We reached Albany at five o'clock; and a most beautiful town it is. The
great street, as well as one at right angles to it leading up to the
Capitol, is wider, I think, than any street we ever saw; and the shops
on both sides are very splendid. The hotel is very large and good; but,
alas! instead of our dear darkies at Newport, we had some twenty
pale-faced damsels to wait at table, all dressed alike in pink cottons,
their bare necks much displayed in front, with large white collars, two
little frills to form the short sleeves, large, bare, clean, white arms,
and short white aprons not reaching to the knees. They had no caps, and
such a circumference of hoops! quite Yankeeish in their style; and most
careless, flirtatious-looking and impertinent in their manners. We were
quite disgusted with them; and even papa could not defend any one of
them. We were naturally very badly waited upon; they sailing
majestically about the room instead of rushing to get what we wanted, as
the niggers at Newport did. Men-servants answered the bed-room bells,
and brought our hot water; the ladies being employed only as waiters.
This morning the fine weather we had hitherto enjoyed began to fail us,
as it rained in torrents. Notwithstanding this, we started at half-past
seven; passing through what in sunshine must be a lovely country, to
Utica on the New York Central Railway, and thence by a branch railway of
fifteen miles to Trenton Falls.
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