The Henson Journals

[44]

Thursday, May 27th, 1909.

A wet day. We hustled off in the rain forgetting the camera! Then we found our tickets out of order, & had to get them exchanged. The delay cost us our train! However there was another in an hour's time.

We reached Philadelphia at 1 p.m., & immediately lunched at the Railway Restaurant. Then we chartered a hansom, & were driven about the town. We visited the hall where American Independence was declared; gazed with suitable reverence at Liberty Bell, which is now cracked: visited Christ Church where the seat of the omnipresent Washington is suitably marked: & paid our respects to the birth–place of "Old Glory". Then we came out to Wynnewood, & were driven to Mr Toland's house where we were to spend the night.

This is a charming country house of the unusual and respectable antiquity of 200 years, surrounded by lawns & large trees after the English fashion, & comfortably appointed in all respects. Miss Rush, our hostess's sister, drove us for an hour. On the estate is Wm Penn's house. The absence of singing birds in such a country seemed very surprising.

Here, for the first time since our arrival in America, champagne was set on the table.

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