Though we must part-some for a year, And some must part for aye, To memory ever shall be dear Now let my proffered hand be met, And take a grip of kindness yet For auld lang syne. CHORUS For auld lang syne, my friends, For auld lang syne; We'll take a grip of kindness yet LETTER VII. An American Breakfast-Bolting System-Its Disadvantages, bodily and mental-American LadiesLynn-Temperance-Improvement-Lowell and its Cotton Manufactory-General DearborneFuture progress of Steam- Steam Birds-Count de Pampour's Treatise. MY DEAR S Boston, August 28, 1840. This morning I again took my place at the breakfast table, to see, with renewed admiration, the galloping system. What I most envied, but in vain attempted to imitate, was the marvellous skill evinced by the natives in swallowing large quantities. of iced milk and oatmeal porridge. "Scotia, my own, my native land!" thou art famed in verse and prose for thy breakfasts; but even thou must hide thy dimi 68 A MORNING REPAST. nished head before the accumulated glories of the morning repast at Tremont House; where, in addition to the aforesaid porridge, are displayed tea, coffee, omelets, beefsteaks, mutton-chops, vcal-cutlets, kippered salmon, various kinds of fresh fish, ham, eggs, cakes, rolls, muffins, toast, &c. &c. ad infinitum! The succession of meals at this most abundantly supplied establishment is such that, with the exception of a few hours during the dead of night, a man of powerful digestive organs could, with a little management and occasional change of place, casily contrive to blend all the five repasts of the day into one. From the earliest breakfast at seven, until the latest supper long after midnight, there is scarcely any cessation. And yet that most important meal of all, that meal at which aldermen "tremble while they gaze"-is the only one which in America is hurried over; and hurried over THE BOLTING SYSTEM. 69 it is with most inhuman haste. All manner of good things are set before you, but no time for reflection or selection is afforded you. Promptitude of decision is your only chance: no hanging fire permitted-decks cleared dessert produced, consisting of peaches, pears, apples, almonds, iced creams, &c.; but, alas! the same system is continued, gobble, gulp, and go is still the order of the day. I ventured, on more than one occasion, to advert to the story of the two dogs, both abundantly and equally fed, and the one immediately taken out to hunt, the other tied up; when, on putting them both to death three hours afterwards, it was found that the dog which had hunted had not one particle of its food digested, whilst the dormant one had a clean, wholesome, empty stomach. But no man in this wonderful land could spare time to profit by my advice; for as the London cabman, at the risk of 70 AMERICAN LADIES. your neck, acts upon the principle that time is money, so do these extraordinary people, to the imminent danger of their own digestive I now allude to the men; but to behold the fairest of the fair adopt what I have before denominated the bolting system, is really awful. organs. I am now, in some degree, become accustomed to it; but still it is extremely provoking when you happen to be placed by the side of an agreeable person—and all the American ladies are so,—and when you have just led her into conversation, suddenly she and all the rest of the fair creatures start off like startled deer; or, to speak in more homely phrase, as if the house was on fire! I have said that all the American ladies are agreeable, and I'll maintain it; and well-bred too, although certainly I was a little startled this evening at the tea-table when a black-eyed, intelligent-looking lass |