I HAD never been in London before: so I need not tell you how my first two or three weeks were spent. I made my wife see as many of the sights as her health could justify, or my persuasion accomplish; and, after changing our quarters three or four times, from a hotel to a lodging-house, back to the hotel again, and so forth, we at last settled down into the quiet tenants of a smallish but very comfortable house of our own—not the house in which you have so often visited me, but in the same street, though of rather a more elegant character.

Here we awaited the meeting of Parliament in rather a humdrum style of existence; for I had almost no acquaintances, and my wife's world-spurning mood was, as you may probably have suspected long ere you reach this page, too deeply seated for any exertions that I could bend to its eradication. When Parliament met, I, of course, became involved in a world of purely masculine employments. I was introduced to ministers and men in office; I was admitted into clubs; I sat on committees in the morning, and heard debates in the evening: I was visited by Scotch aspirants, of every shade of the disgusting. Dinners, disputes, Pitt, America, Franklin,—all the bustle of the day and the hour rung in my ears. My poor wife heard as many sermons, and gave as many tea-drinkings, as she had a mind. I really began to fancy myself quite a public character.

The grandest epoch, however, was that when the Honourable Member for Maldoun made his maiden speech. This occurred when the before-mentioned Fishery bill was brought forward. I had lived for several years near the coast, I had property on it, had made myself master of the subject, and I really did deliver a very fair speech.—A business-like sensible statement of facts, unhackneyed arguments, briefly and unflourishingly produced;—such were my materials,—and the outlandish utterance, I believe, did more good than harm; for its novel barbarity excited good humour at the opening of the affair, and that is generally, in such cases, more than half the battle. In short, I did make a very respectable appearance, (for a Scotch Member,) and we carried our bill by a triumphant majority.