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A white wig and black gown on. The houses of Lords & Commons would be mere ciphers if the members were not clothed in their robes + wigs. Little boys six & eight years of age must wear high hats & kid gloves or they are not of the “respectable youth”. A person may see a thousand things in English society that are exceedingly foolish & often disgusting. In France it is far different. Society is freer & more Republican. After leaving England I sailed for Dieppe in France crossing the Channel in one night only. Dieppe is a great bathing & fishing place & you cannot imagine what a novel yet picturesque scene it was to see the old & young French women in large groups selling fish in the streets with their wooden shoes on & a white turbans around their heads. I had seen such groups only in old paintings. Artists were sitting about sketching them. After I had gone through the Custom House routine & looked the town over I took the train for Paris via Rouen. The country & the dwellings look very much as in England, but the forests are more scattering and the trees have their limbs trimmed off, as every twig is used for firewood & not a tree is allowed to be cut unless for the use of the Government. In passing through the country I of course saw many things very novel to me. Many French Soldiers in their gay uniforms, lots of women with queer caps on & plenty of priests everywhere. When I arrived at Paris my attention was immediately attracted [[strikethrough]] by the great member of gay “salons” & “cafes” with gentlemen & ladies sitting in front drinking wine & coffee at little tables