At least,
I have not found naval men so, in general; but still it is pleasant to
see Americans who are not stirred by such motives as usually interest our
countrymen,--no hope nor desire of growing rich, but planting their
claims to respectability on other grounds, and therefore acquiring a
certain nobleness, whether it be inherent in their nature or no. It
always seems to me they look down upon civilians with quiet and not
ill-natured scorn, which one has the choice of smiling or being provoked
at. It is not a true life which they lead, but shallow and aimless; and
unsatisfactory it must be to the better minds among them; nor do they
appear to profit by what would seem the advantages presented to them in
their world-wide, though not world-deep experience. They get to be very
clannish too.
After seeing the ship, we landed, all of us, ladies and captain, and went
to the gardens of the Rock Ferry Hotel, where J----- and I stayed behind
the rest.
TO SCOTLAND.
June 28th.--On the 26th my wife, J-----, and I left Southport, taking the
train for Preston, and as we had to stop an hour or two before starting
for Carlisle, I walked up into the town. The street through which most
of my walk lay was brick-built, lively, bustling, and not particularly
noteworthy; but, turning a little way down another street, the town had a
more ancient aspect. The day was intensely hot, the sun lying bright and
broad as ever I remember it in an American city; so that I was glad to
get back again to the shade and shelter of the station.
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