on Sunday, September 21st, on the steamer Madrid, we were more than sick; it was ten times worse than the Atlantic. But we finally found ourselves on the sod of the Emerald Isle, and met a reception which only the sons of Erin could give. We found, awaiting us at the landing, Mr. Buffum and a Mr. Thomas Webb, who escorted us to Dublin, a distance of seven miles; we took rooms at the Hotel Northumberland, and were invited to spend our first evening at Mr. Webb's house, where we found Frederick Douglass and Mr. Haughton, with whom we became very well acquainted, and at whose house we spent very many pleasant hours during our stay in Dublin.

Just before leaving Liverpool we were called upon by a warm-hearted, burly Englishman named Scott, who, when he saw we were disposed to be down-hearted and home-sick, said in his broad accent, "Cheer up, my Yankee lads, in spite of British fashion you will succeed if you continue in the path you have struck out." We had already begun to have some misgivings as to our success; though we had been well received so far, we had not been able to obtain engagements at prices which we thought we ought to be getting, and were afraid the people were too far advanced for Yankees like us.

Our first concert in Dublin was given under engagement with Mr. Mackintosh for ten pounds, and on the evening of Monday, September 22d, we repaired to the hall. As we entered all was still, not a person but an officer and the doorkeeper were at the door; all looked gloomy. I looked into the hall, and there sat one solitary Irish woman in the pit. We went into our dressing-room,

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a little narrow place with a small fire in it, a single gas-light, and that just on the point of going out, apparently. There we all sat down to wait till we should hear the signal for beginning the concert. I don't know what thoughts passed through the minds of the others, as not a word was spoken; but it was just as well that quiet was maintained if they all felt as I did. I had just been reading the life of Napoleon, and had a presentiment that we were near the city of Moscow  -  disappointed ambition. The avalanche of public opinion seemed about to fall upon and crush us. I wanted to go home to the granite hills of our native land, and hummed to myself the lines:

When the band, for one had been provided consisting of about twenty pieces, struck up an air, every strain seemed to strike daggers to my heart; and as soon as it was ended we entered the hall and took our places on the platform. There were but few people there to receive us, and most of them were invited guests  -  among others Messrs. Haughton, Webb and Douglass. One old man sat away down in front near the platform, and in his expressions of enthusiasm he almost disconcerted us; he would pound on the floor and the edge of the platform with his cane, and shout  "Encore!"  "Bravo!"  as loud as he could shout. We made up our minds to go home after this concert. The steamer Hibernia was to sail on the 4th of October, and we thought that none too soon for us to get out of the country.

Frederick Douglass was at this time endeavoring to

"Ah! why from our own native land did we part":   From "Recollections of Home: New England."

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arouse an interest in the abolition cause, speaking every night, and selling the books which we had helped him circulate on the vessel coming over. We attended some of his lectures, and singing to the audience were cheered most vociferously. The Lord Mayor was present and presided at one of the meetings. We concluded to join forces with Douglass, and for two or three evenings we had grand good meetings and made hosts of friends, who advised us not to go home; so we decided to stay a little longer.

We called at the house of Daniel O'Connell, who was then in his prime; not finding him at home we felt honored in being allowed to sit for a few minutes in his big armchair.

We now decided to give another concert on our own responsibility, and had the assurance of the attendance of the Lord Mayor and O'Connell.

About this time we went into a field, where we saw some women digging potatoes, as this was a part of their duty, and noticed that about one-half of the crop was bad, good for nothing, which proved to be the case all over the country, and was the cause of the famine the following year.

We went to the summit of the Dockey Hill, a distance of about eight miles from the city, where we had a splendid view of the Sugarloaf Mountains and of the sea. We were followed all the way up by a troop of beggars whom it was almost impossible to rid ourselves of. The eminence reminded us very much of High Rock, on the beauties of which Jesse expatiated to the friends who were with us.

On the way back to town our attention was attracted by a crowd of children surrounding and following a man in the street, and on asking who he was were told

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he was Daniel O'Connell. We turned and followed, then passed him, and seeing him smile and say a word to the children, we felt that he was indeed a great man. The next day we had the pleasure of seeing and hearing him speak in Constitution Hall on "Repeal."  He touched on American slavery; and one sentiment he uttered was, "He that commuteth crime gives strength to the enemy."  I thought I had been in packed assemblies before, but I never saw anything to equal the crowd on that occasion. I had to get out before the close of his speech, or suffocate.

We gave our next concert, and had a better house than before; were cheered tremendously, and felt comparatively happy. Mackintosh, who had rather forsaken us since the failure of our first effort, was now ready to make amends and give us more engagements.

We went out to Kingston one day, where we had the pleasure of seeing, and shaking hands with that friend of humanity and advocate of temperance, Father Mathew; we heard him talk and administer the pledge to a number of people. He was then in his prime, a strong, well-built man.

Henry Russell was in Dublin at this time giving concerts; was having fine houses and giving great satisfaction. We saw a good deal of him, sang and consulted with him. He discouraged us very much by saying he did not think we should be able to make any money in that country, at the same time trying to engage us to sing for him. On one occasion we were at his concert and agreed to sing on the chorus of one of his songs. We were behind a screen, out of sight of the audience, and when we struck into the chorus of the "Boatmen of the Ohio," it seemed as if the house would come down. He rushed in to us, and telling us to sing louder, it was repeated.

"We were behind a screen, out of sight":   I take this song, "Boatmen of the Ohio," to be one that is known by various titles and is most commonly associated with Daniel Decatur Emmett.

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Then we were invited upon the stage, and sang "The Old Granite State."  This so captivated the audience that Russell thought it advisable not to make his appearance in the one or two numbers that remained on the programme, and the concert closed with the selections we sang in response to enthusiastic encores. Russell then offered us one thousand dollars to make the tour of England under his auspices! We declined to accept his offer.

In one of our walks about the city we came to the poor-house. We passed through all the different departments, and were surprised when told that there were fifteen hundred inmates. We afterwards visited the prison in which O'Connell was incarcerated for one hundred days.

We were still in Dublin, undecided what to do. Some said, "Go home." Jesse said we could go to New York for fifty dollars. This was the third time we partly decided to go. Judson related a vision he had when he was fourteen years old, that he was to die at the age of twenty-eight; and as this was the year, he was very despondent. I told of a dream that I had the night before, to the effect that I was going to be drowned on my way home from England; and when Abby told us that she had just dreamed that we were all drowned on our way home, we concluded there must be something in it, and that we had better "bide a wee."

Notes by Alan Lewis