and make it as smooth as a bowling-green.  The Two-forty trotters—­when there are any—­come out here in the afternoon, and show off their paces, and if you fail in finding any of that first flight, at all events you are pretty sure to see some good teams, that can hug the three minutes very closely.  Custom is second nature, and necessity is the autocrat of autocrats, which even the free and enlightened must obey; the consequence is, that the inhabitants of New Orleans look forward to the Shell-road ride, or drive, with as much interest and satisfaction as our metropolitan swells do to the Serpentine or the Row.

Having had our drive, let us now say a few words about the society.  In the first place, you will not see such grand houses as in New York; but at the same time it is to be observed, that the tenants here occupy and enjoy all their houses, while in New York, as I have before observed, the owners of many of the finest residences live almost exclusively in the basements thereof.  This more social system at New Orleans, I am inclined to attribute essentially to the French—­or Creole—­habits with which society is leavened, and into which, it appears to me, the Americans naturally and fortunately drop.  On the other hand, the rivalry which too often taints a money-making community has found its way here.  If A. gives a party which costs 200l., B. will try and get up one at 300l., and so on.  This false pride—­foolish enough anywhere—­is more striking in New Orleans, from the fact that the houses are not calculated for such displays, and when they are attempted, it involves unfurnishing bed-rooms and upsetting the whole establishment.  I should add they are comparatively rare, perhaps as rare as those parties which are sometimes given in London at the expense of six weeks’ fasting, in order that the donor’s name and the swells who attended the festive scene may go forth to the world in the fashionable column of the Morning Post.  Whenever they do occur, they are invariably attended with some such observations as the following:—­

“What did Mrs. B.’s party cost last night?”

“Not less than 300l.”

“Well, I’m sure they have not the means to afford such extravagant expense; and I suppose the bed-rooms upstairs were all cleared out?”

“Oh, yes! three of them.”

“Well I know that house, and, fix it how you will, if they cleared out three bed-rooms, I’m sure they must have slept on the sofas or the tables.  I declare it’s worse than foolish—­it’s wicked to have so much pride,” &c.

If those who thus indulged their vanity, only heard one-half of the observations made by those who accent their hospitalities, or who strive to get invitations and cannot, they would speedily give up their folly; but money is the great Juggernaut, at the feet of which all the nations of the earth fall down and worship; whether it be the coronets that bowed themselves down in the temple of the Railway King in Hyde Park, who