Somehow or other there has been such an uncommon pressure of occupation upon me that I have missed the absence of the family much less than I expected. It is not without trouble that I bring up arrears, unless I work at night, which the state of my eyes warns me not to do. I worded to day in entering on my books the particulars of my son’s account. Letters also to be written and some visits until nearly three, when I drove down to attend a meeting of the Peabody Trust. All of them present, at the usual plane of meeting, the Board of Trade. The account was read which gave particulars of the expenditure thus far. A loss of more than a thousand pounds in selling out crusols to pay for the buildings, which shows that even the shrewdest men miss it sometimes. This absorbs at least the interest. Reports made as to progress, but no new work ordered. After the adjournment Sir Emerson Tennent had a story of a man by the name of Root just from the rebel nest at Richmond, belonging a most deplorable report of the condition, to Seymour Fitzgerald. If this be correct, they cannot hold out much longer. Walked home, and then around the Regents Park. Found Mr Bright in the Legation. He is cheerful, and we talked about American affairs pleasantly. Yet there is a little uneasiness about the Canadian difficulty. The tone in Parliament yesterday was subdued. Lord Derby being the only person who showed he did not know what he was talking about. And yet he is the chief of one of the ruling parties! Old Chancellor Oxenstiern was wise and sagacious in his day, but his remark applies to all time. In the evening to the first reception of the season at Lady Waldegrave’s. On my going in she congratulated me on the approach of the end of the war. She alluded to the bad spirit that had prevailed here and blamed the Times for the false policy it had adopted in trying for a disruption of the Union. In her belief the interest of England had been to sustain us. I said I had always thought so. She is a sensible woman, but where does she get these impression which were never communicated to me before? Is it from the Orleans family with which she is intimate, or from the altered tone of her English entourage? I met so many acquaintances who were glad to see me that I remained almost to the last. The manner in which they generally regret the idea of my departure rather moves me. I am not sensible of any act to merit. Popularity for me is out of the question.200