eighteen hundred, cut off and just trotted round to the north
courtyard, where it would not show so much, how nice that would be; but
everything is so dreadfully stable and solid with us, and here
everything is transitory and can come and go in a night. All the
country we came through looks the wilds, uncultivated, almost as if
bears could live in the woods. Farms have been there, but now the land
is too valuable and is only sold for building purposes. But the effect
of wild is intense and makes the contrast of the over-cultivated avenue
borders greater. Once inside the gates, the winding avenue begins,
covered like all the avenues we have seen with fine granite gravel. But
even in the wildest wild it is lit with electric light, and here and
there a neat villa. This is typical of America, the contrivances of the
brain of man forced upon primitive nature.

The house is simply charming; outside a beautiful colonial style, so
suitable to the splendid trees and general look of the land, and inside
all panelled, and everything in the most perfect taste, and not too
grand. But it surprises me that Valerie, who has been so much in
England, should still have the same want of the personal note in her
house. Everything is beyond criticism, so perfect and suitable, but not
in a single room, even her own sitting room, is there that strong sense
of her as I think we all have in our rooms at home. I am sure, Mamma,
you would know even the great state drawing-rooms at Chevenix were
Octavia's, and there is not a corner of Valmond or Hurstbridge or even
the town house, that I do not decide upon the arranging of. But here I
don't think they would be bothered; and they only stay in their houses
for so short a period, rushing from New York to Newport and the country
to Europe, so none of the places feel like home. That is the only
possible thing which spoils this one,--otherwise it is perfection. But
then you see they could start fair by building it themselves; they had