2/18 I have not been prepared for this; I have not been led on imperceptibly, by travelling mile after mile by land from my own home, to accustom my senses to the gradual change of country. There has been no border to pass, where the language, the dress, the habits, and outward appearances assimilate. I have no difficulty in ascertaining the point where one terminates and the other begins. The last time I slept on shore, was in America--to-night I sleep in England. The effect is magical--one country is withdrawn from view, and another is suddenly presented to my astonished gaze. |