LONDON,December 14,1848
Dear Uncle and Aunt:On Friday we dined at Mr.Tufnell's,who married last spring the daughter of Lord Rosebery,Lady Anne Primrose,a very "nice person,"to use the favorite English term of praise....Sir John Hobhouse was of our party and he told us so much of Byron,who was his intimate friend,as you will remember from his Life,that we stayed much longer than usual at dinner....On Tuesday we were invited to dine with Miss Coutts,but were engaged to Mr.Gurney,an immensely rich Quaker banker,brother of Mrs.Fry.His daughter is married to Ernest Bunsen,the second son of our friend.We were delighted with the whole family scene,which was quite unlike anything we have seen in England.They live at Upton Park,a pretty country seat about eight miles from us,and are surrounded by their children and grandchildren.Their costume and language are strictly Quaker,which was most becoming to Mrs.
Gurney's sweet,placid face....Louis Napoleon's election seems fixed,and is to me one of the most astounding things of the age.
When we passed several days with him at Mr.Bates's,I would not have given two straws for his chance of a future career.To-night Mendelssohn's "Elijah"is to be performed,and Jenny Lind sings.We had not been able to get tickets,which have been sold for five guineas apiece the last few days.To my great joy Miss Coutts has this moment written me that she has two for our use,and asks us to take an early dinner at five with her and accompany her.
