A BUNDLE OF LETTERS 
 FROM OVER THE SEA. 
 
 CAUf . UBRAJtt. W
 
 This book may be obtained through any bookseller in 
 
 the United States, for two dollars, or will be 
 
 mailed, postage paid, on receipt of that 
 
 amount by the publishers.
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS 
 
 FROM OVER THE SEA 
 
 BY 
 
 3louie 22>. ftobingon 
 
 " Visions of the days departed 
 Shadowy phantoms fill my brain " 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 J. G. CUPPLES COMPANY 
 33adt Bag Bookstore 
 
 94 BOYLSTON STREET 
 1890
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1889, 
 BY LOUISE B. ROBIXSON. 
 
 All right* reserved. 
 
 <Cupple* pre0tf : 'Boston. 
 
 PRINTED BY J. G. CUPPLBS COMPANY.
 
 DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR 
 
 o 
 
 2132485

 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 PREFACE ix 
 
 LETTER I. 1 
 
 I am off. On the sea. 
 
 LETTER II 13 
 
 Liverpool. Chester. Kugby. Leamington. 
 Stratford-on-Avon. Kenilworth. Warwick. 
 
 LETTER III. 29 
 
 London. 
 
 LETTER IV ... 67 
 
 Paris. 
 
 LETTER V 127 
 
 Ambrieau. Geneva. 
 
 LETTER VI. 143 
 
 Chamouni. Mer de Glace. Tete Noire. 
 
 LETTER VII. 157 
 
 Martigny. Chillon. Berne. Interlaken. 
 
 LETTER VIII 171 
 
 Lucerne. Altorf. The Rigi. Zurich. Schaff- 
 hausen.
 
 viii CONTENTS. 
 
 FAOB 
 
 LETTER IX. . 191 
 
 Strassburg. Baden Baden. Willbad. Carls- 
 ruhe. Heidelberg. 
 
 LETTER X. . 217 
 
 Mayence. Wiesbaden. The Bhine. 
 
 LETTER XI. 233 
 
 Cologne. 
 
 LETTER XII 247 
 
 Utrecht. Amsterdam. 
 
 LETTER XIII 263 
 
 The Hague. Kotterdam. Brussels. 
 
 LETTER XIV 281 
 
 Antwerp. 
 
 LETTER XV 291 
 
 On Shipboard. New York. Boston.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 In presenting my little book to the public, 
 I feel that I should apologize for so doing, 
 instead of introducing it; for at the time my 
 letters were written I had no idea of publish- 
 ing them. Since my return, however, several 
 friends who had read them have assured me 
 that they greatly enjoyed them, and felt that 
 others would do so, also, had they the oppor- 
 tunity. The letters have, at least, the merit 
 of being fresh and honest impressions of the 
 places described, as they were written on the 
 spots. Remembering how eagerly I have al- 
 ways read letters of travel, I sincerely hope
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 that mine may prove a source of pleasure to 
 some to those who have been over the same 
 ground, and to many who have the pleasure 
 in anticipation. I am aware that the route 
 I describe is a well-worn thoroughfare, but 
 every eye has its own perspective, and different 
 views of the same pictures assist the sight-seer 
 in comprehending the whole. Therefore, I 
 here beg the charity of all into whose hands 
 this little book may fall. 
 
 L. B. R. 
 
 Hotel Oxford, Boston, 
 
 December 20, 1889.
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS 
 
 FROM OVER THE SEA. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 CUNARD ROYAL MAIL STEAMSHIP Utruria, 
 MID-OCEAN, June 12. 
 
 WELL, was not this starting for Europe in a 
 hurry? I left Boston Saturday, June 9th, at 
 five A. M., only deciding the day previous to 
 go. A number of letters and telegrams, from 
 New York, urging me to join a delightful 
 party who were to make the journey, proved 
 to be too much of a temptation to accept the 
 change I so much needed, to resist. For sev- 
 eral previous seasons I have seen friends off,
 
 2 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 honestly glad to have them enjoy so much, but 
 after awhile enthusiasm in the pleasures of 
 others, who enjoy much and leave you behind 
 to be glad for them, grows dull, like cham- 
 pagne long uncorked, not much sparkle to it, 
 ' for all work and no play makes Jack a dull 
 boy.' A hurried packing ; good-by letters ; 
 messenger boys running here and there; a 
 turning of the keys ; and I am off. To my 
 maid, to the elevator boy, to the expressman 
 and the coachman, I excitedly said, ' I am going 
 to Europe,' but their faces did not light up 
 with delight as I expected they would ; and I 
 thought How unappreciative we all are, 
 after all, of other people's enthusiasm. The 
 train was a slow one, but the only one that 
 could possibly get me to New York in time to 
 take the steamer. Some trouble with the 
 machinery of the engine detained us, and I 
 spent the time, while the cars were stopped, 
 praying to be resigned, if I had got to be dis- 
 appointed, as, for a while, matters looked as if 
 it would be impossible for me to reach my 
 friends on the hour for the ship to sail. But 
 prayers and the work of an ingenious Yankee
 
 LETTER I. 3 
 
 mechanic carried us through. It Tvas after 
 3 p. M. when we rolled into the Grand Central 
 Depot. I rushed into the nearest cab like one 
 mad urged, coaxed, and fee'd my driver, who 
 quickly comprehended the situation and ran 
 his horses to the best of their speed, and did 
 get me to the Cunard Wharf about ten minutes 
 before the Etruria moved ; but it was in truth 
 a ' John Gilpin ride.' My friends were on 
 the lookout with anxious eyes, and, when they 
 caught a sight of me, greeted my appearance 
 with shouts of delight. After the excitement 
 was over, we settled dow n into an ' all right ' 
 atmosphere and looked about. The sights 
 that met my eyes I shall never forget. The 
 huge ship with the bright-colored flags flying, 
 the hundreds of people crowded on her, hun- 
 dreds more on the wharf, throwing kisses, wav- 
 ing handkerchiefs and adieus, everybody loaded 
 with flowers, many laughing and more crying. 
 * God bless you. Take care of yourselves. 
 Write soon and often/ were the oft-repeated 
 words we heard. The planks are drawn, the 
 band struck up ' The Girl I left behind me,' 
 and off we steamed down the beautiful harbor
 
 4 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 of New York, fast leaving the shores of 
 America in the distance. I thought of all the 
 loved friends we were sailing away from, in 
 the body but not in spirit, and asked our dear 
 e Father in Heaven ' to take care of us all. I 
 was tired, so dined early, settled things a little 
 in our state-room, and retired. I went imme- 
 diately to sleep, without a care, like a weary, 
 confiding child on its mother's breast, and did 
 not once awaken until nine the next morn- 
 ing Sunday. My rest was perfect, thus 
 'rocked in the cradle of the deep/ while the 
 waves sung to me their sweet lullaby. I arose 
 feeling thoroughly refreshed rubbed my 
 eyes well to be convinced that I was not 
 dreaming, and that in reality I was far out at 
 sea. We have a fine state-room ; two wide 
 berths and a sofa ; and only F. and I its occu- 
 pants ; plenty of room for our things, and two 
 looking-glasses ; so we shall be sure to keep 
 amiable on this trip. The Etruria is a beauti- 
 ful and an immense steamer. Four hundred 
 persons make up the crew and she takes fifty 
 engineers. We have a music room, a library, 
 a large saloon, reception rooms, dining room,
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 etc., all finely and conveniently furnished and 
 spacious. We have six hundred passengers on 
 board, all first class, and a fairly good-looking 
 crowd notwithstanding there are but few from 
 Boston. We take no second class passengers 
 or emigrants. So far the weather has been 
 charming. We settle ourselves in our steamer 
 chairs in the most deliciously idle and comfort- 
 able positions, E. tucks his numerous nice wraps 
 about us, for the air is keen but most whole- 
 somely pure and sweet, and we give ourselves 
 up both body and mind to perfect rest and 
 repose, such as no condition on land can bring. 
 I even find myself wishing that the steamer 
 would not speed on quite so rapidly. I am afraid 
 we shall sight land too soon. On shipboard, 
 the slightest incident becomes to all a matter 
 of great interest. A ship in the distance, or r 
 whale's back, will cause as much excitement as 
 Barnum's circus in a country town. We have 
 seen two steamers far away, many sea-gulls and 
 Mother Gary's chickens, and a school of por- 
 poises followed us a long distance, creating 
 much amusement. We have two dukes on 
 board, a real lord and a lady, but they look
 
 6 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 very like the rest of us mortals, and seem to 
 do quite as much stretching, yawning, walking, 
 and eating. We have met here several old 
 friends, and have made some new ones. 
 Everybody seems inclined to be agreeable and 
 social. I cannot imagine how any one could 
 ever think a sea voyage dull. I get so inter- 
 ested in all about me, that their interests and 
 purposes become my own. A bright little 
 Cuban miss confided to me that she was going 
 to travel for a year, because her rich father had 
 taken to himself a new companion 'younger 
 than herself, and she could not stay at home 
 and see the young girl in her mother's place. 
 We have six school-girls on board with their 
 chaperone, and a jolly good time they are hav- 
 ing. School-girls are the same everywhere. 
 A bride and groom sit at table near us, trying 
 to act as if they had been always married, but 
 are really continually revealing their new con- 
 dition. Ah ! ' the old, old story,' but ever 
 new. A gentleman from the West, who had 
 been cabled to ' hurry over wife sick,' walks 
 the deck with a face that tells of the sad heart 
 he carries. How we all sympathize with him,
 
 LETTER I. < 
 
 and yet are so helpless in comforting him ! 
 We had a fine concert in the grand saloon last 
 evening, for ' sweet charity ; ' and many of the 
 ladies honored the occasion by changing their 
 travelling dresses for evening costumes. Mile. 
 Zelie de Lussan sang two pieces most charm- 
 ingly, and on encore gave us ( Coming thro' 
 the Rye ' and * Dors mon ange. J She is a 
 great favorite with all on board, and no wonder, 
 for she endeavors in her sweet way to add to 
 the happiness of all. She was enthusiastically 
 applauded. We had some fine instrumental 
 music on both violin and piano, and ( Tony ' 
 Pastor was irresistible in his manner of render- 
 ing several comic selections, and very kind to 
 repeat them in acknowledgment of hearty 
 applause. Our young ladies passed around 
 the hats, into which coin was quickly deposited 
 to the amount of over three hundred dollars. 
 Rev. Dr. H., of New York, made a few remarks. 
 He is a forcible, impressive speaker and with 
 a physique equal to our own Trinity Rector. 
 He also has exhibited a commendable spirit 
 in helping make the time pass agreeably for 
 all with whom he has come in contact. Editor
 
 8 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 P. is also amongst us, leaving his * New York 
 World' behind for a time, but not under a 
 bushel. Our table and the service are excel- 
 lent : and what gormandizers we are to be 
 sure ! Hungry as sharks every meal, notwith- 
 standing the hourly extras of bouillon and 
 crackers on deck, and the daily treats from our 
 own boxes of iruit, wine, and bon-bons. If 
 any one should now ask me ' What is the chief 
 end of man ?' I should honestly answer, To eat 
 of all, at least, on board our ship. Poor E. 
 looks upon his chest of medicines for sea-sick- 
 ness as a lost investment ; stocks way down 
 not even a shadow of an excuse yet for open- 
 ing it. Miss C., the noted beauty, is on board, 
 but her fair face is closely enveloped in veils, 
 that the sun and wind may not be too familiar. 
 One loses much not to take the whole of this 
 blessed, invigorating air, and look out unham- 
 pered on the exquisite sky and cloud effects 
 above us, and the artistic blending of blues 
 and greens on the waves beneath. 
 
 Liverpool, England, June 17, 1888. We 
 first saw land yesterday morning, very early. 
 It was a perfect morning, clear and warm, and
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 when we emerged from our state-room and 
 made our way on deck, we found the greater 
 portion of our comrades ahead of us, with their 
 glasses in hand, peering toward the rocky coast 
 of not far away ' Old Ireland/ It is a rough, 
 rugged shore, with here and there a light- 
 house, built as if to last for ages, on rocks, 
 strong and high, and all colored white with 
 some black trimmings. Occasionally an old 
 castle is seen. The fields of flax, colored with 
 all the shades of green, are very beautiful, and 
 add much to vary the scene. 
 
 We have had, as one of our daily compan- 
 ions crossing over, an Irish gentleman of much 
 intelligence and culture. He is a large land- 
 holder, and has a fine home not very far from 
 Dublin ; has been travelling some in America, 
 but mostly in the Western States. I have 
 gained much information from him of his 
 country and its people. He was amazed at 
 the extent of our own land, but with all his 
 intelligence could not comprehend everything 
 connected with our divisions of country clearly, 
 and said to me ' Boston, that city is very 
 near Massachusetts, is it not ? ' He admired
 
 10 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 American ladies, and thought ' Mrs. Cleveland 
 should reign in Washington longer.' His 
 brogue was fascinating, and he talked much 
 of the Pot-o-mac River. 
 
 In speaking of the poor of his country, I did 
 not hesitate to ask him how he and gentlemen 
 of his kind could endure having the poor so 
 oppressed by the rich landlords ; that to me it 
 seemed most cruel. With a sympathetic sigh 
 he replied, ' If you will visit me, I will show 
 to you more than I can tell you/ 
 
 Our big steamer stopped, for the first time, 
 for the passengers who were booked for the 
 1 Green Isle ' to get on to the little tug which 
 came puffing down from Queenstown, and we 
 said good-by to many of our fellow-voyagers 
 reluctantly. A large mail was thrown on 
 board also for Ireland, carrying undoubtedly 
 happiness and help into many homes. 
 
 On again we started, and reached Liverpool 
 at one o'clock A. M. We certainly had a per- 
 fect trip over, and the Etruria and her watch- 
 ful, careful commander, Captain Cook, will have 
 ever a grateful place in my memory. Blessed 
 be the gift of memory ! The one thing that
 
 LETTER I. 11 
 
 holds precious treasures that cannot be taken 
 from us ; from which we can at all times sum- 
 mon the delights and joys of the past, without 
 money and without price.
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 WE landed at seven A. M. Were detained but 
 a short time at the Custom-house. The ordeal 
 of examining luggage there, proved much less 
 than we expected; one pleasant official, re- 
 marking that he did not wish to disturb my 
 nicely packed bags, would pass them over if I 
 would swear that I had no tobacco or cigars. 
 Hasty good-bys, cards and kisses exchanged, 
 and we were soon whirled to our hotel the 
 Adelphi. What a transition ! We have nice 
 rooms, and a pretty maid, with a deini-trained 
 white cambric dress on, to wait upon us, look- 
 ing as fresh as a daisy. After breakfast, we 
 went to drive about the city, the largest sea- 
 port in the world. The docks are many miles 
 in length. We visited the museum, St. George's
 
 14 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Hall, and looked into one or two churches. 
 The city looks solid and business-like, but not 
 attractive. The suburbs are more so, and have 
 fine trees. No more horse-cars for us, but 
 trams, with seats on top, which we very much 
 like. After luncheon, we crossed the Mersey 
 in a ferry, to Birkenhead, and there took steam 
 cars for Chester, thirty miles away. Chester ! 
 old, odd, quaint, red-walled Chester ! We 
 hurried to the Cathedral, to be in time for 
 service, which proved to be a choral one, of 
 great beauty and sacredness, and the first 
 words that greeted us were sweetly sung, and 
 impressed us in a stronger way than ever did 
 the same words before : 
 
 ' Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
 Doth his successive journeys run; 
 His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
 Till moons shall wax and wane no more.' 
 
 Of this cathedral you have read many descrip- 
 tions, and yet one can have but little idea of 
 it without seeing it. As I sat in the chancel, 
 and looked about me, I felt as if I belonged 
 to the past. There seemed to be a spirit of an- 
 tique rest and repose pervading the whole inte-
 
 LETTER II. 15 
 
 rior. After service, we peeped into the nooks 
 and corners of the old church, and then out 
 into the rich balmy air of this perfect day in 
 June, and walked on the old wall which was 
 built to protect the town. We looked from 
 the windows of the tower, where Charles I. 
 stood and saw his army defeated by Cromwell. 
 How many reminiscences of our lessons in 
 history at school these old towns bring up ! 
 An open carriage stood near us, into which we 
 jumped, and were driven through the grounds 
 and to the home of the Duke of Westminster, 
 who is, I believe, the richest man in England. 
 As it was Sunday, we could not be admitted to 
 the palace, but enjoyed the drive through the 
 perfect grounds immensely. The town con- 
 tains a beautiful park, in which is a fine statue 
 of the father of the present duke. The nar- 
 row streets and the odd-looking old houses in 
 the oldest part of the town were intensely 
 attractive to me, so, leaving the rest of my 
 party to wander in the park, I strolled off 
 alone. I pulled the latch-string of a little 
 house, and a kindly faced old lady appeared. 
 I asked for some water, and she urged me to
 
 16 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 come in and rest, and I lingered a long time, 
 so interesting to me were her tales of Chester, 
 where she had all her life lived, not even hav- 
 ing been so far away as ( Lunnon town.' The 
 custom of ringing what used to be the ( cur- 
 few bell ' is still kept up. A bell rings at 
 nine P. M., and if maids are out alone after that 
 hour they may be arrested. i A good custom 
 it is,' said the old lady ; ' God made the night 
 to sleep, and not for gadding.' Back to 
 Liverpool, and good-by to E. He remains 
 here, and we go to-morrow to Leamington 
 Spa. 
 
 June 18. At seven A. M. we left Liverpool. 
 The morning was a perfect one, and our train 
 ran slowly, perhaps purposely that we might 
 see beautiful old England. And beautiful it 
 is ! Such green fields, such magnificent trees, 
 such hedges, ivy, hawthorn, and a tangled 
 mass of sweetbrier and wild rose. Houses 
 covered with ivy and roses. Roses in bloom 
 everywhere, little plots of ground around the 
 stations filled with roses red, white, and yel- 
 low, their sweet fragrance pouring into the 
 windows of our car. The flocks of sheep, the
 
 LETTER IT. 17 
 
 herds of cattle in the fields and meadows, 
 resting', or cooling 1 their feet in silver streams. 
 O how beautiful this all is ! The blue sky of 
 to-day seems so near us. Glimpses of cathe- 
 drals and palatial homes greet us. The fields 
 of wild poppies and wheat add brilliancy to it 
 all. Surely we must be in the highly culti- 
 vated, most beautiful part of England ! But 
 no, it is all the same. There are no rough 
 spots in England, no stony pastures, no broken 
 fences : it is all a beautiful garden from one 
 end to the other. F. says almost too { spick 
 and span ; ' but to me, perfection. Our first 
 stop was at Rugby. Ascertaining that we 
 must remain there two or three hours, and 
 remembering ' Tom Brown,' we set out to see 
 the world-renowned school. Its buildings are 
 large and castle-like. Any man who has re- 
 sided in the county two years is entitled to send 
 his sons to the school, to be educated free of 
 expense. There is a pretty chapel here, and 
 in the transept a monument to the revered 
 Dr. Thomas Arnold. One of the stained-glass 
 windows is also in memory of him, and the 
 words beneath it seemed to me particularly 
 touching and appropriate :
 
 18 A JJUNDLH OF LKTTKES. 
 
 'And Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou 
 hast seen me thou hast believed : blessed are they who 
 have not seen, and yet have believed.' 
 
 The name of Arnold seems to be revered by 
 every one in Rugby, and his best monument is 
 the school for which he did so much. He 
 buried creeds and lived by the Golden Rule. 
 
 Our next halt was at Leamington, and here 
 we are, feeling quite like citizens. The town is 
 crowded with visitors, and we were most for- 
 tunate in finding rooms at a small hotel which 
 had just been vacated by Americans. This 
 town is a health resort and a fashionable and 
 popular one. There are four medicinal springs, 
 each one different from the others in remedial 
 properties. The streets of the town are broad, 
 shaded by grand old trees that form perfect 
 arches for long distances. The residences are 
 immense and very handsome, some quite pala- 
 tial ; but seeing * To Let' on many of them, 
 we came to the conclusion that they were too 
 expensive for the owners to live in, but were 
 afterwards told that the richest and most culti- 
 vated people of the place rent their houses for 
 almost fabulous sums, for the months of May
 
 LETTER II. 19 
 
 and June, and take that time to travel them- 
 selves, on the Continent. Near the royal pump- 
 room, at the beautiful Jephson Gardens, on the 
 banks of the river Learn, in the little parks, in 
 the streets, and everywhere else here, we see 
 bath-chairs on wheels people of all ages, from 
 infants to aged men and women, being drawn 
 in them by their servants. I thought at first 
 they must all be invalids from some cause, but 
 it seems not : many are being trolled about in 
 this manner for enjoyment. The drives in the 
 town and about its suburbs are of unrivalled 
 beauty. We stood under the shade of a large 
 oak tree, said to be in the very centre of Eng- 
 land. From here we made an excursion to 
 Stratford, which town has, if possible, an older 
 look than Chester. We asked a little girl to 
 direct us to the church where Shakespeare Avas 
 buried. She looked somewhat frightened, and 
 answered, ' He is not buried ; he keeps store 
 down that way.' It was evident the little tot 
 was not Stratford-born. We sauntered along, 
 and soon met a gentleman who gave us the 
 desired information. Walking through a beau- 
 tiful avenue of lime trees, we soon reached the
 
 20 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 church. In the chancel is the tomb of Shake- 
 speare. A bust of the great poet is on the 
 wall, and there is a flagstone bearing the 
 inscription familiar to all : 
 
 ' Good friend, for Jesvs sake forbeare 
 To digg the dvst encloased heare : 
 Bleste be ye man that spares thes stones. 
 And curst be he that moves my bones.' 
 
 The church is very old, a cruciform, with 
 central tower and spire ; and some portions of 
 the old carvings attracted our attention. I 
 was much disappointed with the expression of 
 the face of the bust : it looked as if the great 
 man felt nauseated, and the atmosphere of 
 the church made me feel intensely so, so close 
 and musty was it ; so out into the air we gladly 
 went. We strolled about in the churchyard 
 for a while, looking at the old stones and read- 
 ing the queer epitaphs. On one were these 
 words, after the name of a wife, her age, and 
 time of decease : e The Lord has done great 
 things for us, whereof we are exceeding glad.' 
 I doubt that widowed husband being able to 
 win wife number two. The house where the 
 poet was born is a little old structure of wood
 
 LETTER II. 21 
 
 and plaster, but well preserved. The walls of 
 several of the rooms are entirely covered with 
 names written by the sight-seers who have 
 visited them. How strange but how true it is, 
 that real genius nearly always springs from 
 homes of poverty ! Everything in the town 
 has a Shakespearian flavor. The fine fountain 
 presented by our own countryman, George W. 
 Childs, is a beautiful offering. The Shake- 
 speare Memorial Buildings, in the form of a 
 theatre, are very elegant, and contain some fine 
 pictures. F. left me to enjoy the interior of 
 this new edifice, saying to ' look for her on the 
 banks of the Avon,' and when I did so, found 
 her sleeping in a boat, on the immortalized 
 waters, with the willow trees on the banks 
 throwing their shadows over her. One can 
 scarcely help feeling tinges of romance and sen- 
 timent here, this river has been so sweetly sung 
 of; and yet it is a very unpretentious, quiet, 
 narrow: stream ; but memories of the Bard of 
 Avon linger in every spot. 
 
 We were shown, at the Red Horse Hotel, the 
 rooms which were occupied by our own Wash- 
 ington Irving during his visit here, and in the
 
 22 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 parlor was the * Sexton's Clock' which he 
 refers to in the ' Sketch Book.' We have 
 seen the oddest names in England, for inns 
 and boarding-houses, imaginable, such as the 
 Pied Bull, The Elephant and the Castle, The 
 Turtle and the Lamb, The Pig and the Whistle, 
 The Hole in the Wall, and The Struggling 
 Man. Now the English are not wise in the 
 selection of such names. For my part, I 
 should look farther for a stopping place. I 
 would not care to try to rest in The Hole in 
 the Wall, or to be protected by The Struggling 
 Man. 
 
 We visited New Place, Shakespeare's home, 
 and the Guild Chapel close by, and ended the 
 day by taking a short drive through some of 
 the quaint streets and the green lanes of this 
 reposeful, historical, and beautifully situated 
 Stratford, whose whole atmosphere seems to be 
 that conducive to pure, high thoughts, spiritual 
 exaltation, rest, and peace. We returned to 
 Leamington in time for a pleasant evening 
 drive, after a fair dinner. 
 
 June ~L9th. We slept well, and took an early 
 breakfast, then started for Kenihvorth Castle.
 
 LETTER II. 23 
 
 It was a glorious morning*. Where are the 
 clouds and fogs of England ? We have yet seen 
 none, and the road we were driven over was 
 beautiful. The pastoral scenes, made up of 
 pretty homes, cultivated fields, and flowers and 
 ivy everywhere before and around us, made us 
 eagerly drink all in as a sweet nectar. And, 
 more than all, the entire way was clothed with 
 historic interest. We could easily imagine 
 Queen Elizabeth and her lords and ladies 
 dashing along over this very ground in regal 
 splendor. The castle is a ruin, but a grand 
 one. It stands on a high hill surrounded by a 
 wall and moat, the former now down in many 
 places and the moat dry. The walls of the 
 castle, sixteen feet through, are now covered 
 with a luxuriant growth of ivy, so thick that 
 the length of my long-handled parasol was 
 lost in the mass of dark-green leaves. When 
 I look at this ivy and think of my little one at 
 home, that I have carefully tended for years, 
 and yet it is no thicker now than a jellyfish, I 
 do not think much of English ivy torn from 
 its mother soil. The numerous turrets and 
 towers are also covered with the same vine, and
 
 24 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 are homes for hundreds of ravens. It is 
 owing to the works of Scott that this old 
 castle is of such famous interest. As we 
 wandered from cells to banquet halls, we re- 
 called the revellings and grandeur in the latter, 
 and the groans in the former that could not 
 reach the ear of mortals. In the ball-room we 
 thought of the Earl of Leicester, who ordered 
 all clocks stopped that Elizabeth should take 
 no note of time. And at the entrance of the 
 deep, dark dungeon we sighed for the suffering 
 Amy. But, had we stayed in the ruins much 
 longer, ruined financially should I have been, 
 for the several i gentlemen,' who seemed to be 
 looking at the same objects and with the same 
 interest as myself, and of whom I asked ques- 
 tions, proved to be guides or informers, and 
 expected their shillings. ' How could I have 
 known it?' I exclaimed as F. advised me not 
 to talk so much. Well, I fear it is true that 
 in this country, if we ask a question, we must 
 generally pay for the answer. ' Pity 'tis 'tis 
 true.' 
 
 Adieu to Kenilworth, and on to Warwick, 
 which is of itself a village of considerable size.
 
 LETTER II. 25 
 
 Warwick Castle is the finest baronial residence 
 in all England. The approach to it is charm- 
 ing. We passed under the arched and massive 
 gateways into a winding avenue cut out of 
 solid, unbroken rock, and on which the castle 
 itself is built ; each side the rocks tower far 
 above our heads and are covered with ivy and 
 other vines, and oh so cool and beautiful it 
 looks ; so refreshing to us. All at once, and at 
 an unexpected turn, the magnificent castle is in 
 sight. The lawn in front of it, with its rare 
 plants and parterres of gorgeous blossoms, the 
 sparkling fountains, and the many peacocks 
 strutting about on the velvet sward, with their 
 gay plumage spread to its utmost extent, as if 
 for our especial admiration, almost dazzled us. 
 We paused to take in the scene before us, 
 exhausting our vocabulary of adjectives in 
 expressions of delight. Every feature of the 
 aspect was bright, winning, and delightful. 
 Some aristocratic terriers were grouped under 
 the shade of a white lilac, as if holding coun- 
 cil. Dignified swans were lazily swimming in 
 the lake, and the red and gold uniformed 
 Guards seemed perfectly satisfied to spend the
 
 26 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 rest of their lives in slowly pacing up and 
 down the gravelled walks. The castle is in 
 complete preservation, and its long list of halls, 
 libraries, and drawing-rooms are filled with 
 rare objects of beauty and interest, of great 
 value. The guide who showed us through the 
 rooms carried himself in a most stately manner : 
 his backbone was surely made of iron, and 
 ran up to the top of his head to hold on his 
 bushy wig, for he could not bend his body or 
 turn his neck. Not hearing one of his ex- 
 planations in regard to a mosaic table, formerly 
 owned by Queen Elizabeth, I asked him what 
 he said. This 'Grand Mogul ' slowly whirled his 
 entire breadth toward me, and articulated in a 
 monotone these words, i The explanation I 
 have once rendered.' I said, ' I am sorry I did 
 not comprehend it, but, as you are here for the 
 purpose of explaining, will you please tell me 
 the story of the table again.' F. was dazed, 
 but the man changed his superior attitude, and 
 from that on through the entire castle he gave 
 me his devoted attention. In one of the halls 
 is a wonderful table, entirely formed of precious 
 stones, which once belonged to the ill-fated
 
 LETTER II. 27 
 
 Queen Marie Antoinette. Statues and original 
 busts of many old warriors and kings are here. 
 There is a red, a gilt, and a cedar drawing- 
 room, all filled with really magnificent paint- 
 ings. I took great interest. in studying the 
 portraits of Queen Elizabeth, the Earl of 
 Leicester, and others who participated in the 
 gay life led near this spot. 
 
 In the grounds are Guy's and Caesar's 
 Towers, and in one of the greenhouses we saw 
 the celebrated Warwick Vase, which was found 
 in the bottom of a lake in Rome, as long ago 
 as 1770, I think. The Earl and family live 
 here a part of the year, but are now in London. 
 This estate must bring the Earl quite a revenue, 
 as from fifty to one hundred persons visit it 
 every day, and each one leaves a shilling or 
 more. 
 
 Near the castle gate is the house where 
 Walter Savage Landor was born, and this 
 whole Warwickshire is rich in the genius it 
 has given to the world. Green and Drayton 
 opened their eyes on its illustrious soil, and 
 George Eliot, whose talent has enriched this 
 here first saw light. How can one feel
 
 28 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 like a common mortal, or lead an everyday 
 life in a country like this, so hallowed with 
 historic and artistic associations. 
 
 ' Step out of the past now into the present,' 
 said F., ' and I will tell you a story of Queen 
 Elizabeth and Queen Mary. Did I ever tell it 
 to you?' 
 
 1 1 do not recollect any such story that you 
 ever told. Was it a good one ? ' 
 
 <0 yes!' 
 
 ( Then you never told it.' I did not get the 
 story. 
 
 Not far from the castle is a cathedral of con- 
 siderable pretensions, after visiting which, we 
 were driven back to Leamington, having spent 
 a most delightful day. Finding that an ex- 
 press train would get us to London to-night, 
 we paid our bills, took our bags, bade good-by 
 to the pretty Spa and our pleasant landlady, 
 and were soon off.
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 EDWARDS HOTEL, GEORGE ST., HANOVER SQ., 
 LONDON, June 20. 
 
 OUR rooms we had telegraphed for, so upon 
 reaching the city we had nothing to do but 
 enter a cab and be driven to them. We have 
 homelike accommodations, and our meals served 
 in our own private parlor. Everything in the 
 house is so quiet that I did not know but we 
 had made a mistake and got into a retreat for 
 the deaf and dumb. F. thinks it fine, but I 
 must say that when I am at a hotel I like the 
 bustle and excitement of one. 
 
 The ( office ' is a small room, presided over by 
 two pretty young ladies, who I imagine look 
 upon us as intruders, but I talk at them so 
 much, they are obliged to speak occasionally,
 
 30 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 although it seems an effort. They drop their 
 h's. and I am sometimes puzzled to understand 
 the little information they condescend to give 
 us. 
 
 ' Boots/ too, is equally taciturn so far : I 
 think we shall have to be more liberal with 
 our English shillings ! 
 
 We hire our rooms here at a fair price, and 
 make extra arrangements for our meals. For 
 breakfast, F. desired boiled eggs, and I chose 
 fried. Upon asking why my bill was more 
 than hers, I was told that it was more work to 
 fry eggs than to boil them, and that is so. I 
 look in vain for ice-water : there is surely none 
 around. I ask for some ; and after waiting 
 long enough for water to freeze, am served 
 with a pitcher of water and a few small bits of 
 ice in a glass. The Yankee ice-pitcher, kept 
 well filled, is an article unknown here. 
 
 Out into the streets of London ! What a 
 crowd, what a bustle ! What fine-looking 
 gentlemen, every one with a button-hole bou- 
 quet ! The streets crowded with handsome 
 turnouts dashing quickly along; why, we can- 
 not cross the streets without assistance. Bos-
 
 LETTER III. 31 
 
 ton is a quiet village compared to this. Groups 
 of ladies, and rosy-cheeked girls laughing and 
 chatting, all wearing flowers ; even the horses 
 raid carriages are trimmed with them. Lines 
 of hansoms, with generally a lady in each. 
 Little children, with^ overpowering big hats 
 and bonnets, trotting along with their nurses. 
 Showily uniformed Guards as thick as flies at 
 a summer hotel, and this is London to-day. 
 Here is St. George's Church, where so many 
 of the aristocracy have taken each other for 
 better or for worse. And here in Hanover 
 square is a fine bronze statue of William Pitt. 
 It looks to me like extraordinary good work, 
 but F. calls, i Come, you cannot spend much 
 time cogitating over any one man in this big 
 place, dead or alive. If you want to solilo- 
 quize over statues, come to St. Paul.' And 
 to St. Paul's we went. There are but two 
 churches in the world larger than this : St 
 Peter's at Rome and the Cathedral at Milan. 
 As I tried to realize its immense proportions 
 before entering, I thought of the Yorkshire- 
 man who brought his better half to see the 
 sights of London. ' There, lass,' said he,
 
 32 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 1 there be Paul's Church. Ecod, he be a soiz- 
 able one, he be.' And we agreed with him long 
 before we finished seeing the interior and its 
 contents. There are many, many monuments, 
 and some exceedingly costly and beautiful, but 
 it is utterly impossible to comprehend so much 
 at once. Some of the sculptures of the church, 
 telling the touching story of the incarnation 
 and life of our Saviour, were sadly beautiful, 
 especially the figure of Mary with the child in 
 her arms, and the ideal figure of the ' Risen 
 Christ.' The ornamentations of the church 
 are greatly in gilt and marble, but the most 
 of the latter material looked as if it needed 
 ' scrubbing.' The huge organ, which seemed 
 to be built on both sides of the choir, was 
 being tested by some noted organist; so we 
 had the pleasure of hearing its rich, full, 
 exquisitely musical tones. 
 
 Next we visited the Royal Exchange and 
 the Bank of England ; then made our way to 
 the ' Tower,' where kings and queens once 
 lived, and where many lost their heads. Just 
 after entering the gates, a Guard approached 
 us, and without any apology or hesitation said,
 
 LETTER III. 33 
 
 ' Will you tell me the name of the man who 
 ran with Cleveland for president.' As soon as 
 we could recover ourselves, we gladly gave him 
 the desired information, without expecting the 
 usual shilling we pay for asking a question 
 here. But we were astonished that he should 
 have so quickly recognized us as Americans, 
 without hearing our voices. He returned to 
 his comrade, and they evidently resumed their 
 interrupted conversation. 
 
 The ' Tower of London ' is now something 
 
 O 
 
 of a historic museum. The room containing 
 the real Crown jewels was of much interest to 
 me. Queen Victoria's crown is there, which 
 she wore at her coronation and has worn sev- 
 eral times since, on state occasions. It is a 
 large, high crown, principally of gold, with a 
 narrow strip of ermine about the lower edge. 
 The upper portion is completely studded with 
 precious stones, a blazing mass of diamonds, 
 emeralds, and rubies. Many other crowns and 
 ornaments are here, all containing jewels 
 beyond value. They were indeed a sight to 
 behold, and really a delight to the eye. But 
 before entering the ground, in the street
 
 34 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 beyond, a weary, sunken-eyed woman, with an 
 emaciated child in her arms, asked me for 
 enough money to buy some bread. As I 
 looked upon that scene and upon this, I felt 
 the meaning of the words which my maid at 
 home uses when matters do not suit her, 
 1 There is a screw loose somewhere.' Or per- 
 haps over here the screw is too tight. We 
 went into the different rooms and towers where 
 so many royal prisoners suffered. In the 
 Beauchamp Tower we found, amongst the 
 many inscriptions on the wall, the word l Jane/ 
 supposed to have been placed there by the 
 gentle, ill-starred Lady Jane Grey. We saw 
 dungeons, the bloody tower, the green where 
 Anne Boleyn and many others were executed ; 
 and all these places were so steeped with mon- 
 strous, cruel deeds that it was a relief to turn 
 away from them and shake off the terrible 
 memories. 
 
 We somehow felt heavy-hearted, and F. 
 decided it would be a good thing to see a dif- 
 ferent extreme, and take a look at ( wax rig- 
 gers/ The underground railway, our first ride 
 of the kind, soon carried ns to Madame Tus- 
 saud's museum.
 
 LETTER III. 35 
 
 These railways are, after all, not so very dif- 
 ferent from railways above ground. There are 
 so many stations where the daylight streams 
 in, that one does not have time to realize 
 entire darkness. And what tremendous space, 
 thoroughly availed of, these stations give for 
 advertisers. I feel very familiar already with 
 most of the stores, from these advertising hills 
 that stare us so conspicuously in the face. 
 
 Madame Tussaud was really an artist, and 
 modelled greatly in clay and wax. For a long 
 time she lived at the Tuileries and at Ver- 
 sailles, as companion for noted porsonages of 
 the Court. She was highly educated, and pos- 
 sessed large means, but the Revolution com- 
 pelled her to leave France. Having lost her 
 property, she began to exhibit her ' figures,' 
 and from that beginning has grown this 
 large collection. A figure of Voltaire, made 
 by her from life, is simply wonderful. The 
 entire collection is much superior to the col- 
 lection in the Eden Musee, New York, and 
 although some subjects are made to appear 
 somewhat ridiculous, the most are life-like and 
 excellent. The murdered queens distressed
 
 36 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 us ; the wax ones have cheered us : and now 
 for a ride in the open air ! 
 
 We took outside seats on a tram, and rode 
 to the National Museum. I delight in these 
 top seats ; we get such unobstructed views of 
 everything about us. 
 
 We remained in the museum until the hour 
 for closing, but only saw a vast, immense 
 accumulation of everything heard, unheard of, 
 or dreamed of. 
 
 How singular many of the expressions 
 we hear, sound to us. Lemonade is called 
 lemon-squash ; the price of an article is the 
 tariff ; ticket-offices are booking-rooms ; and 
 baggage, luggage always. The money gave 
 me some annoyance at first, but I now gener- 
 ally know what is the correct change to give 
 or to receive, but have one coin on hand 
 which puzzles me : all that I can see on it is 
 1 Thanks be to God and to Victoria.' I can- 
 not quite decide the value of it. 
 
 June 2~Lst. Early this morning we saun- 
 tered toward St James's Park, noting the fine 
 residences, Marlborough House, the home of 
 the Prince of Wales and family, included. It
 
 LETTER III. 37 
 
 is a plain, large building, dreary looking ; and 
 our free to go and come American girl says, 
 ' I am thankful I am not a princess. What 
 a stupid time those girls, Louise, Maud, and 
 Victoria must have, shut up behind those walls 
 without ever being able to take a walk with 
 " Tom, Dick, and Harry " unattended.' 
 
 An English lady told us, at our hotel, that 
 there is a rumor that the Princess Louise is 
 very much in love with an English Earl much 
 older than herself. These girls are said to be 
 all very plain looking, inheriting none of the 
 graces of their beautiful mother, who seems to 
 be greatly beloved by all the English people, 
 and whose unfortunate deafness excites heart- 
 felt compassion and sympathy. 
 
 The houses in London, even homes of the 
 greatest simplicity, are named, and the names 
 are generally placed where they can be plainly 
 seen and read. The names of the residences 
 of the nobility, as well as many names of the 
 streets, often give us a clue to their founders, 
 and are therefore appropriate and helpful. 
 
 The Prince and Princess of Wales are now 
 in Germany, on account of the death of the
 
 38 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Emperor Frederick, the husband of the oldest 
 sister of the Prince. The entire royal family 
 are of course in deep mourning. In fact, two 
 thirds of all the people here are now dressed in 
 black. Our little chambermaid, at our hotel, 
 did not appear this morning as early as usual 
 to give us her service, and when she made her 
 appearance I asked her if she was ill. She 
 replied : * Not at all, but we have been ordered 
 into Court mourning, and I sat up late to get 
 my black dress made, so felt very weary, and 
 slept late.' 
 
 We soon found ourselves near the military 
 quarters, where we stopped to see the Grena- 
 diers, the Queen's Guard, parade and drill, and 
 to listen to the fine music of the band. 
 
 Buckingham Palace is quite near enough 
 to Marlborough House for Alexandra to run 
 over to her mother-in-law, Mrs Guelph, to bor- 
 row her spoons, in case her own number should 
 be insufficient for any little tea party, or for 
 the good grandmother to be called if the chil- 
 dren should unexpectedly { come down ' with 
 the chicken-pox or the measles ; it looks as if 
 it might be a real social neighborhood. The
 
 LETTER III. 39 
 
 exterior of the palace is of light-colored stone, 
 but not nearly as fine a building as we had 
 expected to see, as the principal residence of 
 the Queen. The family had left for Windsor 
 the day before. We were shown the royal 
 stables and saw the state coach. These royal 
 residences do not impress us as being in the 
 least remarkable. They are immense in size, 
 but possess no merits in the way of architect- 
 ure. 
 
 This part of London is very beautiful, 
 with its handsome streets and soft green-turfed 
 parks. 
 
 We continued our walk to Westminster 
 Abbey, and entered. If palaces have not 
 come up to my expectations, this far exceeds 
 them. The church is huge, built in the form 
 of a Latin cross, a great pile of grandeur. 
 The interior is indeed most beautiful, and one 
 might spend weeks within, and yet feel that 
 the half had not been seen. Such a succes- 
 sion of wonderfully beautiful monuments and 
 memorials to the distinguished, illustrious, and 
 talented dead. As works of art, this exquisite 
 sculpture delighted my eye more than anything
 
 40 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 I had ever seen. Kings and queens lie here, 
 statesmen and historians, generals and philoso- 
 phers, inventors and poets, and the remains of 
 many that were great on earth, and the beau- 
 tiful marble covers them ! But oh, I know I 
 would rather lie like the poorest peasant under 
 the greensward, where the sun could shine on 
 my resting-place. The reclining statue of the 
 wife of Dean Stanley is lovely beyond descrip- 
 tion. The angelic expression of the beautiful 
 sweet face seems to tell us that she has found 
 rest in her ( Father's mansion ' and is satisfied. 
 How short a time ago does it seem that I 
 heard the Dean in our own Trinity. His body 
 now rests here. The words inscribed on the 
 monument in memory of Franklin, the Arctic 
 explorer, were sadly touching : so simple, and 
 yet so full of meaning : 
 
 ye Frost and Snow !' 
 ye Ice and Cold ! 
 
 In the Poet's Corner lies the mouldering 
 
 o 
 
 dust of Thackeray, Southey, Milton, Chaucer, 
 Dickens, and many, many others, whose works 
 will live forever, and whose words and char- 
 acters will carry companionship and comfort
 
 LETTER III. 41 
 
 into many a household, as do the lines of 
 our own Longfellow, of whom his English 
 admirers have here placed a beautiful bust. 
 It is of pure white marble, and the likeness 
 excellent. It stands between the monuments 
 of Cowley and Dryden. Some one had placed 
 a fresh red rose in the folds of the drapery, 
 probably some American, sight-seeing like our- 
 selves, and it all brought our home so near to 
 me that tears came unbidden 
 
 ' Then the forms of the departed 
 
 Enter at the open door : 
 The beloved, the true-hearted, 
 Come to visit me once more.' 
 
 And now, even in this temple of the dead, 
 how sure we feel ( There is no death ; what 
 seems so is transition.' A magnificent monu- 
 mental chapel, with costly statues and sculp- 
 tures, surmounts the tomb of one of the 
 Henrys. Many other chapels, in memory of 
 saints, are also here, with aisles and transepts 
 filled with monuments. The beautiful rose 
 window and the marigold window are worth 
 crossing the ocean to see. But of the number- 
 less wonderful things here I must not now tell
 
 42 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 you much more, only will tell you that the Cor- 
 onation Chair we have touched, in which have 
 been crowned all the English sovereigns from 
 Edward the Confessor to Queen Victoria. I 
 reluctantly left this sacred building impressed 
 deeply with its wonders. 
 
 We next went to a gorgeous restaurant to 
 dine, fully coming to the realization that we 
 are still in the flesh. These London restaur- 
 ants are a surprise to us, in the quantity of 
 excellent food they give, well cooked and 
 served, for very little money. I never before 
 knew the real meaning of a good mutton chop, 
 for we get none in America like these over 
 here. The whitebait, here considered so 
 great a delicacy, I do not ' hanker ' for 
 should rather have a ' Taunton herring.' 
 
 After dining, we visited a collection of paint- 
 ings, an annual exhibition by English artists. 
 After looking about there, we went to the 
 exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, 
 which gave us great pleasure. The Royal 
 Academy is a private society, and from its 
 fund supports a fine-art school ; and the judges 
 of paintings connected with the Academy are
 
 LETTER III. 43 
 
 considered so perfect in their estimates, that it 
 increases the money value greatly of a picture 
 if accepted by them and hung at their exhibi- 
 tions. We were told that on an average 
 ten thousand pictures are sent them for every 
 annual exhibit, but rarely over two thousand 
 are accepted. This, of course, causes some 
 hard feeling amongst the artists. A portrait 
 of Sir William Jenner, physician to the Queen, 
 by Frank Holl, R. A., was most life-like. 
 Many portraits by Herkomer were also excel- 
 lent, particularly one of his aged father and 
 his own young sons. One painting, named ' A 
 Hopeless Dawn,' by Bramley, attracted me 
 greatly. It portrayed the full meaning of the 
 quotation from Ruskin : ' Human effort and 
 sorrow going on perpetually from age to age ; 
 waves rolling forever, and winds moaning, and 
 faithful hearts wasting and sickening forever, 
 and brave lives dashed away about the rattling 
 beach like weeds forever ; and still, at the 
 helm of every lonely boat, through starless night 
 and hopeless dawn, His hand who spreads the 
 fisher's net over the dust of the Sidonian pal- 
 aces, and gave into the fisher's hand the keys
 
 44 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 of the kingdom of heaven.' Besides the oils 
 and water-colors, the collection of miniatures, 
 etchings, drawings, engravings, and sculpture, 
 all exceptionally fine, gave us a rare pleasure. 
 We here met the first large assemblage of 
 Londonites that we have seen. The elite of 
 society were present, and many noted persons 
 pointed out to us. The ladies do not dress as 
 well as our own Americans, but I must give 
 precedence to the English gentlemen for both 
 good looks and style, courtly manners and 
 taste in costumes. 
 
 Having occasion to be near the Houses of 
 Parliament, we thought we would utilize time 
 by going in then and there. But how to get 
 in? We had not taken time, as yet, to call 
 upon Mr. Phelps for letters, as we had meant 
 to do later, having a letter of introduction to 
 our Minister from a personal friend of his and 
 our own. ' But time in London is precious,' 
 said F., ' so let us try.' Parliament was in 
 session, and being earnestly anxious to see its 
 workings, we screwed our courage to its utmost 
 tension and proceeded. After battling with a 
 half-dozen Guards and coaxing another half-
 
 LETTER III. 45 
 
 dozen, we found ourselves inside the Lobby. 
 An immense concourse of ladies and gentle- 
 men were in the corridors, waiting their turn 
 to be admitted, and our chances without a 
 pass began to look rather doubtful. How- 
 ever, with true Yankee pluck I looked over 
 the faces of the officials, and finally settled 
 upon an amiable-appearing one, belonging to 
 a ' Sergeant-at-arms ' and approached him 
 told him our situation, and appealed to him 
 for aid. He was every inch a gentleman, and 
 evidently anxious to assist us. Told us the 
 only possible way to get in was to send our 
 card to a member. Yes, but we only knew 
 names of members, unfortunately; not one 
 personally. Lowering his voice he said, ' I 
 have a brother inside, an official : give me 
 your cards; I will send them to my brother 
 to give to Hon. . He is the cham- 
 pion and the favorite of all ladies, and never 
 refuses, at any sacrifice, to do them a favor.' 
 We wrote ' Boston, U. S. A.,' in the corner 
 of our pasteboards (which is, we find, a good 
 place to hail from), and they went from us 
 to seek their fortune and ours. Word' soon
 
 46 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 came back, brought by a handsome page, 
 
 that Mr. was then delivering a speech, 
 
 but would see us soon. We waited some time, 
 with much about us to take our attention, 
 when a Guard called in stentorian tones, ' The 
 
 Hon. Mr. .' We arose as we were told to do 
 
 by our new-found ally, and saw approaching us 
 a small, pleasant-faced gentleman, who imme- 
 diately extended his hand with words of wel- 
 come, as if we were expected guests. To the 
 kind-hearted, gallant, and courteous Irish M. 
 P. shall we ever be grateful ! A way was 
 made for us into the gallery of the chamber of 
 peers, from which we had a good view of the 
 brilliant show below. Many ladies were pres- 
 ent on the benches, mostly peeresses or rela- 
 tives of nobility. Later, our kind escort sent 
 for us to take seats in the ladies' gallery of 
 the House of Commons, which, not without 
 difficulty, he had secured. We realize the 
 great honor of being here, and yet it is a good 
 deal like sitting up in an organ loft, or being 
 placed, front side out, in a bread toaster, for 
 we are separated from the M. P.'s by metal 
 spokes. The reporters have a place under us,
 
 LETTER III. 47 
 
 and the members occupy the other galleries 
 and the three or four hundred seats about the 
 tables. A member was speaking, but his 
 enunciation was so poor that I failed to 
 understand him ; so spent the time in looking 
 about. Gladstone was present, but did not 
 speak ; I had a very good view of him. He 
 does not look at all ' John Bullish,' in the old 
 sense of the expression, but is a refined, mod- 
 est-looking gentleman, with rather a tired-out 
 air about him. A number with wigs and 
 gowns, some stiff-appearing functionaries 
 wearing garbs that looked as if they were 
 prepared for the stage, many pages rushing 
 hither and thither, the buzz of voices, and the 
 hand-clapping, all made a bewildering scene. 
 It seemed very much out of keeping with the 
 usually ceremonious proceedings of the Com- 
 mons, to see the members costumed in perfect 
 evening dress, wearing their hats. 
 
 In the House of Lords the throne is the 
 chief object of interest, and the peers, upon 
 entering, always salute it, I presume as some- 
 thing of a compliment to royalty. It contains 
 three seats : the middle .one is the Queen's,
 
 48 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the right-hand one that of the Prince of 
 Wales, and the one on the left has not 
 been allowed to be occupied since the death of 
 Prince Albert. When the Lord Chancellor 
 takes his seat in this room, he wears a red 
 gown, an ermine mantle, a big wig, and a 
 three-cornered hat. We thanked our new- 
 made friend for his unusual kindness, for he 
 really seemed determined to make us feel that 
 showing us about was the greatest pleasure 
 of his lifetime, and we left the Houses at ten 
 p. M., with the workings going on as lively as 
 if just commenced. 
 
 I think the manners of a Massachusetts 
 legislative body superior in dignity to those 
 of the members of the House of Commons. 
 But who under the gilded dome on Beacon 
 Hill would give himself as much trouble to 
 entertain a strange English lady, as our mem- 
 ber took upon himself to entertain us ! Do 
 not all speak at once, gentlemen. 
 
 Friday, June 22nd. The clerk of the 
 weather will come in rightfully for his share 
 of praise, for another bright morning greets 
 us. We took an early start for the National
 
 LETTER III. 49 
 
 Gallery. Turner has here the most of his 
 works. Some of his paintings, although not 
 considered as masterly as his Slave Ship, please 
 me better, but it seems to me he delights 
 in capricious methods in the use of his brush. 
 It is a treat to our eyes to see the originals of 
 Landseer, Rosa Bonheur, and other works of 
 artists which have become familiar to us from 
 engravings. One of Raphael's Madonnas is 
 here, and long held our attention. London 
 is full of artists, and in the galleries we see 
 hundreds of students copying, and some excel- 
 lent work they do. Here lives Herkomer, 
 who was with us at one time, also Millais, Sir 
 Frederick Leighton, Alma Taderna, and others 
 whose talent has brought them large for- 
 tunes. The chimes ring out our hour for leav- 
 ing, although our time here has not been half 
 long enough. I love these chime bells ! And 
 nearly all of the churches have them, and 
 sweetly do they sound their pretty airs. 
 
 A drive of about four miles brought us to the 
 exhibition of the Royal Military Tournament. 
 The pavilion contained an aristocratic audience, 
 and the good horsemanship of the soldiers, on
 
 50 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 their handsome and well-trained animals, was 
 a novel sight. A lady sat next me with her 
 two little girls and their maid. The children 
 had material enough in their bonnets to have 
 covered them all over comfortably, but their 
 legs were bare to the knees and looked cold, 
 for the wind had changed, and a damp draught 
 chilled us. I offered part of my lap-wrap to 
 the little ones, and the mother kindly thanked 
 me, but added, ' They do not need it if only 
 their heads are warm ; they cannot take cold ; 
 one never takes cold in the legs, you know.' 
 And undoubtedly English mothers all agree 
 with her, for the children's limbs are univer- 
 sally unprotected from the weather. They 
 wear heavy shoes but short stockings. I have 
 already come to the opinion that it is not of 
 much use to differ with the English. If we do, 
 differently from them, they feel a little sorry 
 for us that we do not know the better way, 
 which is always their way. 
 
 This evening we went to the Covent Garden 
 Theatre to hear Minnie Hauk, in i Carmen.' 
 Not wishing to take time to get into full dress, 
 we changed our hats, substituting pretty,
 
 LETTER III. 51 
 
 light-colored evening ones, and added fresh, 
 sweet roses to our costumes, and started, 
 and thought our appearance would do our- 
 selves and all else credit. But to our dis- 
 comfort, opinions differed, and we could not be 
 admitted to our box without leaving our pretty 
 head-gear outside, where they had no chance 
 of being seen and admired. After getting 
 comfortably seated, we looked about us. The 
 ladies were dressed as if for a grand ball, silks, 
 satins, velvets, and tulles, of every color, com- 
 posed the gowns, invariably made decollete 
 1 much, more, and most ' decollete. Gentlemen 
 were, of course, all in dress suits, and every one 
 wearing and carrying flowers. It was indeed a 
 brilliant scene, but I like the more modest cos- 
 tuming of our own countrywomen, in public 
 places, better. Displays like this, it seems to 
 me, should be made only, if at all, at private 
 gatherings. The setting of the^opera and the 
 music were superb. Hauk's voice has improved 
 wonderfully since heard in America some years 
 ago. She is a great favorite here, and many 
 of the aristocracy were of the audience, and a 
 loudly enthusiastic one it was. All the prin-
 
 52 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 cipal artists were deluged with flowers, and 
 Hauk received a laurel wreajth of solid gold 
 leaves at the close of the last act. Prices to 
 first-class entertainments here are higher than 
 in America, and programmes have to be paid 
 for always. They employ young women as 
 ushers. Between acts, ices and cool drinks are 
 brought to the audience, but a round price is 
 asked for them. We lingered to see the 
 people more distinctly as they left their seats. 
 The ladies lack the grace and beauty of 
 Americans, but look bright, rosy-cheeked, and 
 healthful, but the gentlemen are certainly 
 superior in looks, carriage, and physique. Our 
 little newsy chambermaid tells us the London 
 gentlemen all wear l stays.' I wonder if they 
 do! 
 
 Saturday, June 23tZ. What an immense 
 city London is, to be sure ! Twenty niTes 
 long or more, and just as bustling at one end 
 as the other. There is such a mass of every- 
 thing that it is almost overpowering. To-day 
 we have been driven through some of the best 
 and some of the worst streets in the city. We 
 saw ' The Old Curiosity Shop,' and many other
 
 LETTER III. 53 
 
 spots immortalized by Dickens. We have 
 looked into some of the old churches and some 
 of the new ones. Have been into the best 
 stores, and there are many fine ones. We find 
 furs and silks cheaper, and cottons dearer than 
 at home. We could not find a pair of French 
 kid boots of a good shape in all London, and 
 rubber overshoes are not kept at all. We 
 walked across London Bridge to take a look 
 at the river, crowded with barges, boats, ships, 
 and water-craft of every make and shape. We 
 took luncheon at the Holborn Restaurant, and 
 thought we had stepped into a palace, so 
 sumptuous were the surroundings. It was 
 very pleasing to take our bouillon on a mosaic 
 table, surrounded with Carrara marble statuary, 
 and listening to the strains of lulling, restful 
 music. 
 
 After replenishing the 'inner man,' we 
 boarded a little steamer for a sail up the 
 Thames. The banks of the river are full of in- 
 terest. The water of the lower part is thick and 
 muddy, and I should think that even a desperate, 
 would-be suicide would turn from it disgusted. 
 As we go up farther, where the shipping is less,
 
 54 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 it becomes clearer. Excursion steamers, barges, 
 and yachts, freighted with humanity, are busily 
 plying up and down, and the bridges open 
 gracefully to let us pass. The river itself, 
 with the Victoria Embankment on the one 
 side and the Albert Embankment on the 
 other, the fine buildings, the parks, and the 
 noble trees, all seen through the rich atmos- 
 phere of this perfect June day, make a pic- 
 turesque and enjoyable impression, not soon to 
 be forgotten. 
 
 We landed, on our return, where we could 
 take a carriage for Hyde Park. As we are in 
 London ' in the season,' in the Park, about five 
 p. M., we see all the ' swelldom ' driving and 
 riding, for it is here they take their airing. 
 The Park itself is lovely, with large, perfect 
 roads and walks, grand, magnificent old trees, 
 plump, clean sheep and graceful deer grazing 
 contentedly, as well they may in such quarters. 
 The kaleidoscope views of the interminable 
 throng in the l Drive ' and the ( Row,' the 
 fine horses, the gorgeous equipages, the showy 
 liveries, and the gay toilettes, are bewildering. 
 Here surely is abundance of style. Here are
 
 LETTER III. 55 
 
 hundreds of elegant turnouts, many with armo- 
 rial bearings, fours-in-hand, sixes-in-hand, dog- 
 carts, T-carts, tandems, and phaetons ; footmen 
 and coachmen in livery of red and white, and 
 red and gilt, some with wigs and some without. 
 Here comes a pony carriage with a load of 
 laughing children, there an antiquated yellow- 
 bodied ducal coach, with postilions well 
 powdered and the dowagers inside looking 
 powdered also ; a low buggy with a light- 
 blue body, and a blue-ribboned girl with ( her 
 young man ' beside her looking into her blue 
 eyes ; a black carriage hung high, footmen 
 and coachmen in black, and the ladies within 
 draped in crape. And this is Hyde Park ! 
 Solemnity and gayety ! Prince and commoner 
 meet, and all are lookers on. The boats on 
 the Serpentine, and that wonderful pile of 
 marble and bronze, the Albert Memorial, next 
 attracted us. The marble groups representing 
 the four great nations, and the bas-reliefs of 
 great artists and poets, are fine. Although 
 London is so immense and so crowded, its peo- 
 ple have plenty of beautiful breathing spots, 
 more beautiful than the people of any other
 
 56 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 city, unless the Parisians. To our hotel to 
 dress and out to dinner, our first dinner here 
 with friends. 
 
 Our visit in a London home, last evening, 
 was delightful, we were so cordially welcomed 
 and so hospitably entertained. The house, 
 in one of the best streets of the city, was a 
 large, square one with hall in the centre. The 
 rooms were spacious, with dark finishings 
 and furnishings, therefore not wearing the 
 cheery look of our own homes. The massive- 
 ness of the elaborately carved furniture 
 seemed to overshadow heavily the very few 
 ornamental articles displayed. There were no 
 paintings on the walls, but a small gallery in 
 the rear of the house contained a good collec- 
 tion. The effect of the living rooms without 
 the bright, living faces would have been some- 
 what sombre. I think a happy medium would 
 be desirable, a little more bric-a-brac in Euro- 
 pean homes and a little less in our own, in 
 which I have often had to navigate carefully 
 to avoid running against ornamental articles. 
 The English people are at their best under 
 their own ' fig-tree.' They build homes for a
 
 LETTER III. 57 
 
 lifetime, and for their children and grandchil- 
 dren after them. They make but few changes 
 in them, and the women particularly stay, or 
 ' stop ' as they would say, the greater portion 
 of their lives in their homes, for as a people 
 they travel but little. They are very hos- 
 pitable after once having been introduced, and 
 entirely at ease in entertaining, as an English 
 household is rarely without its guests. Our 
 host, an M. P., has a house in the country, 
 and they only spend the ( season ' in town. 
 The English greatly love the country and out- 
 of-door life and sports. Several friends of our 
 entertainers had been invited to meet us, and 
 we found them all very gracious and charming. 
 I think the English are a good deal like a 
 Devonshire pie, wearing a thick crust, but 
 when once the crust is broken the ( goodies ' are 
 unusually delicious. Our menu at dinner con- 
 sisted of soup, fish, entree, roast-beef, chicken, 
 and desert, with wines and coffee. No carving 
 was done at the table. The vegetables were 
 brought in served in individual dishes. By 
 the way, no vegetables are palatably prepared 
 in England, for they are never seasoned. The
 
 58 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 English keep many servants, and at this din- 
 ner there seemed to be a servant for every 
 guest. The English are great eaters, but they 
 take plenty of time to do it in. The general 
 appearance of the setting of the table was not 
 different from our own home tables ; perhaps 
 more flowers, and more beautiful ones. I 
 mention these details to show you that din- 
 ners informal here do not vary much from the 
 same in America. Our pleasant evening with 
 Mr. M. and his lovely family will long be 
 remembered. 
 
 Sunday., June 24:th. No London fog yet ! 
 We have had but one unpleasant day since we 
 have been here. To-day is simply perfect. 
 There is a ' shimmer ' about these lovely June 
 mornings that can be felt but not described. 
 Out with the crowd of churchgoers go we, 
 and, to the credit of the English people be it 
 said, they all go to church. We first went to 
 old St. Giles'. Here we saw the tomb of Mil- 
 ton. What a safe, homelike feeling it brings 
 us to hear in far-away lands our precious 
 church service. Somehow it gives us a sense 
 of security, of encouragement, such as a child
 
 LETTER III. 59 
 
 in the dark feels, when he hears his mother's 
 voice. 
 
 From St. Giles' we wandered into a church 
 near by, where a young man was preaching to 
 a large congregation. From his fine presence 
 and good voice, we hoped to hear also a good 
 sermon but were disappointed. He seemed 
 to suppose the Creator knew but little, and 
 that it was his duty to inform Him: he told 
 Him of the needs of London, and especially of 
 the wants of his churchpeople. The only 
 good part of the service was the music. 
 
 Later, we seated ourselves on a Thames 
 steamer, which had evidently put on its Sun- 
 day dress, and sailed up to Kew. I can give 
 to you no description of these beautiful gar- 
 dens. They contain, I believe, the largest con- 
 servatories in the world. The ferns and the 
 palms were forests of cool, green loveliness. 
 The Victoria Regia lily is here, in unsurpassed 
 beauty. We wandered off into a shady, retired 
 nook, and seated ourselves on the grass, a lovely 
 sheet of water in front of us, birds trilling 
 their vespers about us, and the myriads of blos- 
 soms wafting to us their fragrant incense. It
 
 60 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 was all to us a sermon that was good for us. 
 1 For thou, Lord, hast made ine glad through 
 thy works ; and I will rejoice in giving praise 
 for the operations of thy hands.' 
 
 Next, we went by carriage to Richmond, a 
 place of great historic interest and attractions. 
 The drive was beautiful. The distant views 
 were lovely. We passed many stately resi- 
 dences, surrounded by well-kept grounds, ivy 
 and flowers in abundance. But the English 
 will build high walls about their country 
 homes, thus shutting themselves, oyster-like, 
 from the passers-by. These unsightly walls 
 spoil what would without them delight the 
 eye. We stopped on Richmond Hill to see 
 the beautiful views from that elevation, and 
 were well repaid. The river going on and on, 
 the meadows, the hills, the elms and the chest- 
 nuts throwing dark shadows, the heaths and 
 
 o ' 
 
 downs, the farm-houses and the mansions, 
 Windsor in the distance, and the peculiar mel- 
 lowness of the whole landscape, were worth the 
 looking upon. At Hampton Court we took a 
 look at the rich tapestries and the paintings, 
 including the ( Hampton Court Beauties.'
 
 LETTER III. 61 
 
 This old court has echoed to the footsteps of 
 many kings and many noted in history. Car- 
 dinal Wolsey fitted the place up in regal 
 style, meaning to give it the honor of his 
 own presence, but King Henry looked on 
 with jealous, envious eyes, and asked him his 
 reasons for having made so costly a palace. 
 The wily Cardinal was ingenious in his reply, 
 answering ( To show how noble a palace a 
 subject may offer to his king.' This palace is 
 now used as a home by members of the nobil- 
 ity whose incomes have been reduced. We 
 spent a short time in the park and then started 
 toward London, a distance of twelve miles or 
 more. We were fortunate in securing front 
 seats on a tally-ho coach, drawn by four hand- 
 some gray horses. We stocked ourselves well 
 with delicious fruit, which the venders pass up 
 to us on poles, temptingly arranged in little 
 baskets, and on we went over a beautiful road, 
 through the glorious Bushey Park, with its 
 majestic elms and chestnuts. * 0, we have no 
 such rural beauty as England ! ' said I. l But 
 we shall have when we are as old,' said my 
 true American beside me.
 
 62 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 And that reminds me of what a gentleman 
 at Leamington said, in answer to my question, 
 ' How do you get the beautiful green your 
 lawns wear ? ' 
 
 ' We only water the grass/ he replied. 
 
 ' But/ said I, ( we keep our American lawns 
 well watered and they do not look like yours.' 
 ' You forget, Madame, that we have watered 
 ours for centuries/ said he with a smile. 
 
 At last we enter the city, and drive through, 
 through, through it, a long, long way. Crowds 
 of people in the streets, crowds in the parks, 
 crowds everywhere ! Men are preaching on the 
 corners, women singing, members of the Sal- 
 vation Army exhorting and praying, and at 
 last we reach our journey's end safely. It is 
 ten P. M., and yet not dark, so long are these 
 English twilights ! 
 
 June 25th. The third one of our trio has 
 again joined us, much to our satisfaction, and 
 to-day we have been to the Crystal Palace, 
 the Zoological Gardens, and have accom- 
 plished one hundred and one other things. In 
 the palace there is much to be seen pictures, 
 sculpture, and other works of art. To-day an
 
 LETTER III. 63 
 
 unusual crowd had gathered there to attend the 
 concert in the large hall in the afternoon. We 
 were fearful we might not be able, owing to the 
 jam, to see all we came for, and here we desire 
 to thank again the secretary of the associa- 
 tion for his kindness toward us. If the Eng- 
 lish gentlemen are all like those we have come 
 in contact with, I for one shall ever sing their 
 praises. Here we heard 'The Messiah' by 
 the l Handel and Haydn ' society. Albani 
 and Lillian Norton were two of the artistes, 
 which quite Americanized the company, and 
 all were almost perfect in their parts. In the 
 evening elaborate pyrotechnic displays were 
 made, which with the colored lights and foun- 
 tains, the bands playing, a company of ballet 
 dancers performing out-of-doors, and the army 
 of gayly dressed people, made it seem like 
 veritable fairy-land. It is all alluring, but we 
 must turn our backs upon it, as we have an 
 invitation to ' The Criterion ' to see Windom 
 as David Garrick. The play was well acted, 
 and when over, a supper at a fine restaurant 
 near, where a choir of boys sang to us beau- 
 tiful glees, with their sweet voices, ended
 
 64 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 another enjoyable clay. We have seen much 
 in London, and must leave much unseen, nor 
 can I here tell you of the half we have seen, 
 but have given you some ideas of what I 
 thought you would best like to hear about. 
 
 Of our trip to Brighton I believe I have 
 not said a word, but will now tell you a little 
 about it, as it was different from any other. 
 Brighton is the largest and most fashionable 
 of all English watering-places, but as it is not 
 yet the season there, the place had rather a 
 deserted air. It is a city of brick, and the 
 houses look as if built to remain forever, as 
 does everything else in England. There is an 
 esplanade of solid stone, with promenades on 
 top ; on the one side of it is the beach and 
 sea, and on the other the large hotels and fine 
 houses. A part of every day's programme is 
 to dress in one's best, and promenade up and 
 down the esplanade, but the promenaders all 
 looked as solemn as if on their way to a 
 funeral. The ladies smiled not, and the men 
 looked as if they had iron pokers run up 
 and down their backs, arms akimbo, heads 
 bent back to assist the glass over one eye to
 
 LETTER III. 65 
 
 stay in place, all quite English, ' you know.' 
 On the beach were plenty of ' bathing 
 machines/ which are really bathhouses on 
 wheels, bath-chairs, and children with their 
 nurses, and in the surf a few bathers. The 
 ladies seemed to have more on than our water- 
 nymphs at Narragansett Pier, and the gentle- 
 men apparently wore but little clothing; in 
 fact, I was reminded of pictures I used to see 
 in my geography, of the costumes worn by 
 natives in well, I think it was Africa; but 
 they carried themselves, even in the water, with 
 dignity. Our drive back to London on a tally- 
 ho was delightful. 
 
 We have been favored here with pleasant 
 weather, but I can imagine how grim and 
 black certain parts of the city would look, in 
 bad. They use much coal here, and, as every- 
 where else, it leaves its mark. We have seen 
 the best of London, and we have had glimpses 
 of her rich citizens and of her poor. There 
 are many rich families here, because their 
 wealth has been inherited, just as the poor 
 have inherited their poverty. Families here 
 keep in about the same groove that their ances-
 
 66 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 tors did before them. The Queen is greatly 
 beloved, and we all know she is a good woman 
 and a gracious sovereign. Of the Prince of 
 "W ales, also, I hear many good things. But 
 why should there be such a thing as ' royalty ? ' 
 How much better and higher is the code of 
 self-government, than servile obedience to any 
 king or queen, human beings like ourselves. 
 I could not breathe freely as a citizen of a 
 country where son of mine could not take the 
 highest place in the nation, if he were worthy 
 of it and the people's choice. Thank God 
 that ' in the land of the free,' our own America, 
 we can be whatever we make ourselves, and 
 not what the accident of birth has made us. 
 Of ' Merrie England,' however, I shall carry 
 away with me grateful remembrances of her 
 people, and a score of memories of the beauti- 
 ful land itself, which will ever be a source of 
 enjoyment to summon.
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 JUNE 26, 1888. 
 
 FROM London to New Haven by rail, and 
 there took steamer to cross the English Chan- 
 nel. It was stormy and very rough, and nearly 
 all but our party succumbed to sea-sickness. 
 We could not remain outside, the storm -was 
 so severe, and the close proximity of the mal~ 
 de-mer victims proved a little contagious. The 
 gong sounded for dinner, but I feared din- 
 ner and my stomach would not agree, and 
 remembering my determination not to be sick, 
 turned my back upon those that were, took a 
 bright little story, and soon got so interested 
 in it that I entirely got over my nearness to a 
 capitulation. But we decided we liked the sea 
 better than the choppy Channel.
 
 68 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 We landed at Dieppe, and stepped upon 
 French soil ! We looked about the queer old 
 French town with our usual enthusiasm and 
 curiosity, and then proceeded to Rouen. Had 
 three hours there. We dined in the garden 
 of our inn, on a table in an arbor covered 
 with yellow roses of a peculiarly sweet fra- 
 grance. The people looked at us with as 
 much wonderment in their faces as we at them. 
 And what a bedlam their clatter makes to be 
 sure. Well for us that our escort can under- 
 stand every language under the sun good, 
 bad, or indifferent. We took a carriage and 
 were driven about the town. We -went inside of 
 three cathedrals, and we saw the spot where Joan 
 of Arc was burned. The streets of the old town 
 are very narrow, the houses queer and foreign. 
 All of the women and children seemed to be 
 sitting out of doors, with knitting work in hand. 
 They wear little close caps and wooden shoes, 
 and the skin of the women looks like shrivelled 
 leather. I am told that the lower class of the 
 citizens of Dieppe are very superstitious, that 
 they believe, if the souls of those drowned are 
 not prayed for by their living relatives, at every
 
 LETTER IV. 69 
 
 midnight, for one year, a terrible storm will 
 arise, and the ghosts of the departed appear 
 
 to them. 
 
 At four P. M. we took train for Paris, run- 
 ning through a pretty country, with fields of 
 red poppies and large orchards of cherry trees, 
 red with ripe fruit. We bought them at every 
 station, and most delicious were they. The 
 many hamlets or clusters of little thatched cot- 
 tages, so very close together, looked at least 
 social. 
 
 At eleven P. M. our train rolled into the sta- 
 tion in the city of Paris; and such a babel ! Why 
 will these people chatter so fast? We had no 
 trouble with our trunks, and with them were 
 immediately driven to our engaged apartments, 
 in Rue Clement Marot, where we are to remain 
 during our stay. The name of the street has 
 the right sound, at any rate, for Marot was not 
 only a poet but a philosopher, and his phil- 
 osophy we may need in ( doing ' Paris. 
 
 Paris, Wednesday, June 27th, 1888. Our 
 hostess and her family have given us a cordial 
 welcome, and we already feel quite at home. 
 Our apartments are convenient and prettily
 
 70 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 furnished, and we are to be very happy here, I 
 am sure. Our journey of yesterday tempted 
 
 me to sleep late this morning, but F let 
 
 in the bright daylight, with an exclamation of 
 disapprobation at time in Paris being spent in 
 slumber. So I was soon ready, feeling like ' a 
 new top,' for the day's whirl. We have here, 
 served early in our rooms, or in the breakfast 
 room, as we choose, rolls and coffee. At noon 
 we have ' dejeuner a la fourchette ; ' at five, 
 tea; and at seven a sumptuous dinner. A 
 sweet young lady from Beverly and several New 
 Yorkers are of the household, so we make a 
 pleasant family party. We are near the 
 Champs Elysees, and this part of the city is 
 beautiful broad, fine streets shaded with trees. 
 We took an early drive in this vicinity, and 
 were later left at the Salon, spending several 
 hours there. What a bewildering collection of 
 pleasing pictures ! I do love these paintings 
 of lovely faces, of home scenes, of restful bits 
 of scenery, by these modern artists. We so 
 feel them ; we comprehend them ; they gladden 
 the heart as well as the eye. The painting 
 which won the first prize this year was a bat-
 
 LETTER IV. 71 
 
 tie-piece by D'Etaille. I recall a picture at the 
 Metropolitan Museum, in New York, by this 
 same artist. Meissonier had been his teacher, 
 and he had also been chosen to award the 
 prizes, but when he attempted to address this 
 man, his successful pupil, he could not speak, 
 and impulsively threw his arms about him and 
 burst into tears and kissed him. Surely there 
 was no envy there. We have seen many of 
 Meissonier's pictures here, and they are all 
 wonderful in their exactness to nature. His 
 portraits are very life-like, and one almost sees 
 the blood go and come under the skin, so nat- 
 ural are the flesh-tints. Pictures, like poems, 
 must be read to be appreciated. But to me, 
 the most that I have seen of Turner's I should 
 label ' Sanscrit,' not being able to read them. 
 For instance, the one called ' Tapping the Fur- 
 nace :' I searched in vain in it for any object 
 that looked like a furnace, and I thought of 
 the story I had heard of the farmer's wife, 
 whose city cousin took her to see paintings in 
 London. She looked at Turner's ' The Day 
 after the Deluge ' put on her spectacles, and 
 read the title : ' Well ! I should think it wur,'
 
 72 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 said she and passed on. Great minds possess 
 an intuition by which they can see farther into 
 things than ordinary minds can, and such 
 minds probably understand and admire Turner. 
 
 On the river Seine are hundreds of little 
 steamers plying up and down, from which one 
 gets good views of the river's banks. From one 
 we were much amused to see how the washing 
 of Paris is done. The washerwomen bring 
 their clothes to the river and wade in quite a 
 distance, and rub them in the muddy-looking 
 water. We saw old women, pretty girls, and 
 children all thus at work. I cannot imagine 
 what keeps them from having rheumatism, 
 neuralgia, and all the diseases that flesh is heir 
 to. How linen can be made to look white 
 in such water I do not understand, and yet 
 some which we had laundered, and returned 
 to us this morning, was immaculate white 
 skirts and furbelows included, all for two francs 
 a dozen. 
 
 We stepped from our steamer on shore, near 
 Notre Dame, and entered this cathedral, which, 
 from pictures and descriptions familiar to us, 
 seemed quite like an old acquaintance. The
 
 LETTER IV. 73 
 
 exterior is a regular cruciform, with an octagon 
 end. At the other extreme are two lofty 
 square towers, and back of them a spire, sur- 
 mounted with a gilt cross. The outside is 
 also adorned with some massive statues. The 
 multitude of statues, of bas-reliefs, of beau- 
 tiful sculpture, in the interior of the building, 
 is wonderful in design, richness and beauty. 
 The subjects are mostly from church history. 
 There are many statues of the Virgin and Child, 
 and the expressions of all are angelic and peace- 
 ful, and yet each one greatly differs from the 
 rest. The face of St. Martin, who is repre- 
 sented in the act of sharing his mantle with a 
 beggar, to protect him from the cold, is heav- 
 enly in its sweetness and beauty, and one turns 
 again and again to look at it. Some of the 
 subjects, however, are not as pleasing or as 
 helpful. The Last Judgment is portrayed in 
 three parts : the second scene represents the 
 separation of the righteous from the sinners, but 
 the faces of the i elect ' had such a victorious, 
 triumphant, ' I told you so ' look, as they gazed 
 down upon their condemned brothers and sisters, 
 that my sympathies were entirely with the sin-
 
 74: A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ners, and I thought I should rather have cast 
 my lot with them. Amongst the sculptures of 
 the Arch is a remarkable one of the Saviour 
 trampling the wicked under His feet, and 
 motioning to Satan to drag them off to hell. 
 This is not our idea of the Saviour, who has 
 said, ' Come unto me,' and ' There shall be one 
 fold and one Shepherd.' The sacristy of the 
 cathedral consists of a lofty hall (all of the large 
 churches of Europe have sacristies and treas- 
 uries, in which are kept the valuables belong- 
 ing to the church) and in this one we saw 
 wealth untold. Church utensils, mitres, crosses, 
 crosiers, swords, and many other articles, 
 studded with precious stones, dazzling in their 
 splendor. The robes which were worn by Pius 
 VII. at the coronation of Napoleon I. were 
 exhibited to us : they were very richly embroid- 
 ered with silver and gold. A statue, as large 
 as life, of the Virgin and Child, made of solid 
 silver, is also here. 
 
 We next went to the church of St. Eustache. 
 The altar of this church is exceedingly high, 
 and composed of pure white marble, exquisitely 
 sculptured, and the church also contains fine
 
 LETTER IV. 75 
 
 frescoes. Took a glance at the church of St. 
 Germaine, which was the favorite place of wor- 
 ship of the Empress Eugenie. Also took in St. 
 Chappelle, where we heard some soul-stirring 
 music. All of these cathedrals are rich in 
 stained glass, and are of immense proportions 
 and varied beautiful architecture. 
 
 Feeling that we could not comprehend the 
 wonders of any more churches in one day, we 
 changed our train of thoughts to justice, by 
 going through the Palais de Justice and into 
 several other handsome public buildings. My 
 eyes were brightened, also, by a look at the 
 glitter of brilliant gems in the shops of the 
 Palais Royal, although the other wise minds 
 thought time thus spent a waste. ' Stores 
 enough in New York and Boston,' they said ; 
 but oh, not such stores ! How bright, how 
 tempting the contents of those windows were ! 
 The shopkeepers of Paris think all Americans 
 millionaires, and under some circumstances it 
 might be flattering to be thus considered, but 
 in shopping in Paris it is unfortunate, as in. 
 many stores here I am sure they advance the 
 price of articles when an American seems to
 
 76 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 wish to purchase. I very much desired to ob- 
 tain an odd little pin in one of the shops, but 
 found it much dearer than I expected. The 
 next day the daughter of my hostess secured 
 it for me for about half the amount they valued 
 it at when they thought / wished to buy 
 it. But this is not the principle of all the 
 stores, by any means. 
 
 The cabs of Paris are a great convenience. 
 They are cheap to employ, and are handsome 
 and most comfortable, much the shape of our 
 Victorias. They use good, well-kept looking 
 horses, well harnessed, and the cockers are 
 attentive and polite. For all of this one has 
 only to pay one franc to be carried anywhere 
 within the city limits, or two persons can ride 
 one hour for two francs. When I think of my 
 carriage bills at home, in the party season espe- 
 cially, I feel like staying in Paris and riding 
 on forever it is such a great pleasure for so 
 little money. 
 
 During the day, we secured tickets for the 
 opera this evening, but there were as many 
 forms to go through with as we have for the 
 inauguration of the President of the United
 
 LETTER IV. 77 
 
 States, and when the desired articles are at 
 last transferred to the purchasers ' hands, at the 
 rate of five dollars apiece, they are so cumbrous 
 that one needs a valet to carry them. Our own 
 method of going to the ticket window and 
 quickly securing our little pieces of pasteboard, 
 for half the money, is much better. After a 
 fully appreciated dinner at home we arrayed 
 ourselves for the entertainment, knowing better 
 than to go in street costume, or with bonnets 
 on, this time. Our box was a lower one, in 
 the centre of the row, and from which we had 
 a fine opportunity of seeing the audience and 
 the beautiful interior of this house. It is sim- 
 ply magnificent. The decorations are rich, 
 light, and cheerful. The vestibule and stair- 
 ways are gorgeous and dazzling. About the 
 halls and corridors are placed tables, where 
 between acts the ladies and gentlemen sit, and 
 sip cool drinks and ices, chatting and laugh- 
 ing as if life were all a gala day. All are in 
 full dress, and the ladies' gowns are exquisitely 
 made and worn ; low corsages, with diamond 
 necklaces clasped around the throats of the 
 fair wearers, predominate. As these French
 
 78 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ladies and their dark-mo ustached escorts prom- 
 enade over the white marble stairs to the strains 
 of the sweet music, it is a gay and festive 
 scene. We watched, with much interest and 
 admiration, one very beautiful girl, the very 
 loveliest of them all, and how delighted we 
 were when we heard her speak, and found 
 her to be an American. The opera was 
 i L'Africaine,' and was gorgeously set and 
 grandly rendered. It was one A. M. when we 
 reached home, but our kind hostess was waiting 
 for us, to have the pleasure, as she said, of 
 serving us with strawberries and cream. 
 
 By the way, such delicious cherries, straw- 
 berries, raspberries, and apricots as we have 
 here do not grow in America. The market 
 women drag the fresh, luscious fruits in wagons 
 through the streets, and for a few sous one 
 gets his fill. 
 
 Thursday, June 28, 1888. Another morn- 
 ing spent in the. Salon, and I wish we could 
 have had time to have given the entire day 
 there. We lingered before our favorite pict- 
 ures, and at last turned reluctantly away from 
 them, as from living friends. Spent the next
 
 LETTER IV. 79 
 
 hour at the Trocadero and its beautiful gar- 
 den. The hall in the ' Palace of the Troca- 
 dero' will seat 10,000 people. The aquarium 
 and museum connected are of much interest. 
 Some of the statuary and sculpture are so 
 beautiful that it seems impossible that human 
 hands could have carved the 'speaking faces 
 from blocks of marble. It is opposite here 
 that the Exposition of 1889 is to be held. 
 Museums in Paris are as thick as plums in a 
 Thanksgiving pudding. Going toward the 
 Madeleine, we stopped in the flower-market; 
 tables and baskets were piled with flowers, 
 tons of them cut flowers, and potted 
 plants in bloom, and selling for a 'mere 
 song ' compared with home prices. We have 
 so often looked eagerly in the florists' windows 
 on Tremout Street, just wishing and longing 
 for even one jacquiminot, but when that took 
 a dollar we had often to be satisfied with look- 
 ing. ( And now/ said F., i we will have all we 
 want ; we will wear them, and smell them, to 
 our hearts' content, and is not Paris delight- 
 ful, and what a good time we are having ! ' 
 Loaded with sweet blossoms, we strayed into
 
 80 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the Madeleine, and seated ourselves just as 
 a bridal party was entering the other aisle. 
 We were uninvited but sympathetic guests. 
 The bride looked very young, with a pretty 
 face and figure, and a confiding, trustful man- 
 ner; and when the groom, rather a distin- 
 guished-looking Frenchman, took her hand, 
 and promised to love and cherish always, our 
 hearts and lips cried Amen ! We hope this 
 little bride chose her own husband, for hus- 
 bands, here, we are told, are generally selected 
 by the parents of the girls for them, and they 
 rarely rebel. Nearly all marriages among the 
 wealthy class are l manages de convenance.' 
 Indeed, a young girl here has a sorry sort of a 
 time of it before she is married ; she cannot be 
 alone with gentlemen long enough to know 
 whom she would like to choose for a husband, 
 and consequently is more willing to accept 
 submissively the one chosen for her, for mar- 
 riage brings to her more freedom, liberty of 
 action, and pleasure. 
 
 Since here, we invited a French lady to go 
 to an entertainment with us. She accepted, 
 but came to us later to apologize and decline,
 
 LETTER IV. 81 
 
 as she found herself obliged to chaperone her 
 daughter, who was going to a garden party 
 with Monsieur M., and of course could not go 
 with a man alone. ( Why, what is the matter 
 with her man ? Is he a lunatic ?' said F. ' I 
 went shopping alone yesterday, and asked 
 information about the shops and streets of 
 several of the genus, and they all seemed sane 
 and gentlemanly.' ' Yes, ' was the lady's 
 reply, ( they knew you to be an American, and 
 American girls can do as they please here, un- 
 molested, for they have always so respected 
 themselves that all respect them.' We were glad 
 of the compliment for our countrywomen. The 
 new-made wife and husband, with bridesmaids 
 and ' assistants ' (as they term, here, the ushers) 
 and their friends, passed from the church, 
 with our best wishes. This noted church is 
 Grecian in style. Its altars are of carved wood 
 and gold. The huge bronze doors have illus- 
 trations of the Ten Commandments in bas-relief. 
 The altar is richly sculptured, and one portion 
 of it represents angels bearing Magdalen to 
 Paradise on their wings. Our good escort 
 lights candles in all churches we enter, and
 
 82 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the longest ones too, for the forgiveness of our 
 sins, so I trust ere we leave this land we may 
 be immaculate. 
 
 Out of the church, with all its holy sacredness 
 and beauty, into the sunlight and the bright- 
 ness of the streets. A barouche is waiting for 
 us, in which we are soon seated, and rapidly 
 dashing along on the asphalt pavement of 
 the most beautiful boulevard in the whole 
 world, the Champs Elysees. The avenue is 
 broad, flanked with stately residences and 
 beautiful rows of elms and limes, and long 
 shady parks. We sped along, meeting showy 
 equipages filled with gay people, behind high 
 steppers managed by light-colored costumed 
 coachmen, with remarkably big buttons. Many 
 are on horseback, and the broad sidewalks are 
 filled with happy promenaders. Surely it was 
 a merry sight, and all were enjoying it in the 
 rich atmosphere of this lovely June day. We 
 paused, to see the Arc de Triomphe, then 
 passed under it to the Bois de Boulogne, a 
 lovely park and driveway, with lakes, cool 
 groves, fountains, cascades, rustic houses and 
 seats, and everything beautiful to make it
 
 LETTER IV. 83 
 
 what it is, a delightful resort. We alighted, 
 sailed about the lake in a Cleopatra-like barge, 
 sat at a vine-covered table, and drank the 
 sweet milk that a pretty, black-eyed milkmaid 
 brought to us fresh from her cow, and felt 
 that this was our ( life's holiday.' 
 
 A lady, a Bostonian too, but whose home 
 has been here for several years, said to me to- 
 day : ' And so you live in Boston. Why, it 
 makes me blue to even think of Boston, with 
 its stiff society, its spectacled women, and its 
 doleful teas ! ' But I could not agree with her. 
 Another lady, now living here, a woman of 
 wealth and rare intelligence, told me that she 
 spent a year in Boston, and that repeatedly she 
 had been a guest at small parties and large 
 ones, where she had not been introduced to 
 any one of the assemblage. Such a neglect, in 
 the best society of Europe, would be consid- 
 ered a great breach of politeness or a marked 
 rudeness. Here, all persons invited to meet at 
 the house of a friend consider it almost obliga- 
 tory to speak with each other, if by chance or 
 oversight they are not presented, and it is the 
 custom for the hostess of an invited company
 
 84 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 to have her daughters and their young lady 
 friends move amongst the guests, to see that 
 all are introduced, and are having a pleasant, 
 enjoyable time. 
 
 Shall I tell you our menu for dinner to- 
 night ? It will be, I am sure, rather different 
 from your own. But at our Paris home every- 
 thing is deliciously cooked and served, and E. 
 says we had better make the most of it ; food 
 will not be as temptingly prepared for us in 
 Germany. First, soup, followed by fish, cheese, 
 and radishes, preserves and mustard, roast 
 beef and maccaroni, potatoes, chicken and 
 salad, cake, strawberries, cherries, and apricots, 
 with wines of" various kinds, all followed by 
 coffee. 
 
 I forgot to tell you that in our drive to- 
 day we met Sara Bernhardt; she looked very 
 bright and happy, and not at all the dying 
 ' Camille' that she was the last time my eyes 
 gazed upon her. She has a fine home here, 
 and receives all who choose to call upon her 
 one day each week. She is charitable, helpful, 
 and sympathetic to all, and the Parisians adore 
 her.
 
 LETTER IV. 85 
 
 Paris, June 29th. It rained to-day, for 
 even in Paris it must sometimes rain. We 
 went to the galleries of the Louvre early, and 
 were so absorbed that we remained until 4 p. M. 
 E., our escort to-day, once lived six years in 
 Paris, and the paintings in the Louvre were 
 his old friends, so that the information he gave 
 us was of great instruction and benefit. F., 
 too, had been well drilled for the enjoyment 
 by studying the old masters and by her read- 
 ings of the schools of early art. Not being an 
 artist myself like my two companions, I could 
 scarcely enter their sphere of enjoyment, or see 
 with their eyes, so looked in my own way. 
 This, you know, is the largest gallery in the 
 world, and contains the most of the valuable 
 works of all the great masters, Rubens, Raphael, 
 Murillo, Titian, Rembrandt, Claude Lorraine, 
 Paul Veronese, and other world-renowned art- 
 ists. The works of no artist are placed here 
 until the artist himself has been dead ten years 
 or more ; they are retained in the Luxembourg 
 galleries during the life of the painter. E. 
 wished us to take certain pictures of Rubens 
 first, of which artist he has great knowledge
 
 86 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 and a keen appreciation. He says it is impossi- 
 ble for us to see best many pictures in a short 
 time, so we must take the best pictures and see 
 them in many ways. The allegorical pictures 
 relating to Marie de Medici were our first 
 study, but the angels were very unangelic-look- 
 ing to me. Each one looked as if tipping the 
 scales at two hundred pounds would be an easy 
 matter. In fact, all of Rubens women that I 
 have so far seen look more earthly than spirit- 
 ual. These pictures bring up many thoughts of 
 the hapless Marie de Medici, a woman of great 
 beauty, and of Richelieu, the intriguing, power- 
 ful Cardinal, whose influence was so great over 
 the King, her son, Louis XIII. This woman, 
 Rubens so often painted, died at last, after the 
 implacability of Richelieu caused her to be ban- 
 ished from France, in the attic of the house 
 where Rubens was born, in Cologne. The 
 Salon Carre contains the great treasures of the 
 Louvre, or the most of them. Here we saw 
 the indeed beautiful painting of Mary Anoint- 
 ing the Feet of Jesus, and the even more won- 
 derful one of The Marriage Feast at Cana, 
 both by Paul Veronese. I cannot imagine a
 
 LETTER IV. 87 
 
 human mind even conceiving such a picture, 
 much more putting it on canvas. It is simply 
 perfect. Titian's works have a great charm 
 for me, and Raphael's, also. We roam from 
 room to room ; my delighted companions turn 
 their attentions to me often with remarks 
 of this nature : ' Now do look at this; it is one 
 of the great works of the world/ ' You re- 
 
 D 
 
 member this happened in the reign of King or 
 Queen So-and-so.' ( You recollect the story 
 
 in the Old Testament of ,' and so forth 
 
 and so on ! I look ; say, Oh yes ! Am 
 sometimes a little inwardly muddled, but 
 quietly decide to know for myself what I 
 honestly like best. Of all the Madonnas, I 
 like Murillo's the most. His colors, not as 
 positive as those of Rubens, are warm, deep, 
 and rich, with a certain peculiar softness of fin- 
 ish that no other artist has. Surely genius is 
 God-given. We made no attempt to see the 
 antiquities this time, but could not leave with- 
 out paying our respects to the most beautiful 
 of all women the Venus de Milo. Our ever- 
 gallant escort says, ' No ; ' no woman can be the 
 most beautiful to him, who cannot extend her
 
 OO A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 arms to greet him ; but beautiful she is. A 
 whole day in the Louvre, and yet compara- 
 tively how little of it have we seen. This 
 evening we saw ' Adrienne Lecouvrer ' played 
 at the Comedie Frangaise. 
 
 Saturday y June 30th. The sun shone for 
 us brightly again this morning, and we took an 
 early drive through the always attractive streets 
 and parks of Paris. Early as it was, crowds of 
 people were to be seen, driving, walking, and 
 sitting in the ' sidewalk cafes,' and under the 
 trees, chatting, laughing, and everybody seem- 
 ing to have plenty of leisure time. How is it 
 that no one appears to be in a hurry here ? One 
 reason that the ladies have so much more time 
 is because their housekeeping cares are so much 
 less than those of Americans. Always, all of 
 the laundry work is sent out, and much of the 
 cooking of a household is done outside : bread, 
 pastry, cakes, and roasts are prepared in special 
 establishments, and sent hot and deliciously 
 cooked to private tables, without a suggestion 
 of * bakehouse ' flavor about them. The servants, 
 or one of them does all the ; planning ' and the 
 marketing, rendering her accounts to her mis-
 
 LETTER IV. 89 
 
 tress weekly. Everything connected with the 
 domestic part of a Paris home runs very 
 smoothly, and with much less care and expense 
 than in Bostonian homes. I remember once 
 visiting a dear, busy, neat, systematic young 
 housekeeper at her home in a country town in 
 New England. One Monday morning her 
 maid of all work overslept, and we heard this 
 wide-awake, orderly mistress call her, saying, 
 1 Katie, get up ; why, it is seven o'clock now, and 
 to-day is washing day, to-morrow will be iron- 
 ing day, and the next day baking.' There are 
 no such days in Paris ! And I should think 
 Parisians would say, 'For which we devoutly 
 give thanks.' 
 
 The gardens of the Tuileries brought up 
 thoughts of Eugenie, who used to love the spot 
 so well. The once-beautiful Empress whom the 
 French people followed is now never mentioned, 
 not even a picture of her seen in Paris win- 
 dows ; and once when I spoke of her to a 
 dealer in photographs, asking why he had 
 not a picture of her, he answered, ' Remember 
 Sedan.' 
 
 The long walk in the cool, crisp air made us
 
 90 A BCJNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 hungry, and seeing some neatly prepared tables 
 near we seated ourselves for a luncheon. The 
 bouillon was good, and the chop fairly so, and 
 the charges reasonable we thought, but when 
 the bill was presented we were charged extra 
 for service, for the napkins we used, and for 
 the chairs we sat on. I asked the gargon why 
 they did not charge for the air we breathed. 
 Moral ! Always make your bargains in Paris 
 before consummating them. 
 
 The Luxembourg was near, and we spent 
 most of the rest of the day in its galleries. 
 Some of the masterpieces of Rosa Bonheur, 
 Gerome, Couture and Meissonier are here. To 
 see Cabanel's Venus was of itself a great delight. 
 I remember seeing the portrait of Miss Wolf, 
 in the Metropolitan Art Museum, in New York, 
 painted by this same Alexander Cabanel. There 
 are two of Henner's pictures here, one exquis- 
 itely lovely. He is considered one of the best 
 living painters of the nude ; his figures are re- 
 markably graceful and modest, poetical studies 
 of the flesh ; and it is often an intense delight 
 and relief to turn toward them, from the nudes 
 of some other artists. We have seen his works
 
 LETTER IV. 91 
 
 also in several private collections, and wherever 
 there is a Henner there is always a crowd, so 
 lovely are they. One characteristic of them we 
 observed, namely, that in every picture of his 
 that we have seen his figures are not far from 
 a lake, brook, or river, with the figure partially 
 hid by shrubbery and trees, and one of our trio 
 said that he was forcibly reminded of the old 
 nursery rhyme, 
 
 " ' Mother, may I go out to swim ? ' 
 
 1 Yes, my darling daughter ; 
 Hang your clothes on a hickory limb 
 But don't go near the water ! ' ' 
 
 A stroll in the beautiful gardens of the Lux- 
 embourg, and a visit to the Jardin des Plantes, 
 with its botanical, mineralogical, and geologi- 
 cal museums, and a visit to the monkeys 
 the cutest of all monkeys, finished the day ; 
 and to-night we are to dine with a duchess. 
 How fortunate we have a ' noble ' escort. 
 Otherwise, although we did ' come over in the 
 Mayflower,' we might not have been called upon 
 by, and invited to dine with, the Duke and 
 
 Duchess de la R at their chateau near San 
 
 Cloud.
 
 92 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Some of the customs here seem very odd to 
 us. After a couple are married, they go to 
 drive about the city; the wealthier class in 
 their own carriages, the less wealthy in hired 
 ones, and the poor on foot, but all arrayed in 
 the wedding dress, with veil and the orange 
 flowers. We met eight brides in one after- 
 noon's drive, and we have seen many others 
 in the different museums and galleries. The 
 French are indeed a pleasure-loving people. 
 Every green spot, and they are legion, here is 
 bright with life. Lovely children are out in 
 great numbers with their dark-eyed, handsome 
 bonnes. These nurses are very picturesque, 
 with their white-frilled turbans on, from which 
 hang lengths of broad white ribbon nearly to 
 their feet. The babies themselves are gener- 
 ally costumed in the richest of laces, and often 
 look uncomfortably loaded down with the big 
 white hats even the tiniest of them wear, well 
 covered with ostrich plumes. All seem to 
 enjoy life the middle classes and the poor in 
 their own way as entirely as the rich in theirs. 
 The parks and numerous gardens are filled 
 with women sitting about with work or book
 
 LETTER IV. 93 
 
 in hand, seemingly perfectly contented with 
 their condition and beautiful surroundings. 
 
 O 
 
 They wander into the cathedrals and picture 
 galleries at will, and surely such constant 
 familiarity with beauty and art must have a 
 refining influence. Of these poorer people, 
 who have really been taught nothing, some 
 have more knowledge of art than many Amer- 
 icans who have studied it. I, one morning, 
 asked my chambermaid to assist me in wrap- 
 ping up a few photographs I had in my room. 
 In doing so she told me I ought to get 
 Murillo's ' Birth of the Virgin ' and Titian's 
 1 Holy Family,' and recommended several art 
 stores as excellent places to select photographs 
 and etchings. The many and great variety of 
 exhibitions of pictures here, offer instruction to 
 all and are a constant spur to one's ambition. 
 The Parisians should be thanked by the peo- 
 ple of every nation for throwing open their 
 public institutions to all classes to enter ' with- 
 out money and without price.' Paris thus 
 gives freely to all who will accept a liberal 
 education. The Comedie Franc, aise and the 
 Conservatoire of Music and Acting give free
 
 94 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 instruction to all who have talent sufficient to 
 be admitted. With the French people's love 
 for the beautiful, with their especial love for 
 Paris, with their seeming contentment of posi- 
 tion, with their hospitality and their never-fail- 
 ing politeness as we now see them, it does not 
 seem possible that in times of rebellion and 
 riot they so lose themselves as to burn and 
 destroy that they have so dearly loved, and 
 that they become disloyal and unreasonable 
 toward each other. The burning of the Tuil- 
 eries in 1871 was an exhibition of their insan- 
 ity in times of excitement. 
 
 Here is my Paris edition of the New York 
 Herald. I bless James Gordon Bennett every 
 time I take up this little paper, so grateful am 
 I to him for it. After struggling with French 
 conversation, French books, French signs, 
 French everything, all the day, it is a delight 
 to me to see my own language in print, to see 
 American news, and often to see the name of 
 some one I know or know of. Oh, we do not 
 realize how dear America is to us until we are 
 far from her shores. 
 
 Paris, Sunday, July 1st. And so the
 
 LETTER IV. 95 
 
 month dedicated to Juno is really gone. A 
 month filled with joys has it been to us ! It 
 does not seem possible that it can be July. 
 It has been so cool here, cool and bright, 
 just the weather for tramps. 
 
 First of all, dear, I must tell you a little of 
 our dinner with the Duchess last night. How 
 I did wish you were with me, and how every 
 hour you are in loving thought and memory 
 with me everywhere. I know just what you 
 will do to-day. But no one will ever know all 
 the kind acts you perform, all the sacrifices 
 you make, save the recording angels. We gave 
 considerable time to our toilettes last evening, 
 even to having a French hairdresser. F. 
 looked ' smart ' in her Worth-made pink gown, 
 and in French conversation did us all credit. 
 Only two of the sixteen guests spoke English, 
 beside our host and hostess and ourselves. 
 We were not only cordially received, but affec- 
 tionately. Our hostess was charming in face 
 and grace, and her husband not far behind. 
 The halls, dining-rooms, and salon of the 
 house were immense, with polished floors, and 
 rugs, and the woodwork and furniture of the
 
 96 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 latter in white and gold. Everything was 
 massive and stately, but with a cheerful, bright 
 effect. The menu consisted of fourteen 
 courses, served table d'hote. The hostess was 
 first helped, then the oldest lady at the table, 
 and so on, down to the youngest lady present. 
 Then the gentlemen in the same manner. I 
 should think this custom would sometimes 
 puzzle the waiters to know whom first to 
 serve. The table was decorated with flowers, 
 and the cumbrous gold candelabra were, with 
 the gold service, very imposing. There was 
 not an article of silver on the table. Every 
 utensil was gold, china, or glass. It is a great 
 error to suppose that, because Frenchwomen 
 love dress and pleasure, they are not de- 
 voted mothers, true wives, and intelligent 
 companions. Of course there are exceptions, 
 and so there are in all countries. Our little 
 party of last night was unusually bright, in- 
 telligent, and familiar with American history, 
 her institutions, and her literature. They 
 thought our language the hardest of all lan- 
 guages to comprehend or to speak. They 
 referred to our many words ending with *gh,'
 
 LETTER IV. 97 
 
 and each one pronounced so entirely differ- 
 ently. A gentleman who had been in New 
 York said, if a business was to be stopped 
 there they l wound it up,' if clocks were to go 
 they wound them up. Strings were wound up, 
 and he one day received a telegram from the 
 wife of a friend whom he expected to meet, 
 which read thus : ' Henry is wound up for the 
 day ; hopes to see you to-morrow.' Did not 
 know whether Henry was l stopped ' or 
 'going,' but understood later that he was 
 indisposed. They asked us many questions 
 about our own city, and one lady told me that 
 she read in a paper that not long ago a man 
 was imprisoned for preaching on Boston Com- 
 mon, but she supposed it was a mistake, as 
 such a thing could scarcely have taken place 
 in a free country. After dinner we had 
 music and dancing, and bade our entertainers 
 ' Bon soir,' having had a delightful evening 
 with them, and feeling that the nice points 
 of the social code, with dukes and duchesses, 
 are not much different from our own. 
 
 Sunday in Paris is a great contrast to our 
 New England Sunday. People go to church,
 
 98 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 to be sure, but they go to the theatre after if 
 they wish to, and think it all right. It is 
 the one great day for families to go into the 
 parks and the woods and the gardens near 
 the city. The larger shops are closed, not 
 because it is Sunday, but because one day in 
 the week is demanded by the employees for 
 rest and recreation. Theatres, circuses, and 
 hundreds of places of amusement are open, 
 and are all thronged, notwithstanding the great 
 exodus into the suburbs. One can hardly 
 blame clerks and working people, who are in 
 cages, as it were, every other day, for taking 
 Sunday to see the green hills, breathe the coun- 
 try air, and gather flowers with their little 
 ones, for Monday puts them in harness again. 
 Going to places of amusement on Sunday is 
 not just our way, but we are not here to criti- 
 cise. 
 
 After early service in the American Church 
 we took a boat up the Seine for St. Cloud, 
 where have lived many kings of France. The 
 palace where Eugenie, in the height of her 
 popularity, so magnificently entertained, has 
 never been rebuilt since its destruction in the
 
 LETTER IV. 99 
 
 siege of 1870. We sat on the broad, handsome 
 steps which had led to the palace, with the 
 leafy avenues of the parks before us, over 
 which the lovely Eugenie, with her imperial 
 husband, and the ladies of her court, clad in 
 their costumes of the chase, had many tunes 
 cantered. Here they entertained, at certain 
 seasons, sovereigns, princes of the blood, 
 ambassadors, and ' lords and ladies of high 
 degree,' and everything that could be devised 
 or money procure was placed before them for 
 their pleasure. Music, games, dancing, and 
 feasting went on and the people paid for it. 
 Although there never was and never could be 
 the slightest unfavorable criticism upon the 
 moral life of the Empress, her intense love of 
 gayety, admiration, dress, and power caused 
 her to forget the thousands of suffering poor 
 so near her. Had she given more thought to 
 them, with a helping hand, she could so easily 
 have made their dark days less so. Beauty of 
 person and power are rare gifts, but if they so 
 dazzle as to make dim the more divine gift of 
 a charitable heart and hand, they are to be 
 undesired, and
 
 100 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 l 
 
 ' It were better to be lowly born 
 And range with humble lives in content.' 
 
 But the golden-haired, sweet-faced Empress, 
 in her green riding habit, with the flowing 
 white plumes in her hat, rides on under the 
 arches of these beautiful linden trees, and is 
 gone from our thoughts, and the memory of a 
 gray-haired, childless widow in Chiselhurst 
 rises before us. God help her ! The foun- 
 tains and cascades here, scintillating in the rays 
 of the sun this bright morning, are beautiful, 
 and the walks about are superb. We went 
 to the very top of the hill, and were well 
 repaid by the admirable views of Paris, the 
 Seine, and the surrounding scenery. 
 
 Our long tramp made us hungry, so we 
 turned our footsteps toward the cafe at the 
 gate. The tables inside looked very attractive, 
 but my comrades thought the ones outside 
 more so, so we seated ourselves at one in a 
 vine-covered arbor, for dinner table d'hote. 
 We have got so used to eating out-of-doors 
 in arbors in the country, and on pavements in 
 town, that you need not be surprised if 
 I, some Sunday morning, invite you to baked
 
 LETTER IV. 101 
 
 beans and brown bread on the curbstones of 
 the Oxford, and every bean served as a course. 
 The town of St. Cloud is built on the slope 
 of the hill. The streets are very narrow, and 
 the stores to-day are all open and well filled. 
 Wandering about, I was attracted by the sound 
 of music in a quaint-looking little church and 
 stepped in. Upon coming out, my companions 
 were nowhere visible. I sat down in a con- 
 spicuous place on some steps, to wait for them 
 to find me. A richly dressed Frenchman 
 walked past me several times. I felt that I 
 was the object of his gaze so looked in every 
 direction but toward him, for here let me say 
 that the French are really prolonged starers, 
 notwithstanding their uniform courtesy and 
 politeness. My imagination got the better of 
 me, and I prepared for battle, trying to think 
 of annihilating names in French, that I might 
 call him should he dare address me, and look- 
 ing at the strong handle of my parasol with 
 renewed confidence. Secondly, I thought it 
 might be good policy to pretend to be. deaf 
 and dumb yes, should he speak, I will really 
 put my finger to my ears and my mouth and
 
 102 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 he will think I am a dummy, planned I. Thus, 
 with a reinforced feeling of safety and victory, 
 I looked squarely up at him. Imagine my sur- 
 prise when he raised his hat, and in fair Eng- 
 lish said : ' Pardon me, but are you not Mrs. 
 
 of Boston ? ' It was Monsieur C , 
 
 who formerly taught French in my family. I 
 need not tell you that I gave him a vigorous 
 Yankee hand-shaking. He left America a 
 year ago to take possession of an inherited prop- 
 erty. Moral : Consider every man, everywhere, a 
 gentleman, until you have proof that he is not. 
 A Frenchman never sits when a lady in his 
 presence stands, nor does he ever smoke or ex- 
 pectorate in a lady's presence. Do the Ameri- 
 cans ? A French lady asked me, and I had to 
 say with humility, ' Yes.' After this little inci- 
 dent my friends appeared, more worried about 
 me than I about them, and we soon took 
 ' top seats ' on steam-cars and were carried to 
 Versailles. 
 
 The gardens of Versailles are superior in 
 beauty to any others that I have seen. I wish 
 I could give you a good idea of them, as they 
 appear to me this lovely day. Beautiful trees,
 
 LETTER IV. 103 
 
 shrubs, flowers of every size, fragrance, and 
 color, orangeries, conservatories, palms, ferns, 
 lakes, vine-covered seats, shaded walks, arbors, 
 statues, grottoes cool and inossy, cascades, and 
 the large fountains playing, with the Palace 
 beyond, and the blue sky above it all were 
 indeed worth seeing. Linger longer outside 
 we would like to, but the big, huge Palace is 
 before us, and we must see a little of its con- 
 tents. The galleries, or rooms, are of vast size, 
 and are filled with paintings, sculpture, bric- 
 a-brac, tapestries, and articles of intense histor- 
 ical interest. The State apartments, the living 
 rooms of kings and queens, the theatre, and 
 the chapel, with their frescoes and paintings, 
 are a delight to us. In a suite of eleven rooms 
 are pictures illustrating all the most noted 
 events in the history of France. A white 
 marble statue of the Duke of Orleans is very 
 beautiful and remarkably graceful. We also 
 noticed a fine statue of Joan of Arc. The 
 chamber of Louis XIV. is absorbingly inter- 
 esting, and is one of the gems of the Palace. 
 The ceiling was painted by Paul Veronese, 
 and was brought here by Napoleon I. from
 
 104 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Venice. It represents Jupiter punishing Crime, 
 and is of itself a day's study, and more. The 
 furniture and decorations of the room are 
 rich and grand, said to be about as when the 
 1 Grand Mouarque ' died in the room, entirely 
 against his intentions and inclinations. The 
 bedstead upon which he breathed his last, with 
 the same hangings and coverlid, are here. It 
 is a two-story one, and we wonder how he 
 ever got on to it with any degree of dignity. 
 This magnificent apartment of Louis Quatorze, 
 peopled with ghosts of his time, brought to us 
 many thoughts. This place, under his manage- 
 ment, was made grand and beautiful, but at 
 the cost of crippling the treasury of France 
 and exciting discontent amongst her already 
 overtaxed people, and it was not for their 
 enjoyment, but for his own and his satellites'. 
 In the queen's card room the painted ceiling, 
 by Le Brun, represents France, dispensing- 
 peace and abundance to all. What a mockery ! 
 At this very time, while royalty at Versailles 
 was sipping wine from cups of gold, the 
 hunger of the poor outside was beginning to 
 make them mad. The painting of the mar-
 
 LETTER IV. 105 
 
 riage of Louis XIV. with Maria Theresa, and 
 some of the battle pieces, are fairly well done. 
 All that one has ever read of the greatness of 
 Louis XIV., the evil of Louis Quinze, and the 
 horrors of the Revolution, comes to one's mind 
 at Versailles. It seems to me that nowhere 
 else could one so thoroughly feel and compre- 
 hend France, her history and her changes. 
 We saw the room in which Louis Quinze died 
 alone, of small-pox, just as if he had never 
 been a king. We saw the narrow passage 
 where the beautiful Marie Antoinette went 
 through to escape the fury of the Parisian 
 mob, while the brave, noble Swiss Guards were 
 cut down like grass. We thought of her 
 standing on the balcony, between her innocent 
 little ones, crying in vain to the howling throng 
 for mercy ; and yet Louis XVI., although 
 a weak king, did not mean to be a bad one. 
 F. says, her sympathy aroused for the ill-fated 
 family, ' How horrid the people were !' Yes ; 
 but let not the name of Marie Antoinette 
 make us forget the rights of the long-suffering 
 and wronged people. These rulers were living 
 in profligacy and luxury : the people, many
 
 106 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 of them, were in a starving condition, made so 
 by the exorbitant demands upon them by 
 Louis. Justice was not given them, and they 
 took it, and the forced necessity of such ter- 
 rible work made them maniacs. We feel sorry 
 for mistaken royalty, and more sorry for the 
 innocent, but let us go out into the beautiful 
 gardens of Versailles, and see there the mul- 
 titude enjoying its delights, instead of a few 
 kings and queens, and be thankful. The 
 palace and its gems are educators for them, 
 and the gardens a place of rest, and may they 
 ever thus remain. It was at Versailles that 
 1 good Queen Vic ' was royally entertained by 
 Louis Napoleon, and it was also here that 
 Emperor William was, later, crowned King of 
 Prussia. 
 
 A hasty visit to Great and Little Trianon 
 ended our day at Versailles. The first named 
 was built by Louis XIV. for Madam de Main- 
 tenon, and although we had about had our 
 fill of luxury, we grew enthusiastic over the 
 Malachite Hall and the mosaics and bronzes 
 we here saw. The Little Trianon, Louis XV. 
 gave to Madame du Barry. Here we saw the
 
 LETTER IV. 107 
 
 old state carriages and harnesses. Madame du 
 Barry's carriage, in which she used to take 
 her airings, cost 60,000 francs, and on state 
 occasions she carried a bouquet of diamonds, 
 which Louis had made for her at a cost of 
 300,000 francs. She had also a dressing- 
 stand of gold studded with gems, and two 
 cupids held a crown of diamonds above it, so 
 made that whenever the owner looked into 
 the mirror this crown was reflected as if 
 resting upon her own head. This is an exam- 
 ple of the way the revenues of France were 
 then expended. Is it any wonder that there 
 was a revolution ? 
 
 An open carriage took us to the station, 
 and again we took our places, on top of a 
 steam-car, for Paris. This would be a delight- 
 ful way of riding if only the engine would 
 be sufficiently polite to turn its smoke in 
 another direction than our faces. We had a 
 fine view of the city and its suburbs as we 
 approached it, and with dirty faces, tired feet, 
 and our hands filled with French wild flowers 
 and grasses, we reached Paris ; and the ever- 
 convenient cab soon landed us in Clement
 
 108 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Marot. A friend had sent us tickets for the 
 theatre, but we decided that we would spend 
 the evening in the pretty drawing-room of our 
 hostess and make it as nearly like a Sunday 
 evening at home as possible. One of out- 
 number remarked how fortunate no one of our 
 party has felt at all homesick. A bunch arose 
 in my throat, but I swallowed it down, and I 
 have told no one that often, when I think of 
 the dear ones far away, longings for a sight of 
 their faces will creep in. 
 
 Monday, July 2d. Galleries and churches 
 are not open to visitors on Mondays, so we 
 planned for out-of-door sights to-day. The 
 cheapness of these little, open barouches make 
 us feel able to ride at any time. I wish I 
 could take one home to Boston with me, cocher 
 and all. We first went to the Arc d'Etoile, for 
 the second time, and ascended to the top, for the 
 views. It is said that the views from the Eiffel 
 Tower, when completed, will surpass anything 
 gained elsewhere, but those from the Arc 
 d'Etoile are very grand. 
 
 This huge, superb monument of Napoleon I. 
 stands in a ( round .square ' called the ' Place
 
 LETTER IV. 109 
 
 d'Etoile.' From this street twelve beautiful 
 avenues lead, somewhat like spokes from the 
 hub of a wheel. Now imagine this, and these 
 streets built up with elegant residences, with 
 pretty grounds about them, and the avenues 
 filled with showy turnouts and merry throngs 
 of people, promenading on the broad sidewalks, 
 shaded by two rows of magnificent trees, and 
 you get a little idea, with the picture I send you, 
 of the Arc de Triomphe and its surroundings. 
 The figures you see, which will look small on 
 paper, are, some of them, over twenty feet high, 
 representing Victory, Fame, etc. When we 
 first walked under the arch, F. said, <I think 
 this is a good deal like walking under the body 
 of Jumbo,' which experience we once had. 
 
 From the Arch we were driven straight 
 down the beautiful Avenue des Champs Elysees 
 to the Place de la Concorde, in which square 
 stands the obelisk, the gift of the Pacha of 
 Egypt. Immense bronze fountains are in the 
 square, and large marble statues on pedestals, 
 representing the country's largest cities, around 
 it. It is a lovely, peaceful spot, this glorious 
 morning, with no signs of the terrible deeds
 
 110 A BUNDLE OP LETTERS. 
 
 that were once enacted here. But here it was 
 the guillotine stood and did its murderous work. 
 Here the rabble surged, crying for more blood. 
 Here Charlotte Corday, here Marie Antoin- 
 ette, met death. And here heads were cut 
 off at the rate of forty or fifty a day ; and men 
 looked on, women sat about with their knit- 
 ting, occasionally saying, ' Look, there goes 
 another.' 
 
 Do not dwell upon such horrors ! we will go 
 and buy some ribbons ! Our first look into the 
 Bon Marche. What a beautiful store it is, to 
 be sure. The largest in the world. How the 
 bargains tempt us ! The clerks look bright 
 and fresh, and are remarkably well dressed and 
 intelligent appearing. And they have reason to 
 be they are all partners of this great money- 
 making establishment, and time, opportunities, 
 and means given them for study. The little 
 articles here, fans, ornaments, toilet articles, 
 handkerchiefs, gloves, etc., are irresistible, so 
 pretty and so cheap. In one apartment, cake, 
 cookies, bread, crackers, wine, tea and coffee, 
 and the very best of their kind, are served to 
 all who come, gratuitously. Wanamaker's
 
 LETTER IV. Ill 
 
 store in Philadelphia, and Shepard & Nor- 
 well's, of Boston, are somewhat similar, the 
 first mentioned comparing very favorably, the 
 second not as extensive but conducted partly 
 on the same principle. 
 
 Leaving the Bon Marche we knew we had 
 got our money's worth, but had precious few 
 coins left, so thought it a good time to see a 
 little of the poorer class of this rich-appearing 
 city. So into the Latin quarter are we driven. 
 That sounds very intellectual and classical, but 
 is really the old and poorer part of Paris. 
 Here the streets are narrow, the men wear blue 
 blouses, and the women look coarse and hard; 
 exceptions there are, certainly, but such the 
 general appearance. 
 
 Next, to Pere La Chaise, the city of the dead. 
 Much disappointed in its appearance. Does 
 not compare with our beautiful Forest Hills. 
 The walks are not well kept. Immortelles and 
 shrivelled wreaths decorate the graves, instead 
 of fresh flowers. Numerous monuments are 
 here, and some very fine ones, but the most 
 are costly without beauty. On the graves of 
 children we saw toys, dolls, wooden horses, etc.
 
 112 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 We saw Rachel's monument, and that of 
 lard and Heloise, which is really beautiful. F. 
 said she always meant to make a pilgrimage to 
 this spot, from pure sympathy. We saw many 
 names, on monuments, familiar to us from his- 
 tory ; but as a whole, everything is too mixed 
 up for it to be considered a beautiful cemetery. 
 We saw a young girl bending over a grave in 
 tears, and our own fell for her. She left a 
 wreath on the, to her, precious earth, composed 
 of white immortelles, with words made of the 
 yellow flowers embedded in the white, which 
 read, as nearly as we could translate, ' To the 
 loved man who was to have been my husband.' 
 That told the sad story. We thought Victor 
 Hugo rested here, but one of our trio said no ; 
 at the Pantheon, he felt sure. ' Well, he was 
 a good and great man enough to have had two 
 burial places,' said F. And so say we all of 
 us ! 
 
 We went to the Hippodrome this evening, 
 
 sort of a fashionable circus ; but not caring 
 much for the entertainment, came out and 
 walked about to see a little of Paris by gaslight 
 
 and such a sight ! The entire population
 
 LETTER IV. 113 
 
 of the city seems to be poured into the streets. 
 Bands of music playing in the squares ; the 
 sidewalk cafes have their tables surrounded 
 with ' evening dressed ' ladies and gentlemen. 
 There are illuminated swings, merry-go-rounds, 
 inclined planes, roller skating platforms, for the 
 children, and all seeming to be respectably con- 
 ducted. Paris is a clean city ; the streets are 
 like a well-swept floor all the time, no dirt to be 
 seen. Two-thirds of the families live in apart- 
 ment houses. These are better arranged than 
 our Boston flats. The rooms are spacious, and 
 no dark, windowless ones, as there is always an 
 open court in the centre, to admit light and air, 
 and about the windows facing these courts are 
 balconies, pleasant to sit out on. The courts 
 are cultivated, and either have shrubbery and 
 flowers growing, or have grassy lawns, and this 
 is all cared for by the landlords. The rents 
 are much lower, also, than with us. 
 
 Tuesday, July 3d. Too quickly the days 
 go by. The weather is so deliciously fair and 
 bright this morning that it is a joy to be alive. 
 Out into the sunshine we go, ( not caring a 
 sou where, if only these days could last for-
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ever/ said F. Yes, Paris is indeed fasci- 
 nating but we must remember that life is 
 
 O 7 
 
 not all a holiday, nor would we wish it to 
 be. We owe to our Maker something higher 
 in aim and in good works. We owe to our 
 beloved country ourselves, and the help of our 
 acts and purposes. When human beings are 
 born and bred in the same air, speak the same 
 tongue, it is a disloyal thing to turn faces from 
 each other. ' United we stand.' We heard 
 of a party of Americans finding difficulty in 
 entering Germany not long ago because they 
 had no passports, so I thought we had better 
 fortify ourselves with the documents. Hunted 
 up the abode of the American Legation. 
 Found the apartments to resemble the rooms of 
 a private family, more than those of business. 
 We were duly questioned, measured, and pen- 
 portraits taken of us, and after a sufficient 
 amount of ' red-tape delay,' the desired papers 
 were in our hands. Very likely we shall not 
 be obliged to use them, but they serve to tell 
 us how tall we are, and, better still, that my 
 nose is straight, which I never knew before. 
 We next went to the Pantheon, which is
 
 LETTER IV. 115 
 
 something of a reproduction of St. Peter's at 
 Rome, and is now devoted to receiving the 
 remains of great men who have merited the 
 gratitude of France. The church was formerly 
 called the church of St. Genevieve, she having 
 besn the patron saint of Paris. There are some 
 beautiful frescoes here relating to her life. 
 The rich Corinthian columns, the marble 
 groups, frescoes, and bas-reliefs, are all an in- 
 teresting study. France is represented bestow- 
 ing honors on her noted sons. On the frieze 
 is this inscription : ( Aux Grands Hommes La 
 Patrie Reconnaissante.' There are some beau- 
 tiful frescoes here by Cabanel, which represent 
 different scenes in the life of St. Louis. The 
 one where Blanche of Castile, his mother, is 
 talking with him is very lovely. The artist 
 has succeeded in investing the faces of St. 
 Louis with much beauty and spirituality. I 
 looked at these paintings with great satisfac- 
 tion, as I admire the results of Cabanel's brush 
 always. I thought, too, not only of St. Louis, 
 but of Louis S. S., and wished I could see his 
 pleasant face. I have so often called him my 
 St. Louis. Please tell him this when you see
 
 116 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 him, and love to them all. Yet, with all of the 
 objects I have told you of, and many, many 
 others, the interior of the Pantheon has a 
 cold, bare look. Underneath this building are 
 immense vaults, and Victor Hugo's remains are 
 here. The coffin, covered with cloth, mounted 
 and embroidered with silver, stands on trestles 
 facing the tomb of Rousseau, although the 
 remains of the latter are at Geneva. A huge 
 pyramid of immortelles is before us, that were 
 brought, by those who loved the great man, on 
 the day of his funeral. All that was mortal 
 of him is here, but a mind that could give ' Les 
 Miserables ' must be working for good still, in 
 the ' great somewhere.' 
 
 Noticing the interest I felt in everything 
 pertaining to Victor Hugo, a Paris friend, with 
 us to-day, said, ' Let us sit down and rest near 
 these withered blossoms, and I will tell you a 
 little about his funeral, which took place just 
 three years ago this month, and of which 
 I was an eye-witness.' Although Victor Hugo 
 was born an aristocrat, and was the greatest 
 poet of Prance, his sympathy and love for the 
 common people, and his strong and ear-
 
 LETTER IV. 117 
 
 nestly avowed republican tendencies, led him 
 to request in his will that he should be carried 
 to his grave in the hearse of the poor. And 
 although this was done, never were such prepa- 
 rations made before for the celebration and the 
 honoring of any dead. France claimed him 
 as her greatest, noblest son. His body was 
 laid in state, under the Arch of Triumph, on a 
 catafalque draped with black velvet embroid- 
 ered with silver, standing in a bank of flowers. 
 Bands of crape were draped from the top of 
 the huge arch to the ground. Through the 
 day, and through the night, torches were 
 lighted, and thousands of people visited the 
 spot. It was known that he said it would 
 be his choice to be laid without ceremony 
 by the side of his wife, in the little coun- 
 try churchyard, but the people would not 
 have it thus ; only to the Pantheon should he 
 be carried ! But the Pantheon bore a visible 
 cross, indicating dedication to the Roman 
 church. Huofo could not rest there. His reli- 
 
 O 
 
 gion was of no sect. He believed in God and 
 loved Him. He believed in his fellow-man 
 loved and helped him. His creed was the
 
 118 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Golden Rule, and he lived by it. The Govern- 
 ment ordered the cross removed from the build- 
 ing, and it was done, and on June 1st, 1885, 
 all that was mortal of Victor Hugo whose 
 motto was ever ' Fraternity, Equality, and Lib- 
 erty ' was carried there, followed by the great- 
 est and wisest citizens of France, her ministers, 
 her soldiers, and he.r people. We arose, laid 
 our corsage ornament a beautiful fleur-de- 
 lis by the great man's last resting-place, 
 and turned away. 
 
 By the way, the French love this flower, 
 the national emblem of their country. There 
 is a legend about it, that runs like this : Clovis, 
 who was an infidel, went to battle with the 
 Germans. He fought bravely, but was losing 
 ground, when he remembered his young 
 Queen's faith in God. He called in his despair 
 upon this Great Being the Christians so trusted 
 in, pledging himself to this God's service for- 
 ever if He would but give him this one victory. 
 The battle was his, and he was immediately 
 baptized. During the solemn ceremony an 
 angel appeared and threw about King Clovis 
 an exquisite banner embroidered with the lovely
 
 LETTER IV. 119 
 
 flowers of the fleur-de-lis. From that time 
 to the French Revolution the kings of France 
 bore the flower on their banners. 
 
 From the Pantheon to the Hotel des Inval- 
 ides, a comfortable home for disabled soldiers 
 and for aged ones, containing kitchens, dormi- 
 tories, libraries, museums, etc. We chatted 
 with a very old soldier with but one leg, and 
 he said that he was much happier with that 
 one than most men were with two legs, so well 
 was he there cared for. Next, to the Tomb of 
 Napoleon the First, and I should have known it 
 to have been his burial place had I opened my 
 eyes upon it unexpectedly, anywhere, so ' Nap- 
 oleonically ' magnificent is it all, in the Church 
 of the Invalides, so called. Napoleon so loved 
 Paris, that in his will he requested ' that his 
 body might rest on the banks of the Seine, 
 amongst the French people he loved so well.' 
 Light for the interior of this building comes 
 through violet-colored glass in the immense 
 cupola, and falls with a peculiar, weird effect 
 upon the sarcophagus, which seems to be of 
 granite, and rests upon two large blocks 
 of different colored stone, one upon the
 
 120 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 other, making a high pile. The foundation 
 upon which this all stands is a crown of laurels, 
 in green marble, on a floor of black and white, 
 and upon which are seen the names of many of 
 his victories. Twelve victories are also repre- 
 sented by the same number of colossal statues. 
 The crypt containing the sarcophagus is 
 round, and immediately under the dome, in the 
 exact centre, and has around it a marble rail- 
 ing. We went down into this crypt, around 
 the sarcophagus, to a chapel, where we saw the 
 very sword he wore at Austerlitz, the insignia 
 he wore, the battle colors, and the crown of 
 gold given to him by the citizens of Cher- 
 bourg. At the farther end is the statue of the 
 Emperor, with the characteristic lines of his 
 face strongly portrayed, and it is clothed in 
 the imperial robes. The gallery leading to this 
 is always lighted by bronze funeral lamps. 
 Other chapels, dedicated to different saints, are 
 richly decorated, and the remains of a number 
 of the relatives of Napoleon rest within them. 
 At the entrance to the tomb, as the whole build- 
 ing or church is called, are two sarcophagi, 
 dedicated, the one to Marshal Duroc, and the
 
 LETTER IV. 121 
 
 other to Marshal Bertrand, the devoted and 
 true friends of the Emperor in his hours of 
 trial. Way high up in the cupola, which is, 
 I have already told you, right over the sarcoph- 
 agus containing Napoleon's dust, is a beautiful 
 picture of Jesus, in the midst of angels, look- 
 ing tenderly down. This crypt is in the cen- 
 tre to be sure, and yet is in front of steps 
 which lead to the beautiful altar. The steps are 
 of white marble, and the high, superb altar is 
 of both black and white marble, with a canopy 
 of gold, beneath which is a figure of Christ on 
 the cross. The cost of this entire monument 
 was nearly two million dollars, and is all so rich 
 and effective that I hope my description of it 
 will enable you to see it, a little, as with my 
 eyes. The life of conquest and glory, defeat 
 and suffering, which this man knew is without 
 a parallel. His spirit left the body in obscu- 
 rity and exile ; that body now rests in the cost- 
 liest of mausoleums. Here in this very city he 
 once lived in a garret, and wandered hopelessly 
 about seeking employment ; here also he lived 
 in palaces, and ruled everything before him. 
 We have seen the Hotel de la Colonnade, Rue
 
 122 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 des Capucines, where he was married to 
 Josephine, and it was at the Tuileries his 
 divorce from her was proclaimed. His ambition 
 was indeed his ruling passion, when he could 
 put from him the woman who loved him, say- 
 ing to her, ' Josephine, thou knowest I love 
 thee ; to thee alone do I owe the only moments 
 of true happiness that I have ever had, but my 
 destiny overrules my will.' Dying on his lonely 
 bed, on the bleak, rude heights of St. Helena, 
 without kith or kin to love him, what then to 
 him were ambition, fame, or victories, even 
 such as his had been ? 
 
 We spent the rest of the day in the Cluny, 
 an extensive old museum, containing statues, 
 paintings, armor, and wonderfully beautiful tap- 
 estries, and rare antiquities of all descriptions. 
 One exquisite and very odd piece of pottery so 
 interested me, being entirely different from any- 
 thing I had ever before seen, that I asked one 
 of the near attendants where it came from ; he 
 answered, ' Hades.' Fearing I did not under- 
 stand him, I asked the question for the second 
 time, and called my companions to interpret, 
 but ' Hades ' he repeated, and we could say
 
 LETTER IV. 123 
 
 no more. F. said it seemed well baked, and 
 told us a story of an Englishman who was 
 travelling in France, and had with him a 
 French courier, the latter speaking English a 
 little, but making some peculiar translations. 
 The English gentleman asked concerning a 
 friend whom he knew to be residing somewhere 
 in France. The interpreter innocently assured 
 him that his friend had gone to Thunder in 
 Burgundy. The Englishman, not knowing of 
 the town Tounerre, drew his own conclusions. 
 Wednesday, July 4:th. A pleasant surprise 
 awaited us this morning. Our hostess, in our 
 honor, had thrown from our balcony our own 
 glorious flag ! Our stars and stripes ! None 
 other as beautiful in all the world floats. It 
 seemed a part of our own dear land, our home 
 and friends. We are up in the fifth story ; the 
 horses are kept in the first. The higher up 
 the rooms are, the more desirable are they con- 
 sidered here, and the greater is the rent. We 
 took an early drive, then spent a little time 
 shopping, and made our way to the monu- 
 mental chapel containing the tombs and monu- 
 ments of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.,
 
 124 A BUNDLE OP LETTERS. 
 
 called the Chapel Expiatoire. Here is a beau- 
 tiful statue of the unfortunate Queen, and one 
 also of her husband, on the pedestal of which 
 is inscribed, in letters of gold, his will, in which 
 he commends his wife and children to his 
 Maker, and expresses a wish that his wife may 
 be allowed to keep their children, for her ma- 
 ternal tenderness for them he has never doubted. 
 It all expresses the thoughts and feelings of a 
 good man. The remains of the brave Swiss 
 Guard who so faithfully defended the royal 
 family, are also here. 
 
 A little more sight-seeing, a few social calls 
 made, last lingering glances at the Palais 
 Royal and the Rue de Rivoli shops, and home 
 to dine. After dinner we, with the entire 
 household, went to an out-of-door fete, in the 
 streets and on the sidewalks of Paris, and a 
 grotesque, comical, ridiculous celebration it was. 
 Old and young were dancing in the streets; 
 open booths for shooting, angling, and all sorts 
 of games of chance were well patronized ; cheap 
 shows, theatres, concerts, cycloramas, and pano- 
 ramas, all in full blast, and Punch and Judy 
 doing their part vigorously ; a beautiful girl,
 
 LETTER IV. 125 
 
 with a fine voice, and dressed in white silk, thus 
 exposed to the public gaze, was giving a con- 
 cert in the open air, and the crowd about her 
 were really ladies and gentlemen ; every jim- 
 crack ever manufactured was for sale in the 
 miles of tents temporarily erected ; and alto- 
 gether it was a strange sight. I could not have 
 believed it possible that intelligent men and 
 women could have enjoyed such a conglomera- 
 tion, but they seemed to. At midnight, after 
 walking some distance to find our cabs, we were 
 driven to Rue Clement Marot, through the 
 Arch, and this grand monument looked even 
 more grand in the full blaze of the electric 
 lights. To-morrow we regretfully leave this 
 beautiful city and our pleasant friends, who 
 have done so much to make our stay here a 
 happy one. Whatever is rich, Paris is richer. 
 Whatever is grand, Paris is grander ! What- 
 ever is beautiful, Paris is more so. I hope to 
 see it all again. 
 
 July 5th. We left Paris at 10 A. M. to-day, 
 leaving the house early enough to step into St. 
 Chapelle for one more look at the incomparable 
 rose window and the other remarkably beau-
 
 126 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 tiful stained-glass windows of this gorgeous 
 church. The morning was a bright one, and 
 as the rays of the sun streamed in upon us, 
 through the rich colors of the glass, and 
 mingled with the delicate blue tone reflected 
 
 o 
 
 from the arched roof of the edifice, the 
 effect was glorious. This exquisite ceiling is 
 thickly dotted with gilt stars. The whole in- 
 terior is decorated with gilt diamonds, with 
 paintings of fleur-de-lis, St. Louis's flower 
 between. We went into the little chamber 
 where the saintly King used to sit and listen 
 to the church services, through a window open- 
 ing into the nave. On reaching the station we 
 found our friends waiting for us, to give us a 
 pleasant send-off toward Geneva.
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 WE cannot be French very much longer, 
 and must turn our tongue into German. E. 
 does not accompany us, so our own interpreters 
 we shall have to be. Our carriage contained, 
 beside ourselves, a French gentleman and an 
 Italian gentleman, ' we four, and no more.' 
 We sped on through villas and villages, and 
 fields of bright wild flowers, with but little 
 of interest, however, to detail. 
 
 Our Italian seemed troubled in regard to an 
 apparently new glove which he tore badly 
 in raising a window. After a long, disconso- 
 late look at it, he took from his travelling 
 bag, needle and thread, and went carefully at 
 work to repair the injury, but made a bad 
 tangle of it. As F. had implements handy,
 
 128 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 including a thimble, she offered to mend it for 
 him. He accepted graciously, and his hand- 
 some face grew luminous as he watched his 
 pet glove grow whole under her deft fingers. 
 What might he do for us? Would we drink 
 wine with him ? ' No, thanks,' we said. What 
 else he offered, to show his gratitude, we could 
 not understand ; when out from his pocket 
 he took a phrase-book of Italian and English 
 words, and pointed to the sentence, ' Shall I 
 sing for you ?' We gladly acquiesced, and to 
 our great delight he poured forth one of the 
 grandest, sweetest voices I ever in my life 
 listened to. It was like Brignoli's in his best 
 days. He sung the choicest airs from different 
 operas, and warbled, in his own musical lan- 
 guage, tender songs. The distinguished-look- 
 ing French gentleman joined us in thanking 
 him for making the hours pass so delight- 
 fully for it is a long run from Paris to 
 Geneva. We find fellow passengers, in this 
 country, much more thoughtful of the comfort 
 of others than they are in England or America. 
 We also like the steam-cars here much better 
 than our own, unless one always rides in a
 
 LETTER V. 129 
 
 Pullman. Even many of the second class cars 
 have high backs and cushions, all softly uphol- 
 stered. Early in the afternoon a thunder- 
 storm struck us, and we had heavy showers. 
 Later the sun shone out brightly, and set 
 gorgeously in red. At six p. M. we made our 
 first stop, at Dijon, and had at the station a fine 
 table d'hote dinner, wine included, and we did 
 all justice, for we were as hungry as bears, not 
 having provided ourselves with a luncheon, 
 thinking we should stop somewhere for one. 
 Remember this, all who go from Paris to Dijon. 
 Much refreshed, we continued our journey to 
 Macon, where we had planned to spend the 
 night, but our polite and helpful Frenchman, 
 who had all along the road kindly given us 
 much information of the country we came 
 through, assured us that if we did so we could 
 not reach Geneva until three p. M. the next 
 day, but if we kept on to Ambrieau, and would 
 spend the night there, we could take an early 
 morning train and reach Geneva at eleven 
 
 O 
 
 A. M. So this we decided to do, bidding here 
 our kind informant adieu, as his home is in 
 Lyons, hoping to be able in the future to
 
 130 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 accept his invitation to sometime go through 
 his silk factory, under his escort. 
 
 We rolled into the little station at Ambrieau 
 about ten P. M., our Italian companion keep- 
 ing on to Genoa, waving his last farewell from 
 the car window, with a white silk handkerchief 
 in one hand and a scarlet one in the other. 
 To our dismay we found it raining in torrents, 
 intensely dark, and not a car or carriage, nor 
 man or beast, to be found. The only live 
 article around was the station-agent, to whom 
 we hurried back, fearing he too would disap- 
 pear, which he was making hasty preparations 
 to do. We ascertained from him that the 
 principal inn of the place was more than a 
 mile distant, and no way of reaching it at that 
 hour of night but to walk. Near by, he said, 
 was a small house where he thought we could 
 get a room and be comfortably lodged, and 
 assured us we should be safe. We could do 
 nothing but accept. He piloted us across the 
 street and into the front room of a house, 
 where some men were sitting around a table 
 drinking beer. A pretty girl was waiting 
 upon them, with whom our escort had some
 
 LETTER V. 131 
 
 words, and without giving us attention she 
 filled a glass with beer for him. We began 
 to feel a little uncomfortable, and again asked 
 our leader if we were safe. He answered 
 * Oui, oui ;' but still stood there. All at once 
 we thought of his expected franc, on putting 
 which into his hand he retreated, leaving us 
 in the care of the pretty maid. She took our 
 bags, and we followed her, through a dark 
 rear room, then through a large bare kitchen, 
 out into the back yard. She led us on, 
 through the furious rain, up two long flights 
 of stairs, built on the outside of the house, 
 and on the landing unlocked a door with a 
 huge iron key, which door creaked and 
 squeaked on its hinges, as if they had not been 
 disturbed for many a day. As getting the 
 door open was the work of some minutes, we 
 were pretty thoroughly soaked by the time we 
 stepped into the queer-looking entry, with its 
 stone floor and roughly plastered walls. Out 
 of that we went into and through a long, nar- 
 row, crooked hall, with a shrine at the extreme 
 end, to our room. It was a small one, with 
 bare floor a single bed, one chair, and a
 
 132 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 table with a wash-bowl and pitcher on top, the 
 former about as deep as a soup plate, and the 
 pitcher minus water and handle; but enough 
 of the former was dripping from our clothes 
 to equalize conditions. We found it impossi- 
 ble to turn the lock of the door, so placed what 
 furniture the room contained against it, feeling 
 sure that the l Blessed Mother ' in the shrine 
 outside would keep us from all harm. We 
 left lighted our two long candles found the 
 little bed sweet and clean, and soon forgot 
 our tribulations. 
 
 Ambrieau, July 6th. A clear morning, 
 and our trust not misplaced. We are safe, 
 and are refreshed by our night's rest. After 
 being served with a bowl of black coffee and 
 some blacker bread, for our breakfast, on a 
 clean wooden table, we paid our little bill of 
 five francs, and went our way rejoicing. At 
 seven A. M. we were facing Geneva, rushing 
 into and through the prettiest valley of coun- 
 try we had ever seen. The Alps towered up 
 on both sides of us, and in the valley were 
 clusters of thatched and vine-covered cottages, 
 with open doors, near which contented grand-
 
 LETTER V. 133 
 
 mothers sat knitting and watching the children 
 playing at their feet, while the younger women 
 could be seen, not far away, minding the flock 
 of geese or the herd of sheep. I am told there 
 is much affection for each other exhibited in 
 the simple homes of these peasants : often the 
 entire families of several generations live under 
 one roof in entire harmony and peace. These 
 i ganders and geese ' are wonderfully wise, if 
 what a travelling companion told me is true. 
 She said that when a male child is born in 
 these homes, the ganders form a line, and 
 march around the house, but when the other 
 sex is born they hide themselves. Poor gan- 
 ders ! Probably jealous. 
 
 At eleven A. M. we reached Geneva, and 
 found our room at the Metropole ready for us. 
 It is really an elegant one, spacious, and in 
 the front of the house, with windows to the 
 floor, by which we can sit and look out upon 
 the Jardin du Lac and the beautiful blue 
 waters of Lake Geneva, or Leman, often called. 
 Our early breakfast not having been a very 
 nourishing one, we decided to take another 
 here before going out. A good one it was,
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 and was quickly served. While enjoying it, 
 a lady came to us, an American, and told us 
 where to buy furs, where diamonds were the 
 cheapest, and where we could find the best 
 places to purchase watches giving us her 
 card at the same time. We were afterwards 
 told that a number of American ladies make 
 quite an income from commissions earned in 
 this way. An open carriage was soon at hand, 
 and from it we took our first look at Geneva. 
 There is nothing very remarkable about the 
 place, as a city. There are many hotels, and 
 upon the quay are numerous elegant stores, 
 mostly jewelry stores. In some of these we 
 saw the beautiful enamelled watches, that are 
 nowhere else so exquisitely made. Watches 
 in almost everything saw we here in neck- 
 laces, bracelets, canes, and umbrellas, and at all 
 prices. We went into one of the factories, and 
 found that women do much of the fine work, 
 a certain number working only on certain 
 parts, and therefore constant practice makes 
 them extremely dexterous in their specialty. 
 They were well dressed, and looked intelli- 
 gent and contented.
 
 LETTER V. 135 
 
 Here the lake receives the waters of the 
 Rhone, and about midway of the fine bridge 
 which crosses it is Rousseau's island, on which 
 stands a bronze statue of him. The upper 
 streets of Geneva are very hilly, and the older 
 part is quaint and odd in its buildings, like 
 the old French towns. We saw the house 
 Calvin lived in, and went into the church 
 where he preached his hard logic, but we could 
 shed no tears for his departure from this world, 
 but might for the suffering Servetus, whom 
 he caused to be burned for not believing as he 
 did. It has always seemed to me that the stern, 
 dogmatic Calvin showed a spirit of malice, as 
 well as great uncharitableness, but of course, 
 in those days very few lived who considered 
 it right for one to have an opinion different 
 from their leaders. What a huge bonfire there 
 would be if freethinkers were thus treated in 
 these days ! And was it not Calvin, also, who 
 caused the Prince of Conde to be punished 
 because he made himself agreeable to ladies. 
 
 O ' 
 
 and thereby injured the interests of God? 
 That reminds us of one club man who is 
 always at his club when we want him for
 
 136 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 better purposes. Has he a little of the spirit 
 of Calvin? 
 
 This city is full of associations of intellectual 
 lives which bring fragrance of good deeds, 
 the good works of Mine, de Stael, her Father 
 Neckar, of Pestalozzi, Pere Gerand, and many 
 others. 
 
 In the afternoon we took a sail up the lake. 
 The shores are closely dotted with hotels, fine 
 residences, little villages, picturesque chalets, 
 fronted with green, well-kept lawns, running to 
 the _ water's edge, on the one side of the lake, 
 while the Alps rise high and dark on the 
 other. We landed at Nyon, and climbed 
 innumerable steps to see an old castle, from 
 which we had charming outlooks. We sailed 
 back to Geneva at the hour of sunset. All 
 my life I had heard much of the sudden, strik- 
 ing color changes that sunset produces on the 
 summits of the Alps and we have seen them 
 in all their great beauty. At one instant, the 
 terraces of mountain tops looked as if clothed 
 in gold, and next as if painted crimson, and 
 as the sun sunk lower they were left huge 
 dark piles, casting their shadows over us. On
 
 LETTER V. 137 
 
 landing, we took a walk, and inspected the 
 much-heard-of monument of the Duke of 
 Brunswick, for the erection of which he left 
 plans and money. Did not admire it. It is 
 very 'giddy/ but the placing of it there 
 poured funds into the treasury of the town. 
 We looked at the pretty little American church 
 with a tender interest, for one dear to us was 
 married within its walls. In the evening we 
 went to an open-air concert, and a very good 
 one too, in the garden in front of our hotel. 
 
 Called at an office to see about getting front 
 seats on diligence, for our trip to Chamouni 
 to-morrow. F. speaking French the better, 
 did the talking, but was assured we could have 
 no front seats for the next day, and we were 
 about coming to the conclusion that we should 
 have to take back ones, much to our disappoint- 
 ment ; but it is here as almost everywhere else, 
 if you are willing to take ' back seats ' you may 
 never take front ones, and this time I was not 
 willing. Remembering the potency of the sil- 
 ver key, I resorted to that as a forlorn hope, 
 mixed in with my poor French, and succeeded 
 in securing the desired places. On our way
 
 138 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 home, F. said she feared my earnestness and 
 my not always grammatical French might 
 place me in as bad a position as an American 
 woman occupied, of whom she heard this story. 
 She was rather proud of her somewhat limited 
 knowledge of the French language, and fond 
 of airing it. She went to secure places on a 
 diligence for one of the Swiss mountain trips, 
 and approaching the conductor, demanded 
 
 1 Etes-vous les diligence ? ' 
 
 1 Non, Madame, pardon ; Je suis le conduc- 
 teur.' 
 
 Lady somewhat angry at the correction 
 said excitedly, ' C'est tout de meme ; Je 
 prenderai deux places dans votre interieur ?' 
 
 July 9th, 1888. Never a pleasanter morn- 
 ing dawned for a ride on a diligence ! Ours 
 was a new one, painted in bright colors, and 
 we had the two seats between the. driver and 
 conductor. Our six strong horses wore strings 
 of bells about their necks, and we started 
 off right merrily. The road from Geneva to 
 Chamouni is as familiar to tourists as the way 
 from the Oxford to Boston Common, but all 
 do not see it alike, and you have not seen it
 
 LETTER V. 139 
 
 at all, so I know you will enjoy hearing of 
 it, told to you in my way. The road over 
 which we rolled was simply perfect, and the 
 panorama in front of and about us, magnifi- 
 cent. We went through the valley of the 
 Arve, past well-cultivated farms, and little 
 factories run by water turning the big wheels, 
 past pretty chalets, nestled in green, stop- 
 ping often to change horses and drivers, when 
 the pretty Swiss children would gather about 
 us and entreat us to buy their nosegays of 
 wild flowers. There is something so pathetic 
 in the faces of these little ones, that we could 
 not find it in our hearts to disappoint them, so 
 our decorations became as thick as those of a 
 brigadier-general. 
 
 But soon we leave these rural scenes, and 
 strike into scenery so grand that I fear it is 
 bayond description. Imagine us going over 
 the road, with the river tumbling, foaming, 
 along by its edge, the mountains towering up 
 on each side of us, some rocky, others covered 
 with green pines, with a sheet of mosses, lichens, 
 and mountain blossoms at their bases, and 
 frequent cascades of water rushing down pell-
 
 140 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 mell from tremendous heights, forming vast 
 clouds of vapor long before reaching the val- 
 ley below, and sparkling in the rays of the sun 
 like millions of diamonds. One long, narrow 
 waterfall, fringed with green foliage, like 
 orange leaves, well merited its name of ' the 
 bridal veil,' so pure, lace-like, and fleecy did 
 it look. ' This will be a fine day to see Mt. 
 Blanc,' said our conductor, and soon the 
 mountain chain, with every shape of peak, 
 including Mt. Blanc, shot up like giant com- 
 manders above the regions of the clouds, in 
 full view against the blue sky background, 
 which blue was intensified by the snow-clad 
 tips. After leaving the Baths of St. Gervais, 
 a health resort approached through a beautiful 
 avenue of trees, and where we dined, we find 
 the road even better than at its beginning. 
 These roads were built, and are taken care 
 of, by the Government, and there is scarcely a 
 stone or an uneven place on them. Every 
 few miles we see crosses erected, some costly 
 ones, but more of wood simply painted, with 
 images of the Saviour or of some saint on the 
 pedestals or in glass cases. Over the doors or
 
 LETTER V. 141 
 
 windows of most of the houses are statues 
 or pictures of saints, for we are in Catholic 
 Switzerland now. Here too we are assailed 
 by beggars, and from one house the whole 
 family, including the grandparents, all ragged 
 and dirty, besieged us for alms. What a blot 
 is this upon beautiful Switzerland. On this 
 road also we first saw victims of cretinism 
 and goitre. We met one old beggar woman 
 whose neck was so swollen that we could only 
 see the upper part of her head protruding from 
 the swollen mass of flesh beneath. We were 
 told that the medical and scientific men of the 
 country have for years endeavored to ascer- 
 tain the cause and a cure for this loathsome 
 disease, but have so far been unsuccessful. 
 Many attribute it to the use of snow water, 
 but I should be more willing to think the use 
 of no water caused it, for dirtier, more repul- 
 sive-looking; mendicants I never beheld. At 
 
 o 
 
 about seven p. M. we reached the little village 
 of Chamouni, and alighted at our hotel with- 
 out a feeling of fatigue, so comfortable and 
 full of delight had been our trip.
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 CHA.MOUNI is a small town at the foot of 
 the mountains, surrounded in all directions by 
 grand scenery, and the river Arve rushing 
 through it, but our impressions of the place 
 we will give you to-morrow. We find our hotel 
 full of people from all over the world, and, 
 alas, we see by the register that some friends 
 from Boston have just left. Why could they 
 not have stayed one day longer? We rush 
 from table d'hote into the yard to see a party 
 dismount from their mules after a day's excur- 
 sion in the mountains, and a tired but jolly 
 crowd they were. e This is what you have got 
 to do to-morrow, so pick out your thorough- 
 bred,' said F. I scanned the creatures, but 
 took no stock in them ; but mules have a wise 
 look.
 
 144 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Ohamounij July Wth. What a day this 
 has been in my calendar, to be sure ! Thanks 
 be to the good Lord that I am alive to-night to 
 tell you about it. This early morning, before 
 breakfast, we took a stroll about the town, 
 which is composed greatly of hotels, as this is 
 everybody's starting point for the mountain 
 and glacier trips of this part of Switzerland. 
 There are two or three churches here and some 
 stores, and groups of small but comfortable- 
 looking homes, but mules predominate mules 
 in the streets, mules in every yard, and mules 
 on every corner ; in fact, the principal part of 
 the population is mules and the principal part 
 of industry mule riding, at least one would so 
 judge from the general aspect. We met a 
 party of gentlemen coming from Mt. Blanc, 
 who had made a hazardous journey, and for 
 whom we had heard some anxiety expressed 
 by their friends at the hotel, but they are safe, 
 and we imagine the young, rosy-cheeked 
 English maiden will now leave the telescope, 
 where she has stood for so much of the time 
 since our arrival, looking anxiously toward the 
 ice-capped giant, hoping to see .' Albert.'
 
 LETTER VI. 145 
 
 There is probably much satisfaction to scien- 
 tists in the ascent of Mt. Blanc, but to the man 
 ordinary one would not think it would pay, as 
 the results are often quite serious, even if one 
 does get through with whole limbs the skin 
 generally peels from one's face and the eyesight 
 is often badly affected. 
 
 We stepped into the church for a blessing 
 and back to our hotel, the D'Angleterre, for 
 breakfast, with an appetite ready to devour 
 anything. The table is excellent, and such 
 butter ! so sweet and fresh, that one eats an 
 extra roll for the sake of the butter with it. 
 Here we met some friends from America, who 
 are to join us on our trip to the Mer de Glace. 
 ' But I do not wish to ride a mule ; can I not be 
 carried in a chair ? ' ' No, no,' said the crowd, 
 ' here they come, mules and guides.' ' Come 
 now, let us get started ; you may have the first 
 choice,' said F. ' Six mules and three guides. 
 And is that what you engaged ? I must have 
 the whole attention of one guide.' I opened 
 conversation thus with the oldest man, who 
 seemed used to being questioned : ' Which is 
 the easiest trotter ?' ' Not much difference, all
 
 146 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 easy.' ' These saddles look hard/ said I. ' The 
 softest in Chamouni.' I walked around one 
 mule, and he, eying me, brayed in disapproval, 
 but by this time the rest of the party had 
 mounted the other five, and I was helped to the 
 saddle of this sixth one, wondering how my 
 one hundred and thirty pounds avoirdupois 
 looked at mule-back elevation, not daring yet 
 to think how a back not made of iron might 
 
 o 
 
 stand the ordeal. After a good deal of merri- 
 ment in getting started, out of the yard we 
 filed, a gay party, two ladies and three gentle- 
 men, all thinking it delightful but myself. 
 For a while muley was very demure, and the 
 fearless riders kindly gave to me the most 
 experienced guide, so we led the string. The 
 zigzag path as we ascended the mountain, how- 
 ever, grew narrower and steeper, with now a big 
 stone in the way, and next a slippery hole 
 made by running water, and my beast gave me 
 terrible shakings as if he would rather ' go it 
 alone.' The young people in the rear were en- 
 joying the scenery, and I could hear their gay 
 voices and exclamations of delight, but T did 
 not think it such a good time, for I had to give
 
 LETTER VI. 147 
 
 my entire attention to keeping on my saddle, 
 such bumps into the air that mule did give me. 
 My guide said he was young and playful, and 
 there was no danger, which quite reassured 
 me, notwithstanding he endeavored to whirl 
 about very often, as if he had been stung, or 
 had hit his crazy bone, or stepped on an elec- 
 tric wire. F. cries out, * Do not be fright- 
 ened ; you will get used to it.' But when the 
 creature suddenly jumped from the hand of 
 the guide, a yard or two down the embankment, 
 with the yawning precipice below, to eat a 
 bunch of green grass he had spied, almost 
 throwing the guide down, and I keeping on 
 only by holding on to his neck with both arms 
 for dear life, I concluded I would not wait to 
 get used to it, and dismounted, feeling that 
 * shanks mare ' was a safer medium of locomo- 
 tion than a Chamouni mule. The creature 
 knew well that he had scored a victory, shook 
 his long ears satisfactorily, winked considera- 
 bly and wisely, and walked along contentedly. 
 And so did I. We saw many wild goats and 
 one chamois, only that was in a little house and 
 for the sight of it we had to pay. We met a
 
 148 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 number of pedestrians with their alpine sticks, 
 and I gathered large bunches of lovely, bright- 
 red flowers, called the mountain rose, somewhat 
 like our rhododendron. 
 
 It took us about three hours to reach the 
 summit where the Mer de Glace, the great sea 
 of ice, came in sight. The glacier extends for 
 about twelve miles, and at this spot is about two 
 miles wide, a solid mass of ice with enormous 
 cracks and crevices, with tall ramparts, turrets, 
 and towers of ice, all glistening in the sunshine 
 like crystal, scintillating with gorgeous colors. 
 From the hotel piazza, which hotel, a new one, 
 stands on the plateau above the gorge, the 
 effect is dazzlingly grand. At the hotel we 
 were provided with strong alpine sticks, with 
 socks and shoes, for walking on the ice, and 
 with fresh guides commenced our journey 
 across. It was difficult getting along some- 
 times, but the beauty, strangeness, and fear- 
 fulness of it all more than repaid us for the 
 physical exertion. We were on the ice, with 
 frozen mountains and spires all about us. 
 Many of the columns and pinnacles and huge 
 pieces of ice looked like crystal cathedrals and
 
 LETTER VI. 149 
 
 palaces. In other places it appeared as if huge 
 sea waves had been instantaneously frozen. A 
 grotto had been naturally formed, into which 
 four of us stepped. Deep crevasses, hundreds 
 of feet deep, met us, some narrow enough to 
 leap over, and others we passed over on little 
 ice bridges our guides made for us. Midway 
 we halted, looking about us, lost in wonder and 
 amazement, when suddenly we were brought 
 back to everyday life by a photographer, with 
 his camera, suddenly appearing before us asking 
 in plain English if we would have our pictures 
 taken. Where the man came from we did not 
 see, nor where he went we cared not, for we 
 did not choose to be served up on ice that day. 
 We crossed safely and recrossed at a different 
 place, where the ice scenery varied as much as 
 mountain scenery does from various outlooks, 
 and we felt that never in our lives before had 
 we seen anything so magnificent. As I was 
 ascending the jagged points of the cliff to step 
 on land, something fluttered like a feather 
 before my eyes ; but I soon saw that it was a 
 butterfly ; my guide caught it for me, and I 
 had, as my trophy, a pure-white butterfly. My
 
 150 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 guide, an intelligent fellow, said he occasion- 
 ally saw gray ones, but had never before seen 
 a pure-white one there. A few yards from 
 this sea of ice vegetation flourishes, and almost 
 at its very edge I found a cluster of little blos- 
 soms resembling our ( forget-me-not,' only white 
 instead of blue. They grew very close to- 
 gether, and none others of their kind were to 
 be seen, and they looked as though they real- 
 ized that they had been left out in the cold, far 
 from home, and tried to comfort each other. 
 
 At the hotel we had a poor dinner, for which 
 we paid a big price, but the magnificent views 
 we here had from the house piazzas made up 
 for it. Clouds began to thicken and we made 
 hasty preparations for our descent. I ex- 
 changed mules, and the last one proved less 
 frisky, but our going down the mountain 
 seemed more hazardous than going up. Pretty 
 Miss M., of Nashville, Tennessee, with her 
 bright golden hair streaming over her blue 
 cloth dress, led the van on my former steed, 
 who, apparently feeling proud of his lighter 
 burden, behaved very well, but we had not 
 gone far when the rain poured as only it can
 
 LETTER VI. 151 
 
 pour in these mountains. We were all pro- 
 vided with umbrellas, but I had to use my 
 hands to hold on to the pommel of my saddle, 
 for my mule's hind feet were higher than his 
 front ones, and I preferred getting wet to being 
 dismounted. A boy had trotted up the moun- 
 tain with us, and kept near us on our way down, 
 so I gave him my umbrella, as it was impossible 
 for me to use it, to protect himself. (More of 
 that umbrella later.) As we neared the valley 
 it ceased raining, the clouds broke, and for a 
 little while the sun shone brightly and sank 
 slowly in the west just as we entered our hotel 
 yard, the young people exclaiming to those 
 who came out to greet us, ( We have had 
 a charming time,' but I, with every article of 
 clothing thoroughly soaked, and my body feel- 
 ing as if I had been under a thrashing machine, 
 parted with mule society most willingly. 
 
 Of our guides let me here say, in case you 
 come this way some time, they were all careful, 
 polite, and attentive to us, and from mine, 
 although he could not speak one word of Eng- 
 lish, I gained considerable information in regard 
 
 7 O O 
 
 to Chamouni guides. They are formed into a
 
 152 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 society and are employed in rotation, sometimes 
 showing sufficient gallantry, however, to allow 
 ladies travelling without gentlemen to choose 
 their guides, if for any reason they have a 
 preference. These men, before they can be 
 accepted by the club, must be familiar with the 
 mountains and the glaciers and must be proven 
 to be honest and reliable. My guide was evi- 
 dently a man of observation, and told me the 
 guides all liked Americans, they seemed to 
 enjoy everything so much. ' The American 
 ladies look happy ; the English ladies are sad,' 
 he said, probably meaning that they were not 
 as enthusiastic, for the people of every country 
 like to have its wonders appreciated. With 
 aching limbs I retired early, and F. thought 
 manipulation, with a little hot water and whis- 
 key, might ward off a severe cold, and I sub- 
 mitted to the treatment, while the others, not 
 a bit used up, went off for an evening's ramble. 
 I think they must have been brought up on 
 mules. 
 
 Wednesday, July \\th. When we went 
 to pay our bill this morning we found amongst 
 the items charged, ( eight glasses of whiskey.'
 
 LETTER VI. 153 
 
 ' What does this mean ? ' ' Means that Madame 
 has had eight glasses of whiskey.' 'There is 
 some mistake ; the only whiskey we have had 
 was about half a gill, and probably not that, 
 brought up to me in a wine-glass last night." 
 1 No, Madame, no mistake ; we are very par- 
 ticular.' 'Do I look like a woman that has 
 had eight glasses of whiskey ? Take that off 
 my bill, that I may pay what I owe you/ said 
 I, and I immediately counted out the amount, 
 including one gill of whiskey. All of this in 
 French, which I could not talk fast enough 
 to show him the depth of my anger. F. was 
 getting alarmed, and whispered, ' Don't mind ; 
 do pay it.' t No, I will not pay one sou of it, 
 for we do not owe it,' and the clerk, seeing that 
 1 was determined, accepted what I gave him 
 and receipted the bill. Now if that man was 
 honest, he thinks we have defrauded him ; if 
 not honest, he will conclude American ladies 
 are business-like at least. 
 
 After this scene we were about ready to jog 
 along, our carriage in the yard waiting for us, 
 to which I went to deposit some wraps, when 
 m y boy of yesterday made his appearance, and
 
 154 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 said, 'I want my pay for carrying your um- 
 brella.' I looked at him with the stare of a 
 maniac ! ' Pay ! why, I loaned it to you, to 
 keep you dry.' I was in no mood to be im- 
 posed upon ; but the boy began to cry, so I 
 gave him a penny or two, and wondered what 
 would be the next demand. 
 
 The carriage which was to take us to Mar- 
 tigny was like a buggy with the top tipped 
 back, and a comfortable seat for us two and a 
 short seat front of us for our driver. Two 
 good horses and a bright morning. Our 
 tickets had been purchased for this trip ' half 
 way by mule,' but by losing something, I was 
 enabled to exchange them. No more mule 
 riding for me ! We were told by friends that 
 if others were going over the same route, by 
 joining forces and hiring a two-seated vehicle, 
 expenses for all would be much less. We 
 spoke of this at the hotel office the day before, 
 twice, but were each time assured that there 
 was no one else going, and consequently our 
 day's trip was a costly one. At nine A. M. we 
 bade our friends, who were going on to Ge- 
 neva, adieu, and saw the last of Chamouni.
 
 LETTER VI. 155 
 
 The Swiss are considered an honest people, 
 but they either show great carelessness or we 
 have several tunes been cheated. At the 
 Baths of St. Gervais, upon paying for our 
 dinner, they did not return to us enough 
 change ; we both knew they did not, and yet 
 the man who took the money declared they 
 did, and as we had not time to contend the 
 case, we let it go. To be sure, there is some 
 dishonesty everywhere, and some honesty that 
 is a little hard to understand. The whiskey 
 case might have been of that class ; something 
 like the bills of some American dressmakers, 
 who, after charging for every possible thing 
 that could be used in making a dress, modestly 
 put at the end of the long list : ( Findings, one 
 dollar.' I have never been able to find out the 
 definition of that word ' findings.'
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 MARTIGKY. 
 
 OUR ride of thirty miles has been delightful. 
 There is no railroad, of course, from Cha- 
 mouni to this place. We passed many pedes- 
 trians of both sexes, with their bags and water- 
 proofs strapped across their backs, following 
 in a line like a row of ants, apparently having 
 a jolly time seeing Switzerland on foot ; also 
 passed parties on mules. The scenery was 
 glorious all the way. We looked back to 
 take our last view of Mt. Blanc and the Mt. 
 Blanc range and the lovely valley below. Our 
 road was good, but in some places so narrow, 
 and the ravines so deep on the one side and 
 the mountains so high on the other, that it 
 gave us a little anxiety ; but our driver was
 
 158 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 very cautious, and soon inspired us with con- 
 fidence. Up and down we went, constantly 
 seeing new and wonderful views deep gorges, 
 waterfalls, and the green-clad mountains ; and 
 at last, through a tunnel cut through a solid 
 rocky point of the mountain that blocked the 
 road, we came to Tete Noire, where we stopped 
 to refresh man and beast. 
 
 Upon going in to dinner we were surprised 
 to see there two ladies whom we met at Cha- 
 mouni the day before, and who were travelling- 
 alone like ourselves. They told us they left 
 at eight o'clock, after being assured that no 
 others at the hotel desired to come with them, 
 as far as was known ; so they had a carriage to 
 themselves as we did, when we should all have 
 been glad to have made the trip together. 
 Was that a mistake also? After dinner we 
 continued our journey, with four other carriage 
 loads in our train, which made the trip seem 
 very social and jolly. We passed through a 
 beautiful forest, and then into an opening 
 past houses far apart, pasture lands, and 
 fields of pretty wild flowers. Here we saw 
 pansies growing wild in great profusion, and
 
 LETTER VII. 1.")') 
 
 the lovely pink, and crimson yarrow. In our 
 descent of the Col de Forclag we had a iin:- 
 view of the Rhone valley, and at about six 
 p. M. reached Martigny. Switzerland is indeed 
 mighty ; and its great mountains, its lakes and 
 valleys, make us cry out, in truth, * Great is 
 Thy firmament, Lord, and wonderful the 
 works of Thy hand ! ' Martigny is a small 
 village in the valley, where we are to spend the 
 night. 
 
 Thursday, July 12th, 1888. "We can see, 
 in the distance, St. Bernard covered with 
 snow, and would like to see the celebrated 
 hospice, the self-sacrificing brothers and their 
 noble dogs, but shall not take the time this 
 season, but hope to, some time. Of the two 
 great gifts, memory and hope, I know not 
 which gives us the most satisfaction. There 
 is but little of interest at Martigny a good 
 place to rest ; and feeling entirely refreshed we 
 left at nine A. M. for Interlaken in steam-cars, 
 which seem quite a novelty to us now. I 
 think I was rather glad to get out of the 
 mountain region for a little while : one's eyes 
 grow weary with the looking up and the look-
 
 160 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ing down, and the mind tired in the appreci- 
 ating of so much sublimity at once. The 
 country we came over was charming ; fields 
 of wild flowers of every color looking as if 
 arranged by an artistic hand, and the hillsides 
 covered with vineyards. Our road, for a long- 
 distance, kept near Lake Geneva ; the water 
 Iqoked as deeply blue as a sapphire, and the 
 sail-boats and steamers passing each other made 
 a pleasing scene. 
 
 At Chillon we stopped to see the * Castle of 
 Chillon.' It is a picturesque old building, 
 with turrets and towers, standing on a point 
 of rock that extends out into the lake. Tli3 
 ring of iron to which Bonnivard was chained 
 is still there ; and the path which his feet wore 
 in the stone floor, in the weary, solitary six 
 years' march back and forth over those few 
 stones, is plainly visible. 
 
 ' Chillon ! thy prison is a holy place, 
 
 And thy sad floor an altar, for 'twas trod, 
 
 Until his very steps have left a trace 
 Worn, as if thy cold pavement were a sod, 
 
 By Bonnivard ! May none those marks efface j 
 For they appeal from tyranny to God/
 
 LETTER VII. 161 
 
 It would be almost impossible for one to 
 keep from quoting Byron's lines here, for 
 everything we see brings them to mind, and 
 on one of the pillars is his name, cut by his 
 own hand. To look at the dungeons and cells 
 makes one's blood run cold, and even worse is 
 the deep, deep hole down which prisoners, 
 untried, were thrown to fall upon pointed iron 
 stakes. And while these terrible horrors were 
 being perpetrated below, above it all, Duke 
 Victor Amadeus and his Duchess ate, slept, 
 and enjoyed themselves. Could they have 
 been human? We saw many implements of 
 torture, which made our heads swim with pain 
 even to look at them, and be told for what 
 they had been used, and we gladly turned our 
 backs upon it all and walked out into God's 
 sunshine, thanking Him, as never before, that 
 we live in an age when such things are kept 
 only as ancient curiosities. This portion of 
 ' clear, placid Leman ' and the country around 
 it bring forcibly to mind many portions of 
 Childe Harold's pilgrimage. 
 
 Our next stopping place was at Lausanne, 
 and at the station we met some Boston friends,
 
 162 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 seeing them just long enough for an affection- 
 ate greeting and to say good-by, every one of 
 us 
 
 ' All kind o' smily round the lips, 
 An' teary round the lashes,' 
 
 for home faces are sweet to look upon, and our 
 own language sweet to hear, in this far-away 
 land. Here we changed cars for Berne, and 
 of all the queer-looking towns, this is the 
 queerest. Having but a few hours here, we 
 are inclined to give the most of it to the 
 bears. The city's coat of arms is a bear, and 
 pictures, carvings of, and stuffed bears meet 
 one's gaze everywhere, on clocks, fountains, 
 towers, houses, and public buildings; and at 
 a restaurant where we called for ice cream 
 Bruin's figure was served to us in chocolate. 
 There is also a den containing about twenty 
 live bears, who are sacredly cared for by the 
 city government, and they walk about and 
 climb poles with more dignity than common 
 bears, as if fully realizing that they are ' nion- 
 archs of all they survey.' We were driven 
 through the principal streets and thought the 
 homes of the people looked very comfortable,
 
 LETTER VII. 163 
 
 with the outside balconies at the windows, and 
 the red-covered cushions on them, as if inviting 
 travellers to stop and rest. It happened to be 
 cheese market day ; and in the middle of a 
 square were long tables covered with piles of 
 cheese, of all shapes and colors, enough to 
 provide the citizens of the whole world, for 
 the rest of their lives, ' cheese for their 
 doughnuts.' But the odor ! It was not to 
 us * of Araby blest.' There is a great deal of 
 beautiful carved woodwork here, and how we 
 want to buy everything odd and pretty, but 
 oh, those ( duties ' to come. We went into the 
 cathedral, which is a handsome one, and walked 
 on its terrace, from which we had a fine view 
 of the river Aar and distant mountain peaks. 
 We then hastened to the old clock tower, to 
 be there at just the time to hear and see the 
 curious old clock strike the hour of six. A 
 cock steps out and flaps his wings, an ogre eats 
 a child, and has his pockets full of children in 
 reserve to be similarly disposed of, a troop of 
 bears march across the tower, and a man 
 strikes the number of the hour on a big bell 
 with a hammer. These, you understand, are
 
 164 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 all statues carved of wood, and move correctly 
 every hour. A bearded man also turns an 
 hourglass and counts the number of the hour 
 by raising a sceptre and opening his mouth 
 as if speaking. One needs to look very closely 
 to see all the movements, and the whole is 
 wonderfully ingenious, and it is indeed an ' old 
 clock,' as it was built in the year 1191. 
 
 After leaving Berne, we changed cars twice 
 before reaching the lake. I cannot under- 
 stand why the railroad officials of Switzerland 
 do not arrange matters to dispense with so 
 much changing from one car to another, and 
 also to shorten the delays, unless they are 
 desirous of accommodating the women they 
 employ, in giving them ample time to finish 
 whatever they may be doing ere they blow 
 that horn, which sounded like a ' Swampscott 
 fish horn,' and which at several stations has 
 seemed to be the order for us to move. At one 
 station I saw a woman come through a gate 
 with a horn or trumpet, or whatever it may be 
 called, and partly raise it to her mouth as if to 
 sound the signal for us to start, but suddenly, 
 seeing a dog scratching up the earth in her
 
 LETTER VII. 165 
 
 garden, ran and beat the dog first, then returned 
 and tooted loudly, and off we started. A short 
 sail on Lake Thun, which seemed weird and 
 lonely, as it was by this time quite dark, an- 
 other car ride, and we see the lights of Inter- 
 laken, which speak to us of rest, for we are 
 weary. 
 
 Interlckken, July 14A. This is cheerful. 
 Everything at our hotel, the Victoria, looked 
 delightfully pleasant to us this morning as we 
 tripped down stairs as good as new. ( What a 
 pretty front yard, and do see all of these huge 
 hotels in a row ; do you suppose they are all 
 full ? ' said F. Well, Interlaken does seem to 
 have hotels enough to take in all the tourists 
 of the world, but they are all well filled at this 
 season. The shops are attractive, and the 
 pretty girls in them, dressed in their native 
 costumes, are very polite and seem perfectly 
 willing to show their wares without urging one 
 to buy. But the beautiful embroideries are 
 temptation enough for one to spend money, 
 without any words. We saw in every shop 
 handkerchiefs more beautiful than in the last 
 we entered, although we declared those there,
 
 166 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 when we looked at them, were the loveliest that 
 could be made. And the exquisite embroidered 
 soft white laces almost make one want to be a 
 bride to wear them. Girls and women are 
 sitting in the stores, on the steps, in their door 
 yards, and in the parks, all busy embroidering. 
 We have a good view of the Jungfrau from 
 our hotel piazza. We have taken long walks 
 in and about the town, and very pleasant ones. 
 We wandered into a church and found that 
 one half of the building was used by the 
 Presbyterians and the other half by the Catho- 
 lics. We were pleased to meet some friends 
 from Boston here, who added much to the 
 pleasure of our stay. 
 
 July IQth. F. has been with Mr. F., one 
 of our home friends, over the Wengern Alp 
 to Griudelwald and Lauterbrunnen to see the 
 glaciers and the ice-caves. I declined, not 
 caring for another mule ride. They report 
 having had a fine time, repaid fully by the 
 sights they enjoyed, and rode horses instead of 
 mules, and horses do have some consideration 
 for their riders. Evenings we have had ' hops' 
 at our hotel and fine music, and after table
 
 LETTER VII. 167 
 
 d'hote are always entertained by the orchestrian 
 and the bright-looking little wooden man that 
 wields the baton. 
 
 Lucerne, July 1.7th. A short ride from 
 Interlaken this morning early brought us 
 to Lake Brienz, which we sailed across, stop- 
 ping for a short time at Giessbach to see the 
 falls, which are formed from numerous cascades. 
 Their reputation is the greater part of them. 
 We left the steamer at Brieuz and took steam 
 cars to travel over the Brunig Pass. Until 
 this summer, travellers have been obliged to 
 make this journey by carriage or mules. The 
 new railroad is narrow, and the sides of the 
 little cars are of glass, so that the scenery all 
 about us can be easily seen. We crept cau- 
 tiously, slowly along, up the zigzag road, higher 
 and higher, through jagged rocks and under 
 them, clasping each other's hands and almost 
 holding our breath, so fearfully grand did it 
 all seem. The lovely Meiringen valley below, 
 lying peacefully dotted with pretty villages 
 and protected by high mountains on each side, 
 seemed very far from us, and the river running 
 through its centre looked like yards of silver
 
 168 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ribbon unfurled to beautify some one's bridal 
 day. But when the descent is safely made we 
 almost want to go back again, it was all so 
 beautiful. The last two hours of our day's 
 travel was on Lake Lucerne, the loveliest bit of 
 water in all Europe. A tall, gaunt, masculine- 
 looking German woman happened to sit near 
 us on the boat, and seemed to look upon us as 
 * curiosities,' and to feel it her duty on her 
 native soil to give us some information. This 
 woman had been all day at work in the moun- 
 tains, but at what we could not understand. 
 Coarse and repulsive-looking as she was, she 
 had a good bit of the poetic temperament in 
 her nature, and knew every mountain peak 
 and bit of scenery in sight and the traditions 
 connected with them. The peasant women of 
 Switzerland, owing to their toilsome lives, wear 
 a look of anxiety and hardness in their faces 
 that a woman's face ought never to have. And 
 yet there is no country in the world, excepting 
 our own, where women have done so much for 
 the progression, education, and good of their 
 sex. In Protestant Switzerland there is but 
 little begging ; in Catholic Switzerland beggars
 
 LETTER VII. 169 
 
 waylay you at every turn. It was nearly sun- 
 down when we crossed the lake, and Mt. 
 Pilatus showed off well and did not disappoint 
 us. The old German woman assured us that 
 Pontius Pilate fled there from Jerusalem, 
 heart-broken, and ended his life by throwing 
 himself into the lake : l See, right in that spot,' 
 she said, l he threw himself ! ' Then as if 
 reflecting, added, ' But Pilate did what was 
 what he had to do.' All this she spoke in 
 German, and I have given you the literal trans- 
 lation. Who shall say that woman was not a 
 philosopher ? Pointing in another direction she 
 said, ' That is where Kriss Kringle was born. 
 Does he come down the chimneys in America ? 
 It is well for children to know him.' And 
 this woman of sentiment and feeling worked 
 daily out of doors. The scenery from Lake 
 Lucerne is indeed beautiful and is full of glori- 
 ous associations, for it was about here that the 
 struggle was made for the liberty and freedom 
 of Switzerland and her people. The mountains 
 all about us, the stately chateaux, the pretty 
 chalets, old watch towers, castle ruins, and the 
 green foliage about them, the beautiful lake,
 
 170 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 and the steamers going- and coining, make a 
 peaceful, restful scene. The sun sinks almost 
 out of sight, and all at once, as a surprise, we 
 turn, and are at the city of Lucerne.
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 LUCEKNE, July 18th, 1888. 
 
 IN going to the breakfast-room this morn- 
 ing I saw, in a pantry we passed, some real 
 cucumbers, green and fresh looking, as if 
 they had just been picked in a garden I am 
 thinking of, not a hundred miles from Boston. 
 My mouth fairly watered for a few crisp slices. 
 I had a conversation with my table waiter 
 about them, who thoughl^t might be possible 
 to get some for me. I waited patiently with 
 refreshing anticipations, but when they came 
 their crispness had departed : they were soaked 
 in oil. I longed to go into that kitchen and 
 teach the cook how to serve cucumbers. But 
 making the most of the hard bread, which I 
 very much dislike, and it is the same all over
 
 172 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the Continent crust an inch thick, and the 
 passable beefsteak and poor coffee, we got 
 through our morning meal. We soon forgot 
 our disappointment at breakfast in the delight 
 of getting letters. Oh how glad to read 
 them, and no bad news. Now we can go out 
 sight-seeing, stronger and happier than ever. 
 Lucerne is beautifully situated on both 
 banks of the river Reuss, with the lake in 
 front, and has many attractions, I think. The 
 lake, this clear morning, looked so luring that 
 the first thing we enjoyed was a sail to Flu- 
 ellen, where we took carriage for Altorf, the 
 village made classic forever by the heroic deeds 
 of William Tell. The spots of ground where 
 his son was placed and where Tell stood when 
 he shot the apple from the boy's head w-ro 
 shown us. In our^chool days, Tell was over 
 one of our favorite patriots, and we fear wo 
 always felt glad of that hidden second arrow, 
 which was to have shot the tyrant Gessler if 
 the first had killed his boy. On our return to 
 lucerne we saw the old castle of Hapsburg, 
 once the summer home of Wagner. The king 
 of the sights of the town is, however, the
 
 LETTER VIII. 173 
 
 Lion of Lucerne. This piece of sculpture is, 
 as everybody knows, a monument to the brave 
 Swiss guards of whom we thought so much 
 about at Versailles. The beast is twenty-eight 
 feet long, magnificent in proportions, and cut 
 out in relief on the face of the natural rock. 
 He is wounded by a spear, and dying, but 
 making a desperate struggle, even in death, 
 to protect the shield of France. There is a 
 pathetic expression in the expiring creature's 
 face that is almost human. Ivy and running 
 vines cover the sides of much of the huge 
 rock about him, and at its foot is a pond of 
 clear water in which the whole is reflected. 
 The lion was designed by Thorwaldsen, the 
 noted Danish sculptor, who was born in Copen- 
 hagen, and whose Reliefs of the Seasons, and 
 his Day and Night, are familiar to you from 
 the photographs. ( We cannot let our eagle 
 scream here, F.,' said I ; ' Cogswell fountains 
 do not equal this.' 
 
 We went into the Glacier Garden and saw 
 the bas-relief of Central Switzerland, modelled 
 from nature by General Pfyffer one hundred 
 and forty years ago ; and were then driven to
 
 171 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the old cathedral, where there is a fine organ 
 handled by a noted organist every evening. It 
 is quite the fashion for visitors in the place to 
 flock there to hear the music after dinner ; but 
 we, not liking the rooms given us at our hotel, 
 ' The Swan,' although undoubtedly they did 
 for us the best they could, and as we could not 
 get into the Schweizerhof at all, the best hotel 
 in the place, have decided to leave this after- 
 noon. Our last act of sight-seeing was the old 
 covered bridge, in which there are over a hun- 
 dred pictures, scenes of Switzerland's history 
 and pictures of saints, although some of them 
 did not look very saintly. There are four 
 bridges across the river, two modern, and 
 the other two very ancient and curious. 
 
 Went to Vitzman by boat, then took front 
 seats on a platform car to ascend the Rigi. 
 Only one car is sent up at a time, and that is 
 driven by steam power. The railway seems 
 to be the same as any narrow-gauge road, 
 but between the outside rails are two other 
 rails quite near each other, in which a cog- 
 wheel, which is under the engine, runs or 
 works. We ascend slowly, leaving the lake
 
 LETTER VIII. 175 
 
 and the towns far below us, and beyond and 
 above us are the mountain peaks. We go 
 through a tunnel and across a deep yawning 
 ravine on an iron bridge ; and the scenery is 
 beautiful all around us, which we can fully 
 enjoy at our ease, as there are no dangerous 
 places and no frisky mules to distract one's 
 attention. We pass many tourists, but the 
 path must appear almost endless to them, for 
 it seems to us, even at our speed, that the top 
 of the mountain grows farther away. But at 
 last we reach our hotel, the Rigi Kulm, above 
 the clouds. Would we could always rise above 
 them so delightfully ! It was very cold, so we 
 put on all the wraps we had, and started out 
 for views from the Rigi. Just imagine your- 
 self on the very top of this high mountain, 
 which juts up towards the heavens like a ' pop- 
 over' in a hot oven. In the valley below we 
 can count eight lakes, and the many towns so 
 far below us look like the little wooden villages 
 made of blocks for children to play with. 
 Looking beyond in all directions, we see moun- 
 tains towering up to the sky Rocky Pilatus, 
 the snow-clad range of the Bernese Alps, and
 
 176 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the green Bigi group close about us. We see 
 the rugged heights of the Silberhorn, the three 
 peaks of the Wetterhorn, and, grandest of all, 
 the Finsteraarhorn. What a personal interest 
 we have in these peaks of Switzerland as soon 
 as we know them. 
 
 The mountain was covered with travellers, 
 like ourselves, enjoying the views and antici- 
 pating a gorgeous sunset, as there was scarcely 
 a cloud to be seen. I sat on the grass near 
 the edge of the mountain wondering at the 
 extent of this magnificent panorama, when I 
 felt a weight on my shoulder ; turning quickly 
 a cow raised her head from the resting place 
 she had chosen and looked at me in a way that 
 said, * Why did you move ? ' A little later we 
 met Mr. W., of New York, and his handsome 
 German doctor, who added greatly to our plea- 
 sure during the rest of our stay here. Seeing 
 a boy with some freshly picked wild flowers, 
 and an edelweiss among them, I asked where 
 he found it, and wandered off in the direction 
 indicated, anxious to pick for myself one of 
 these blossoms. We had bought them fresh, we 
 had bought them dried, and the semblance of
 
 LETTER VIII. 177 
 
 them in all sorts of ornaments, but not one had 
 I seen growing. I clambered down the steep 
 and rocky path, and was rewarded after a 
 long search by finding two of these flowers 
 which the Swiss love so well, and I victoriously 
 exhibited them to my friends as I met them 
 coming in search of me. We grouped our- 
 selves on a high platform, built on the summit, 
 which was already weU crowded, to see the sun 
 go down. But why do we get up here ? we 
 were high enough before. Because it is the 
 thing to do, and here is glass of every color to 
 look through. But I only wish to see it all in 
 its natural colors. How the wind blows, and 
 how cold it is ! There goes the Doctor's hat. 
 No use to try to recover it ; it is dashing on to 
 see where the sun goes to. Put this wrap over 
 your head, Doctor. 
 
 Look, look ! The great ball of fire was 
 sinking to the edge of the horizon, which was 
 streaked gorgeously with crimson and gold. 
 Golden tints fell far and near, upon valley, 
 lakes, and mountains, and the white robes of 
 the snow-clad peaks, were changed to rose. All 
 voices were hushed, for a spectacle so sublime
 
 178 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 awakened in every one emotions too deep for 
 words. Lower and lower, until only a great 
 gold shield remained, and soon all light was 
 gone, and the shadows covered us. ' These 
 are Thy works also, God, for Thou didst 
 make the heavens and the earth.' 
 
 Stiff with cold, we hurried to our hotel, 
 whose lights twinkled cheerfully for us in the 
 distance, and a good dinner, with warm drinks, 
 soon thawed us into a comfortable condition. 
 After dinner we tried to find a room heated 
 sufficiently for us to remain in and not freeze, 
 but there was none. Large, handsome parlors 
 and corridors, but all as cold as ice-caves. 
 The proprietors of this house make a great 
 mistake in not providing fires for the comfort 
 of their guests; and for the very lack of this 
 necessity to one's health, we decided to leave 
 as early as possible in the morning. After a 
 brisk promenade through the hall with our 
 friends, we bade them good-night, promising 
 to rise at the sound of the alpine horn and 
 meet them in the parlor, to go out and see the 
 rising of the sun, which they assured us would 
 be far more wonderful than its setting. ' Now
 
 LETTER VIII. 179 
 
 you will be sure to be on hand,' said Mr. W. 
 1 1 would not have you miss it for anything. 
 I have a fur coat here which I will unpack to 
 put about you ; you will have to rise at three 
 o'clock, you know.' ' yes, I will surely be 
 ready. We have come far to see the sun rise 
 on the Rigi, and I must not miss it. Good- 
 night,' and off we go to our room at the very 
 top of the house. Just hear the wind roar. 
 
 Our chamber was cold, our chambermaid 
 colder, and upon our asking her for more bed 
 covering she undoubtedly reached the freezing- 
 point somewhere, for she disappeared and we 
 saw her not again. After prolonged and vigo- 
 rous ringings of our bell, a petrified-looking 
 boy appeared, but he manifested some signs 
 of life as our money touched his palm, and we 
 succeeded in coaxing him to bring us an extra 
 feather bed. That bed was warm, and as our 
 own was cold and clammy, I felt pretty sure the 
 boy gave us his own bed. But I was grateful, 
 and he was satisfied with the bargain. 
 
 1 Get up, and dress as soon as you can,' said 
 F., holding a ghostly candle in front of my 
 face. ' Up ! why I had just got to sleep.'
 
 180 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 1 The alpine horn has sounded, and you must see 
 the sun rise.' 'No, I am just beginning to get 
 warm ; what does it rise at this unheard-of time 
 for ? ' ' There, Mr. W. is calling us outside our 
 door ; do come, hurry.' l No ! ' The horn tooted 
 most unmusically. I was too tired and sleepy, 
 with a bad cold thrown in, to care whether the 
 sun ever rose or not. I had had too hard work 
 to get a comfortable resting place, to have no 
 benefit from it, so off F. went, and I knew no 
 more until seven o'clock, when she exasperat- 
 ingly informed me of what a delightful time 
 they had, that the sun setting was not to be 
 compared in glory to its rising, that it was a 
 wonderful revelation, and that I had persistently 
 refused to enjoy it. dear ! why will people 
 always tell you that the sights you do not see 
 are those the best worth seeing. 
 
 Thursday, July ~L9th, 1888. Although we 
 ordered our breakfast last night, it was not 
 ready for us when we went to the dining- 
 room. ( Very sorry, some mistake,' said the 
 waiter ; but that did not give us our breakfast, 
 and it was nearly time for the car to leave. 
 We choked down some cold bread and half-
 
 LETTER VIII. 181 
 
 made coffee, and rushed, meeting a waiter 
 just bringing our hot rolls and chops, which 
 we had paid for when we settled our bill the 
 night before. I took out a clean napkin from 
 my bag, and took from him our breakfast, 
 wrapped it in my napkin, and said good-morn- 
 ing to the half -dazed man, who ejaculated just 
 one word, which sounded like ' whew.' Our 
 friends were at the car to see us off, and tried 
 to exchange their tickets for some that would 
 take them our route, but could not, so good- 
 bys were said, and off we pushed to descend 
 the Rigi. We have been unusually fortunate 
 in having such perfect weather for this moun- 
 tain trip. This morning is lovely. We move 
 cautiously down a road, on the opposite side 
 from the one we went up, so all views are new 
 to us. We soon reached Lake Zug. Our car 
 conductor gracefully saluted us as we left his 
 care to take the boat. These Swiss conductors 
 have a pretty custom of always saluting each 
 other when they meet, also. 
 
 We crossed the lake to the city of Zug. 
 Had two hours to wait there, so walked about 
 the queer little town. Wandered into a church
 
 182 A 1JU> T J)LK OF LETTERS. 
 
 whore >voro several good pictures. GJI our way 
 back to tho station we stepped into a neat- 
 looking wayside inn and called for a bottle of 
 wine to go with our Rigi spoils for a lunch- 
 eon. The proprietress and her fair daughter 
 seemed much interested in us. We spread 
 out our luncheon on a clean tablecloth, were 
 served with delicious butter and honey, and 
 enjoyed it at our leisure. With the curiosity 
 of the sex, these women wondered who and 
 what we were. Our dress was strange to them, 
 and our language stranger. We told them we 
 were from America, and were travelling to see 
 their country. * Wo ist der Herr,' asked the 
 woman. 'We have none,' we answered. ' Mein 
 Gott ! ' said she. We hear no more French 
 spoken now ; all German. 
 
 Our next stopping place was Zurich, where 
 we had a good table d'hote dinner, and then 
 pushed on to Schaffhausen, where we alight 
 for the Falls of the Rhine, and ride in a car- 
 riage about two miles to our hotel, ' The 
 SchweizerhofrV This house, with all its ap- 
 pointments, is the best we have yet seen in all 
 Europe. It is situated in the midst of beauti-
 
 LETTER VIII. 183 
 
 ful grounds, on the bank of the Rhine, with 
 the falls in full sight. Our room was not only 
 comfortable, but approached elegance, and the 
 long windows opened on to a veranda where 
 stood two large, soft easy-chairs, as if waiting 
 to welcome us, and give us the best pictures 
 of the country about. Making a hasty toilette, 
 we went down stairs and out on to the piazza, 
 where sat at their ease a distinguished-appear- 
 ing company to see the falls, which our guide- 
 book had told us were the largest in Europe. 
 
 In front of us, at the foot of the garden, ran 
 the river, and a little to the right was a small 
 rapid, apparently about as high as the fall of 
 water that I used to see running a saw-mill on 
 the East Taunton road, but not for an instant did 
 we suppose that those were ( the falls.' * Will 
 you please tell me where the Falls of the Rhine 
 are ? ' I asked a lady near me. The woman 
 looked dazed, and turned toward me to see if I 
 was blind, but politely answered, ' Why, there 
 they are ! ' Impulsively, with a disgusted tone, 
 I exclaimed, so disappointed was I, * Those the 
 Rhine Falls! Well, just think of Niagara.' 
 * Sh sh,' said F., ' you are forever waving
 
 184 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the stars and stripes.' If the house arid place 
 had not given us so much pleasure we should 
 have felt our time wasted in coming here, but 
 these exceed our expectations. The cuisine 
 was simply perfect, and at table we were 
 served by pretty, rosy-cheeked Swiss maids, 
 dressed in white skirts, full-sleeved white 
 waists and black velvet bodices, and looking 
 as fresh and sweet as pinks. They moved, 
 as if one person, to the sound of a bell, doing 
 entirely away with long waits between courses, 
 and every dish brought to us was most deli- 
 cious. 
 
 Friday, July 20th. We had our break- 
 fast served on the broad piazza, fronting the 
 Rhine, by our pleasant Swiss girl this morning, 
 and the fragrance from the sweet flowers about 
 us brought memories of the orange groves in 
 Florida where we stood only a few months ago. 
 Time and steam do wonders. Hoping to con- 
 sider the falls a less disappointment on a closer 
 approach to them, we decided to go to their 
 very centre in a boat. About in the middle of 
 them stands a rock, on which has been erected 
 a pavilion, and to which boatmen are ready to
 
 LETTER VIII. 185 
 
 take passengers at all times. We reached the 
 landing safely, through currents and whirlpools, 
 and the rapids themselves did appear o much 
 greater magnitude on closer proximity, but I 
 doubt their being the largest in Europe. The 
 town of Schaffhausen is very ancient, with its 
 queer old houses, gateways, and walls. On the 
 old bell of the cathedral is an inscription, 
 which translated means, i I call the living : I 
 mourn the dead : I break the thunder ; ' which 
 it is said, prompted Schiller to write the ex- 
 quisite verses of ' The Song of the Bell.' 
 
 Saturday) July 2~Lst. Yes, the Schweizer- 
 hoff is a haven of rest, and had we time, we 
 should like to tarry longer. We are close 
 to Germany now, and must see something of 
 it, but I fear the majestic scenery of Switz- 
 erland has spoiled us for any scenery of less 
 beauty. The proprietors of these Swiss hotels 
 have a custom of giving to each departing lady 
 guest a bouquet. Mine this morning was un- 
 usually beautiful, and when I said to the giver, 
 i We have really been charmed with your house,' 
 a pretty picture of the place was added to the 
 first offering. To the omnibus in which we rode
 
 186 
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 to the station from the hotel, was harnessed, 
 as our leader, an immense cream-colored bull, 
 a handsome creature, truly huge in his pro- 
 portions. I doubt if I shall admire Paul Potter's 
 as much. 
 
 In our car we had as our only travelling com- 
 panions two priests, with their long, flowing 
 gowns and big hats. They continually prayed 
 and crossed themselves for a while, and we 
 feared that they did not realize that we were 
 also two human beings and Christians, so en- 
 tirely did they ignore us. But after a time they 
 looked up, and we found an occasion to make 
 a remark to them, which opened the way for 
 a conversation, although a limited one, as 
 they could not understand one word of Eng- 
 lish, and we stumbled much in German, but they 
 were very bright, and looked over with us our 
 German conversation book, and we made quite 
 a merry party. Our route was through and 
 over the Black Forest mountains, said to be the 
 most picturesque of all mountains. We passed 
 through numerous tunnels, some very long ones, 
 and in utter darkness, as they did not light the 
 cars at all, giving one a good chance to think
 
 LETTER VIII. 187 
 
 of all the terrible accidents one ever heard of, 
 and making one feel all the time as if some- 
 
 O 
 
 thing dreadful might happen. I never did like 
 to be in the dark, unless as a tired child with 
 my mother's arms close about me. When not 
 underground, which seemed but little of the 
 time, the scenery we saw was bold and memora- 
 ble. The whole region of this Black Forest is 
 full of traditional stories, and we stretched our 
 necks as we turned precipitous corners, hoping 
 to get a glimpse of the ' Black Huntsman ' 
 dashing down the dizzy heights back of us or in 
 the green valleys below. We saw two castles, 
 and a huge monastery, ' built on a rock ' on a 
 high elevation. And now, being in the mood, 
 I think I will tell you of something we saw 
 later, a cavern which is called ' The Noble 
 Lady's Grave,' and this is the story which 
 shows why so named, as told to us, or at least 
 the main points : ' The husband of the lady 
 left her alone in their home in the Black 
 Forest, with only her attendants for society, 
 and, of course, she being of noble birth, could 
 not { chum ' much with her servants. He left 
 her thus to join the Crusades. She pleaded
 
 188 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 with all a loving wife's earnestness for him to 
 remain with her, but without avail. It looks 
 as if the knight cared more for glory than 
 for his better half, but may be, let us be chari- 
 table, ' he had business she could not under- 
 stand,' or perhaps l he had to meet a man,' as 
 many of the self-sacrificing husbands of our 
 own time are obliged to do, greatly to their 
 own discomfort, but ' duty is duty, you know.' 
 At any rate he tore himself away from her 
 clinging arms, in spite of tears and entreaties, 
 undoubtedly hoping to cover himself with glory 
 in the holy city. Perhaps he had wearied of 
 the gloom, dismalness, and monotony of life 
 in the Black Forest, and ' needed a change.' 
 His wife, of course, had more resources for 
 pleasure; she could do the mending of the 
 family, tell the cook what to have for dinner, 
 and go to church and give thanks for so brave 
 a husband, and offer prayers for his welfare. 
 The lonely, noble lady did all of these things 
 most faithfully for a while, but they soon 
 ceased to be entertaining, and life itself grew 
 wearisome. There was no mail to be expected 
 in those days, no letters to answer, no pro-
 
 LETTER VIII. 189 
 
 gressive euchre parties, no Browning clubs, 
 no sewing circles, no amateur theatricals, and 
 not even a neighbor to talk about, and no 
 one to talk about the neighbors with. Poor 
 forlorn woman ! Worn and weary with the 
 watching and the waiting, ' He cometh not/ 
 she said. Her crusader most selfishly tarried 
 too long. But one fine day somebody's else 
 crusader came along, and just as the noble 
 lady was packing her ' Saratoga ' to fly with 
 him to the lands where loneliness and the 
 * blues ' were unknown, her own lawful crusa- 
 der appeared, killed her would-be rescuer, and 
 shut the poor, out-of -patience wife up in this 
 cave in the hillside, which was her prison liv- 
 ing and her grave when dead. 
 
 After the descent of the Black Forest range 
 was made, we struck into pretty, green valleys, 
 where women, young girls, and children were 
 making hay, Gretchens and Maud Miillers. 
 Oxen and cows were used instead of horses, 
 and I saw two women harnessed into a hay-cart, 
 which was loaded with hay, and a man riding 
 comfortably on top, smoking his pipe. I 
 would have liked to have seen him fall off, but 
 I was told that men at home, in this part of the
 
 190 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 world, are so few, that the women give them 
 the easy places, and work for them, and coddle 
 and pet them to their hearts' content. The 
 large majority of the men are away at the bar- 
 racks. The homes of the working people, just 
 here, look as if intended to illustrate a revised edi- 
 tion of ' the happy family.' Human beings, both 
 sexes, of several generations, judging from the 
 very old looking women and the few old men, 
 and the little babies we see, with horses, cattle, 
 sheep, pigs, and hens, all live under one outside 
 upper roof, having perhaps the choice of apart- 
 ments inside. The door-yards look neat, but 
 without exception, every house has somewhere 
 near the never-to-be-missed fertilizer pile, often 
 higher than the house, and generally the 
 bigger the house the bigger the pile. Stocks 
 up, they sell ; stocks down, they buy. Financial 
 excitements, you see, are necessary even here. 
 The houses are never painted, and the roofs 
 are covered with straw. At one station where we 
 changed cars we saw a group of Alsatian women 
 with the genuine Alsatian bows on their heads 
 instead of bonnets. The bows were made of some 
 black material, and I think must have measured 
 fully one yard from one end to the other.
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 HOTEL DE LA VILLE DE PARIS, STRASSBUBG. 
 
 MY DEAR : Strassburg is a larger city 
 
 than I had expected to see, and some parts 
 of it are very fine. The university buildings 
 are handsome, as are many others. The great 
 cathedral, however, is the one particular object 
 of interest. We first took a look at the 
 exterior, and many looks, for its beauties are 
 manifold. The carvings, statues, and bas- 
 reliefs are magnificent, as are also the towers, 
 turrets, and the spire. The west front, so 
 called, has a rose window, and on each side of 
 this window is a large square tower. The 
 entire fagade is most exquisitely sculptured. 
 1 But oh ! ' said F., ' do look up at the spire ; 
 does it seem possible any object so elaborate 
 and graceful could be made of stone ? ' The
 
 192 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 height of this spire is nearly five hundred feet. 
 It looks so light and airy, so like a wonderfully 
 executed piece of filagree work, towering 
 towards the clouds, that I fear you cannot 
 imagine its beauty from a hasty description. It 
 has been said to look like 'lace work,' and 
 the building itself, so fine are its carvings and 
 sculptures, said 'to look as if it were placed 
 behind a rich, open, flower-like screen, or in a 
 case of open-work stone,' and these comparisons 
 will, I think, convey to you a little idea of its 
 general appearance, and you will be spared 
 the lameness of neck that I suffered, from 
 the long stretch in looking up. Even in this 
 land of art, architecture, music, sculpture, and 
 poetry, we are often reminded that flesh, mus- 
 cle, and nerves need some consideration. This 
 church is indeed a rare poem, an epic of the 
 first water, and its author, the architect, was 
 Erwin von Steinbach, whose tomb is in one of 
 the chapels. F., anxious to do the most daring 
 things, decided to ascend the spire by way of 
 the spiral staircase ; I declined. She ascended 
 and descended with a level head, and declared 
 she would not have missed the sights, for any-
 
 LETTER IX. 193 
 
 thing, of the closer view of the stone-work, and 
 of the panoramic picture from the elevation. 
 Of the interior I shall not tell you much, but 
 its rich, elegant carvings, its beautiful stained- 
 glass windows, its clusters of pillars, its ornately 
 sculptured pulpit, were objects of our great 
 enthusiasm and delight. 
 
 Of the wonderful clock I will tell you a lit- 
 tle. This astronomical clock is in the south 
 transept, and tells not only the time of the 
 day but indicates every event connected with 
 astronomical phenomena, like the changes of 
 the moon, the seasons, the church calendar, 
 and so forth. A child strikes the quarter of 
 the hour, a youth the half hour, a young 
 man the third quarter, and an aged man, 
 tottering slowly, comes and touches the bell 
 with his staff, and passes on, soon followed by 
 the figure of Death, who strikes the full hour 
 with a human bone ; and just then, the figures 
 representing the twelve Apostles march in 
 front of a statue of the Saviour, who bends to 
 give each one his blessing, and a cock crows 
 loudly thrice, while another figure Time 
 turns an hour-glass, for running of the sand
 
 194 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 to indicate the next hour. It is all extremely 
 ingenious and interesting. The clock has 
 been partly reconstructed, as it is said the 
 original, made in 1448, was partially destroyed 
 by the maker. The legend runs that the 
 genius who invented and made this wonderful 
 structure of mechanism for Strassburg was 
 urged to make one for another town. The 
 Strassburgers becoming jealous, sent for the 
 clock-maker, and requested him to give his 
 promise that he would never make another; 
 but this he refused to do, which so angered 
 them they gave an order to have the poor 
 man's eyes put out. Hearing of this terrible 
 crime which was soon to be inflicted upon 
 him, he offered to make a few necessary repairs 
 on the clock before losing his eyesight. As 
 soon as he had done this, his eyes were forever 
 destroyed, but at the same moment a crash 
 from the clock was heard weights, bells, and 
 figures fell to the ground, for the man had de- 
 stroyed instead of repairing his work. The 
 clock just escaped being again destroyed at 
 the time of the bombardment by the Germans 
 in 1870. The cathedral was greatly damaged,
 
 LETTER IX. 195 
 
 but has been well repaired. One cannot won- 
 der that the French feel bitterly toward the 
 Germans for taking* from them, with Alsace, 
 this city so rich in its churches, but such is war. 
 And long ago, when this same place was a 
 free German town, Louis XVI. captured it for 
 France, and now Germany claims it again. 
 French and German seem to be about equally 
 spoken here. 
 
 We met E. W. in the street to-day, and a 
 pleasant surprise was her face. In this strange 
 country, mere acquaintances seem like dear 
 friends, and dear friends dearer than ever 
 before. I wish I could hear your voice to-day, 
 but I know you are with us in thought, and 
 glad that these days are so filled with bright- 
 ness for us, but we must not forget that they 
 cannot always last ; we are so apt to, just as in 
 summer we forget that flowers so soon wither ; 
 but the fragrance of their fallen leaves remains 
 with us long, as will the sweet memories of 
 these gliding hours. 
 
 Holland Hotel, Baden Baden, July 23d, 
 1888. At four p. M. we reached here from 
 Strassburg. Our hotel is one of the best, and
 
 196 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 after settling our baggage in our spacious, 
 handsomely furnished room, we went out to 
 reconnoitre. The town is lovely, beautiful 
 streets, buildings, shops, and grand old shade 
 trees everywhere, and just now the place is 
 crowded with people, driving, walking, flirting, 
 and sauntering through the streets, stores, and 
 gardens, bareheaded. This reminds me more 
 of Saratoga in the summer season than any 
 place I have before seen, although there is not 
 the display of dress here, or the taste dis- 
 played in what dress there is, that we see in 
 our American watering-places. In fact, so far, 
 I have had to come to the conclusion that 
 European ladies show very little good judg- 
 ment and no style in dress, with the one excep- 
 tion of the Parisians. The Duchess of Baden, 
 who is the daughter of the good old Emperor 
 William, lives very near our hotel, and other 
 members of the royal family of Germany are 
 here, but are, of course, all in deep mourning 
 for the dearly loved and much-lamented late 
 Emperor Frederick. 
 
 After an excellent dinner we went to the 
 ' Conversation Haus,' a large, fine building in
 
 LETTER IX. 197 
 
 the midst of beautiful grounds, where every- 
 body goes evenings to hear the fine music 
 and see the people. What else they go for I 
 cannot positively say, but am told that there 
 is still some gambling carried on somewhere 
 within the walls of this building ; but we saw 
 only its elegant drawing-rooms, ball and recep- 
 tion rooms, rich in appearance as pictures and 
 gilt, velvet, and silk furnishings could make 
 them. If any gambling is done here, or about 
 here, in these days it is done secretly, for when 
 the German Government awakened to the fact 
 that accomplished scoundrels from all over the 
 world met here to carry on their nefarious 
 practice, it suppressed all gambling, greatly to 
 the credit of the Government, for by so doing 
 thousands of dollars that were left here annu- 
 ally were spent in some other country than 
 Germany. When this was done it was feared 
 that the prosperity of Baden was over, but it 
 did not prove so. The place is too lovely to be 
 neglected by travellers, and now, many of the 
 wealthier and most respected Europeans spend 
 a portion of the summer here. There are over 
 twenty large hotels and more small ones, and 
 they are now all well filled.
 
 198 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 July 24th. This morning we visited the 
 4 Trink Halle/ an elegant building, which is 
 decorated with frescoes illustrating many of 
 the old German legends of the Black Forest. 
 People flock here mornings to drink the waters 
 as they do at Congress Spring at Saratoga. 
 Crowds of people were present drinking the 
 vile stuff as if they enjoyed it, but I found it 
 the least palatable of any mineral water I ever 
 tasted. The Fraulein who, at her leisure, at 
 last waited upon us, acted as if it were a great 
 condescension on her part to allow us to taste 
 the horrid liquid, but she did not hesitate to 
 take our money. I observed the same spirit in 
 all of the female employees in the town with 
 whom we had anything to do. They did not 
 seem to wish us to see anything or to buy any- 
 thing ; and in one store where we looked at a 
 garment, after hearing the price, I remarked 
 to my companion that it would not cost much 
 less, if any, than at home, if we paid duties, 
 and the girl, understanding English, said, ' You 
 could probably buy it elsewhere for less,' and 
 continued the reading of a book she held in 
 her hand. With such indifferent clerks I
 
 LETTER IX. 199 
 
 should not suppose sales would be very large ; 
 but all merchandise was dear at Baden except- 
 ing the little things found at the booths out 
 of doors and in the two rows of stores leading 
 to the Conversation Haus. These were very 
 attractive, and everything for sale in them, 
 from magnificent diamonds and gems of all 
 kinds, exquisite engravings and photographs, 
 down to buttons and hair pins, and the gentle- 
 manly proprietors and clerks were very polite. 
 
 We next went to the Friedrichsbad, the 
 finest bathing establishment in the whole world. 
 It is built of red and white stone, and is artis- 
 tically decorated with carvings. But the at- 
 tendants there, the women, were as disagree- 
 able as the sex were at the Trink Halle ; but as 
 they were remarkably good looking, they may 
 have been placed there for ornament instead of 
 use, and the mistake our own in expecting them 
 to give us any information. We did not see 
 the private baths, as it was not the hour to 
 show them, but we did succeed in seeing the 
 magnificent round, white, marble-lined swim- 
 ming bath by waylaying the only man we saw 
 in the establishment and asking him to show 
 it to us.
 
 200 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 We took a carriage to visit the 'Alt Schloss,' 
 or old castle, now a ruin and a very picturesque 
 one, and then to the ' Neue Schloss/ where the 
 Grand Duke of Baden lives a part of the time. 
 This is a home fit for the gods a grand 
 castle, on an eminence overlooking the town 
 and a beautiful country round about it. 
 It is surrounded by magnificent grounds, and 
 contains many valuable paintings and a gallery 
 of antiques. You remember the Duke's wife is 
 the daughter of old Emperor William, and now, 
 since the Emperor Frederick's death, she is 
 his only child living. As none of the royal 
 family were in the castle all of the apartments 
 were shown us, all attractive and rich in fur- 
 nishings and finishings, with lovely views of 
 the beautiful valley of Baden Baden from the 
 windows. We next followed our guide down, 
 down, into the dungeons below, made in th j 
 rock on which the castle stands. All around us 
 were instruments of torture, and near us a deep 
 excavation where condemned persons were for- 
 merly thrown alive, and from which no cry for 
 help could be heard. We were glad to turn 
 our backs upon these places of old-time cruelty
 
 LETTER IX. 201 
 
 and try to forget the barbarity of old mar- 
 graves in admiration of the late loved emperors 
 of the country, William and Frederick, both 
 of whom have recently gone to their reward. 
 
 These German duchies are small, very small, 
 kingdoms. The duchy of Baden is not as large 
 as our State of Massachusetts, but the Grand 
 Duke lives in a kingly manner. He not only 
 has his palaces here, but has one at Carlsruhe, 
 a short distance from here, one in Freiburg, 
 one in Heidelberg, and three or four others, 
 and each one must require an immense revenue 
 to be cared for as they are. Now, just think 
 of the taxes the people must have levied upon 
 them to keep up all this grandeur. Suppos- 
 ing we had to, by being more largely taxed, 
 pay our governors a sum sufficient to live in 
 such luxury, I think we should soon rebel, 
 and if we did not, I should fear our honest 
 Puritan blood had run out. From the 'Neue 
 Schloss' we visited the pretty Greek church, 
 which is a gem, and finished our drive along 
 the Lichtenthal Allee, the beautiful avenue, 
 shaded by magnificent trees and filled with 
 carriages of every description in which were
 
 202 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 seated lovely women, with gay dresses and 
 sparkling gems. Promenaders from all parts of 
 the world walking up and down, bands of music 
 playing, and bright and brilliant is the scene. 
 Yes, Baden is delightful, and we have been 
 cared for with much thoughtfulness at our 
 hotel and recommend it to all who come this 
 way. 
 
 Willbad Springs, Germany, July 25th, 
 1888. I do not imagine that you ever heard 
 of this place, but it is worth hearing about. 
 It is a small watering-place, with natural 
 springs, hot and cold, these springs being con- 
 sidered by many the very fountains to dip in 
 to ensure the everlasting duration of youth, 
 strength, and beauty. And here we are visit- 
 ing our own relatives, who have come from 
 Dresden to tarry a while for the benefit of the 
 waters. How glad we were to see them all 
 our own kith arid kin ! Cousin E. and his 
 pretty little ' foreign ' niece were at the station 
 to meet us, and you may well believe our 
 tongues did run fast for a while. Aunt M. is 
 an encyclopedia of a most charming edition, 
 and has delighted us with stories of her experi-
 
 LETTER IX. 203 
 
 ences in living and travelling on this continent 
 and with her cordiality towards us. Hundreds 
 of people are here, as the country ahout is 
 attractive, and then, too, the sick, lame, deaf, 
 and blind come to be made whole. ' Let us 
 bathe in these wonderful waters,' said F. 
 Here, as at Baden, there is a fine building in 
 which the baths are fitted up, with all the con- 
 veniences, and the water brought into them 
 from the natural springs. What a furnace 
 there must be here in the bowels of good 
 mother earth, and how well regulated to keep 
 this water and send it to her children of just 
 the right temperature for a bath. I could not 
 possibly think of any irregularity of my body 
 that needed doctoring, but was advised that 
 when ( in Rome I should do as the Romans do,' 
 and was told also by one of the pleasant assis- 
 tants (very different from the class at Baden) 
 that many American ladies had derange- 
 ments of the liver, and I undoubtedly would 
 have some time, being an American, and these 
 baths were a sure preventive as well as a sure 
 cure. I had never thought much about my 
 liver, as it had never called for special attention,
 
 204 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 but feeling that aere was the grand opportunity 
 for ' taking time by the forelock,' plunged in. 
 Result : stayed a day longer at Willbad than 
 was my intention. They make very good 
 gruel at Willbad ! I had no right to the heal- 
 ing properties of Willbad waters, for there was 
 nothing wrong with my constitution. The 
 waters took their own way of revenging impo- 
 sition. 
 
 July 26th, 1888. Have been in the house 
 all day. This evening half of our household 
 went to the opera and the rest of us listened to 
 some fine music in the Park. The band was 
 a splendid one, and the programme contained 
 choice selections, such as we should have to pay 
 a dollar or two to hear at home. How full of 
 music these Germans are, and how soulfully 
 they execute ! We have just decided not to 
 go with E. to Bayreuth to the Wagner Festi- 
 val, but to take the time to see more of this 
 country, for this we cannot have at home, 
 but we can have Wagner's music, and, better 
 still, our own Symphony and Gericke. We 
 lingered in the drawing-room of our relatives 
 late, hating to say ' good-night/ for the morn-
 
 LETTER IX. 205 
 
 ing will be the beginning of a longer parting. 
 And when shall we all meet again. Adieus 
 must be said, and when we thanked our friends 
 for the pleasant time with them they said, ( But 
 we have done so little ! ' Ah ! life is made up 
 of little things ; loving words, smiles, and 
 kindly acts win the heart always. 
 
 Hotel de T Europe, Heidelberg ', Germany, 
 July 27th, 1888. On our way here from Will- 
 bad we stopped for a few hours at Carlsruhe, 
 which is one of the residences of the Court of 
 Baden and is the capital of the grand duchy of 
 Baden. We are getting tired of palaces, so, in- 
 stead of visiting the very magnificent one at 
 Carlsruhe, spent what time we had in the palace 
 gardens and in the botanical garden, the oran- 
 gery, and the hothouses. The flowers are about 
 the same as we have at similar places at home, 
 with a few plants and blossoms strangers to us. 
 We reached Heidelberg at five P. M. and 
 were considered distinguished arrivals, I am 
 sure, for a carpet was spread awaiting our foot- 
 steps from the carriage to the hotel door and 
 several gentlemen in dress suits stood in a line 
 with folded arms and bowed very low to us as
 
 206 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 we passed along. Now, this was delightful ! 
 They never do that at Parker's or Young's 
 when we go there. This hotel is fine, standing 
 in the centre of a pretty garden. We have a 
 luxurious room and on the first floor. We are 
 getting to like the single beds, one apiece, that 
 we have everywhere over here very much, for 
 if one does feel like taking the * spoon fashion ' 
 position, there is no one with coequal rights 
 near to object. Nor are the employees as atten- 
 tive at the home hotels. Here we no sooner 
 get settled in our rooms than the polite portier 
 appears, takes our names and residence ; no 
 going to the office to register here, and the 
 letters U. S. A. act like magic, for are not the 
 United States of America overrun with million- 
 aires, and so many of them resort to travel pur- 
 posely to get rid of a portion of their trouble- 
 some, superfluous incomes. ' Would we like a 
 glass of wine brought to our room? Is our 
 room satisfactory ? Perhaps we would like a 
 special maid during our stay, which he hopes 
 will be long. When it suits us to allow him, 
 it will give him much pleasure to tell us about 
 the city and what to visit and the pleasantest
 
 LETTER IX. 207 
 
 way to see all.' Well, really, these portiers are 
 invaluable, and although there may be some 
 grasping ones, who impose upon strangers, we 
 have found nearly all of great assistance and 
 apparently well satisfied with what we have 
 given them, which has never been more than 
 we felt that they deserved for service rendered. 
 We took a drive about the city, which is a 
 long, narrow place sandwiched in between the 
 river Neckar and the hills, on the highest one 
 of which stands the ruins of the old castle. 
 We were driven through a long avenue, with 
 pretty trees on each side and some residences, 
 but more stores, and the sidewalks filled with 
 people. This street is called the Anlage ; and 
 is the principal boulevard of the city. We saw 
 the ' Helig Geist Kirche ' Church of the Holy 
 Ghost, into which the people of Heidelberg were 
 driven, crowded in like animals, so closely that 
 they could not move, by the French army in 
 the time of Louis XIV., and left there to suffer, 
 until the steeple took fire as the town was 
 being burned. This old structure has had 
 many critical changes in its history, and is now 
 divided by a thick wall, on one side of which.
 
 208 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the Roman Catholics worship, and on the other 
 the Protestants. Our driver was a talker, and 
 told us much we understood, and more that we 
 did not, of the places of interest we passed. 
 { Now show us the university buildings/ we 
 said, and he soon halted in front of an old, plas- 
 tered or stuccoed structure, that resembled bar- 
 racks more than a renowned seat of learning, 
 and was a great disappointment to us. A drive 
 over an old stone bridge, from the farther end 
 of which we had a charming view of the 
 castle perched on the mountain side, overhang- 
 ing the town, with its towers, battlements and 
 arches, a regal ruin in truth, and back to our 
 hotel, ended our first sight of Heidelberg. 
 
 We had scarcely entered our room when a 
 band of musicians stationed themselves directly 
 under our window and struck up the ' Wedding 
 March ' from Lohengrin, and it was exquisitely 
 played too, and on fine instruments. We 
 came to the conclusion that we were supposed 
 to be brides on our wedding tour, and had 
 commenced disciplining our ' better halves ' by 
 leaving them at home, as we find it is a source 
 of great wonder to the Europeans, and espe-
 
 LETTER IX. 209 
 
 cially to the English and the Germans, that the 
 American wives travel about so much without 
 their husbands. One lovely German lady, in 
 Baden, in speaking on this subject, said to me, 
 1 And what do these husbands left alone do ? ' 
 ' Do ? ' I answered, ' why, they not only attend 
 to their own business matters, but they run the 
 house, take care of the children, and write daily 
 love letters to their absent wives, and love them 
 better than ever, if possible, when they reach 
 home again. You must believe/ I said, * that 
 American husbands are the best in the world, 
 and that with us, in all grades of life, wives are 
 treated with tenderness and consideration, and 
 as equals.' She looked a little incredulous, and 
 I could not wonder when I thought of the 
 pitiable sights of her country, that are before 
 us daily, of women, bronze faced, half dressed, 
 working in the fields, digging, hoeing, pushing 
 the plough ; in the towns breaking stone, saw- 
 ing wood, and bending beneath heavy loads of 
 many kinds, carried on head or back, while 
 their husbands take their ease, at the barracks, 
 perhaps, and when at home take the money 
 earned by their wives. One of the worst
 
 210 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 features, too, of this condition of things is 
 that the women do not rebel ; if their husbands 
 take them into the gardens on Sunday, and 
 drink beer with them, often paid for with 
 the little earnings of the overworked wives, 
 they are satisfied. Poor things, they have 
 never known anything better. Amongst the 
 poor of Germany, matrimony was not com- 
 menced right. I think the military laws of 
 the country are to blame greatly for the degra- 
 dation of the women of the so-called lower 
 classes. A man who is or has been in the 
 army considers it beneath him to do honest 
 labor, but not beneath him to allow his wife to 
 do it. 
 
 July 28th, 1888. Life is a glorious gift, 
 and a morning so bright and lovely as this 
 makes one thankful ! Immediately after break- 
 fast we went to the castle, of which we have 
 had views from a distance, and of which all 
 our lives we have heard so much. There it 
 stood, massive and grand, the most magnifi- 
 cent architectural ruin in the world. It is a 
 ruin, but there is very much more of the 
 original building left than of Kenil worth, that
 
 LETTER IX. 211 
 
 has walls only left ; this has halls, rooms, and 
 chapels, some of which have been restored 
 There is a moat around it, after crossing which 
 we passed under and through a picturesque 
 gateway, from which ivy and wild vines were 
 waving, and entered the courtyard. The fagade 
 is of three stories, and on it are allegorical 
 figures, statues, medallions, and stone carvings. 
 Tradition gives Michael Angelo as the architect 
 of this fagade. Ball-rooms and banquet-halls 
 were shown to us, some containing paintings in 
 a fairly good state of preservation, which seems 
 more remarkable when we consider that they 
 have been there since long before America was 
 discovered. Of the woman who acted as our 
 guide we asked many questions, for one feels 
 so much more interest in the history of a place 
 when on the spots talked of. She was well 
 informed, and told us what we had often read, 
 that the castle was built in the thirteenth cen- 
 tury, and that for several hundred years the 
 Counts Palatine lived here in royal magnifi- 
 cence, and that at one period eighteen hundred 
 persons formed the family, or the Court, of 
 the Elector. No wonder they needed fireplaces
 
 212 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 large enough to roast oxen whole. The build- 
 ing was several times partly destroyed by 
 armies, but was rendered useless to live in by 
 lightning, at last. 
 
 What jolly times the high in power and the 
 old sprigs of royalty in those days meant 
 to have ! One would have surely a dull imag- 
 ination, or no imagination at all, who could here 
 wander from room to room and not see with 
 the mind's eye the revellings of the long ago. 
 The big tun in the cellar is hogshead-shaped, 
 and really will hold forty-nine thousand gallons, 
 and has been twelve times filled with the best 
 wines. Can you comprehend such an amount, 
 and a receptacle huge enough to contain it ? 
 The ' Elizabethan Ban ' still shows that Fred- 
 erick V. brought his bride, Elizabeth of Eng- 
 land, to a princely home. But the silence and 
 the decay of these l banquet halls deserted ' 
 remind us forcibly of the brevity of the power 
 and glory of this life, and should be a lesson to 
 us to prepare for the life to come, which only 
 is lasting. The wonderful beauty of the castle 
 itself, the romantic situation, and the exquisite 
 landscape views from its rich stone terrace,
 
 LETTER IX. 213 
 
 will be choice pictures in our memories for 
 many a day. 
 
 There are but few attractive shops in 
 Heidelberg; plenty of bologna sausages and 
 pretzels ; portraits and photographs of the 
 two dead emperors everywhere, and many of 
 the new Emperor William. i The king is dead. 
 Long live the king.' The city seems full of 
 soldiers, all with black crape on their arms, 
 and the citizens men, women, and children 
 wear it also. Everything shows to us that we 
 are indeed in Germany. 
 
 In our walks and drives in the town we have 
 looked for the university students, and we 
 have seen them plenty of them, with faces 
 cut and scarred, court-plastered and bandaged. 
 What an abominable custom is this : to allow 
 these naturally fine looking young men to 
 make each other so hideous and repulsive in 
 appearance for the rest of their lives. The 
 American students here have nothing whatever 
 to do with this disgraceful custom, and yet the 
 Germans know well they are no cowards. A 
 student from New York gave evidence of his 
 willingness to risk his life, in a really noble act,
 
 214 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 by jumping into the River Neckar and saving 
 the life of a child who had fallen from the 
 bridge here, a short time ago. These German 
 students are formed into five sections, or corps, 
 and the members of each corps wear caps alike, 
 so that it may be known by all who see them 
 to which corps they belong. The colors are 
 white, yellow, red, blue, and green, and the 
 members of one corps never allow themselves 
 to be in the least friendly with members of 
 any other corps, for they may have to haggle 
 them with swords within the next twenty-four 
 hours. These corps students, we are told, 
 belong to the most aristocratic families of Ger- 
 many, and yet at the slightest provocation, and 
 indeed with no provocation at all, they fight 
 each other like wild cats. Very recently one 
 of the red caps, by mistake, took a book belong- 
 ing to a white cap, was challenged for so doing, 
 and was slashed with his opponent's sword 
 unmercifully. I tell you this, as told to us, to 
 show you how little it takes to cause a duel. 
 If the members of the corps do not challenge 
 each other, the president of a corps challenges 
 for them fight they must, or be forever
 
 LETTER IX. 215 
 
 branded as cowards, and to show the slightest 
 sign of being afraid to do so would make life 
 in Heidelberg unbearable for them forever after. 
 In the duel, no matter how seriously one 
 is hurt his ear may be cut off, or his nose 
 split he must not wince or show a sign of 
 the ' white feather.' Now is not this disgust- 
 ing ? Brave they say it makes them ! Thank 
 God, our young men show their bravery in 
 nobler directions ! Seeing students everywhere 
 in our strolls about town, I wondered when 
 they studied, and asked many questions in 
 regard to the rules of the university. It 
 seems rules are few. Heidelberg University 
 gives to all who choose to hear, at a very small 
 charge, lectures on all the sciences and arts, 
 delivered by men of great wisdom ; so if 
 students wish to learn, they have great oppor- 
 tunities. If they are indifferent, everybody 
 else is in regard to them ; they can do as they 
 please. We heard a great deal of their capa- 
 city for, and indulgence in, beer drinking, but 
 saw little of it. 
 
 In the old castle there is a banquet-room 
 where they congregate for their revels often.
 
 216 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 This grand old ruin now belongs to the Duke 
 of Baden. 
 
 We have made some purchases of leather 
 goods here pocket-books, card-cases, and so 
 forth, extremely pretty and cheap and they 
 all bear the impress of the castle ; so you shall 
 see many views of it when we get home. At 
 our hotel to-day a young American girl heard 
 of the sudden death of her father, and refused 
 to be comforted. Poor dear child, how our 
 hearts went out in sympathy for her. And 
 how hard it is for us all, amid the sorrows 
 and griefs of this life, to keep always God's 
 love for us in view.
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 MAYENCE, GERMANY, July 29th, 1888. 
 A FINE city is this, a large one too, with 
 broad, handsome streets. Our first visit was, 
 as usual, to the cathedral. Service was going 
 on, and this being some anniversary day, the 
 church was profusely decorated with fresh 
 plants and flowers. The entire chancel was 
 filled with ferns and white blossoms. I sat 
 a while listening to the service, but the only 
 portion of it I was capable of appreciating was 
 the fine tone of the organ as it sent out its 
 waves of sweetness over me. When I arose to 
 go I could not find F., nor could I find the 
 way out. A handsome old German immedi- 
 ately comprehended my situation, and gallantly 
 escorted me to the door, and upon leaving me
 
 218 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 bowed nearly to the ground. The German gen- 
 tlemen are very polite ; and when we were at 
 Strassburg, at our first table d'hote dinner there, 
 we were the only ladies at the table, and there 
 were ten gentlemen. We were the first to rise 
 to leave, when, to our surprise and embarrass- 
 ment, every gentleman arose and bowed. We 
 of course recognized the courtesy by bowing 
 also. In this Mayence cathedral we saw the 
 monument to Gen. Lahmberg, who was killed 
 at the siege of Mainz, and wondered at the 
 ridiculousness of this costly piece of marble, 
 which is like this : a figure representing 
 Death is pushing the much-bewigged general 
 into a sarcophagus, which appears altogether 
 too small for him. Some of the statues and 
 monuments, however, were very beautiful and 
 appropriate ; one of Frauenlob, the ' champion 
 of women,' exceptionally so. His bier was car- 
 ried to the grave by eight beautiful and noble 
 women. 
 
 Like the rest of the German cities, this one 
 seems full of soldiers. At the barracks we saw 
 crowds of them, and in the streets saw several 
 regiments marching, fine-looking specimens of
 
 LETTER X. 219 
 
 mankind, and moving as if one man. I am 
 told that in this one town there are more 
 soldiers than in our whole army. That may 
 be so, but I am thankful that our men devote 
 their lives to better uses than the everlasting 
 preparing for war ! Think of the progress of 
 our comparatively new country. Think of the 
 condition of our working people ! Think of 
 the multitude of invaluable inventions Amer- 
 ican brains have given to the world ! And 
 when war has to come, that good may come 
 from it, American men are not far behind, but 
 they do not spend much time in ' playing sol- 
 dier.' True it is that the military spirit per- 
 vades, fills, the whole of Germany in all ways 
 and in all directions. At all of the railway sta- 
 tions it greets and surrounds us. Every man in 
 Germany has served a number of years in the 
 army. They all stand in a military attitude, 
 and walk with a military step. The railroad 
 officials and employees have all been soldiers. 
 The rank of their present positions is indicated 
 by their special uniforms. The captain of the 
 station wears a showy costume of blue trousers 
 with a red side-stripe, a frock coat, double-
 
 220 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 breasted, a gilt belt, and plenty of large gilt 
 buttons, and a red cap always, with gilt trim- 
 mings. The guards are also dressed in uni- 
 form, but wear blue caps. When the passen- 
 gers alight, these guards bow and salute, 
 whether to do honor to the arrivals, or whether 
 the salutes were for each other only, I cannot 
 say, but will say it is a pretty custom, and 
 much superior to the hurry-scurry, jostle-about 
 manner of the depot employees in our own 
 cities. 
 
 The railroad stations in Germany are very 
 much finer than our own. The interiors of 
 the buildings are neat, with comfortable 
 furnishings, fine restaurants, and dress-coated 
 waiters quick and ready to serve. The station- 
 houses are surrounded with well-cared-for 
 grounds, containing flowers, fountains often, 
 gravelled walks, and comfortable seats, so that 
 waiting for trains never becomes tedious. 
 Think of all this, you who wait at some of 
 our country stations ! And, better than all, 
 every man is courteous and polite, never in 
 too much of a hurry to answer questions and 
 give information. To the captain at the sta-
 
 LETTER X. 221 
 
 tion here we are particularly indebted for 
 kindness and grateful to him for his assistance, 
 and especially for rendering all as if it were 
 his greatest pleasure. In a drive about the 
 city we visited the museum. Saw many quaint 
 old buildings, watch-towers, statues, the Elec- 
 tor's palace, and a variety of other fine build- 
 ings. 
 
 Grand Hotel du Rhin, Wiesbaden, Ger- 
 many, July 30th, 1888. I believe Wies- 
 baden is more attractive than Baden. At any 
 rate, nothing could have charmed me more 
 than the appearance of this town the name 
 of which means ' Meadow bath ' in the lovely 
 drive we have just had through its pretty 
 streets, bordered with fine trees and magnifi- 
 cent residences. Hotels are crowded, as we are 
 here in the season for fashionable recreation 
 and rest, and perhaps I may add, fashionable 
 dissipation. People bathe in and drink the 
 unsavory waters, and think they are made as 
 good as new. The springs are a curiosity, and 
 as the water bubbles up to the surface it emits 
 clouds of vapor, and sends out an odor sugges- 
 tive of having washed out Hades. We were
 
 222 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 fortunate in meeting, in our drive, Louise, 
 Princess of Nassau, in a very ordinary-looking 
 turnout, and not prepossessing-looking herself, 
 but our driver informed us that she is chari- 
 table and well-beloved by ah 1 . We, later, vis- 
 ited the palace of the Duke of Nassau. There 
 is a pretty English church here, and a very 
 beautiful Greek chapel, built by one of the 
 Nassau dukes in memory of his Russian wife. 
 A figure of the sleeping Duchess, in white 
 marble, is lovely. These Greek chapels have 
 always a gilded dome. The natural beauties 
 of Wiesbaden are numerous and unusual. It 
 is said Kaiser William loved the place. 
 
 This evening we went to the Cursaal, a 
 handsome edifice, in which are ball-rooms, con- 
 cert rooms, and so forth. There are beautiful 
 grounds, beautifully laid out, around the build- 
 ing, with parterres of flowers, miniature lakes, 
 fountains, rustic arbors and seats, and every- 
 thing to make the place attractive. The Cur- 
 saal, the gardens, and the colonnades were all 
 brilliantly illuminated, and a fine band playing 
 in front of the piazza on which we sat. The 
 seats and gardens were thronged with people,
 
 LETTER X. 223 
 
 sitting or walking about, chatting, drinking 
 wine or beer, listening to the fine music, and 
 having a good time generally. Before the 
 suppression of gambling in 1872, it was here 
 carried on to about as great an extent as at 
 Baden. While sitting taking in the brilliant 
 scene, a lady sitting next me, who could speak 
 a little English, addressed me. It was quite 
 evident that her tongue must move constantly 
 in some language. She was ' cute ' and discern- 
 ing, and after looking us well over, ventured 
 to ask, as if know she must, ( American or 
 English ? ' ' American,' I replied. ' I thought 
 so ; and you never saw a sight like this before, 
 did you?' Many of the intelligent people 
 over here seem to think that there is nothing 
 ornamental or beautiful in America, and it 
 gives me great pleasure to undeceive and sur- 
 prise them. Many seem to have an idea that 
 we are as crude as savages. 
 
 These watering-places have some advantages 
 over our own Saratoga and the Springs of Vir- 
 ginia, in the way of natural scenery, drives, and 
 foliage, but the hotels at this place do not 
 equal our own, the equipages are far less ele-
 
 224 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 gant, and one can see more handsome women 
 and more tasteful costumes in one day at New- 
 port than in a whole season here. This hotel 
 we have not liked as well as the one in which 
 we stayed at Baden. Our meals have been 
 served in a sort of rustic arbor on a large scale, 
 gorgeously gotten up, with vines, evergreens, 
 running water, and flowers ; but I must say I 
 had rather eat in the house, where there are no 
 suggestions of bugs or worms ; but the Ger- 
 mans love to eat and drink out of doors. My 
 candle is growing short, therefore I must make 
 this letter so, with loving thoughts of you all. 
 Good-night. 
 
 Tuesday, July 31s, 1888. The sun shone 
 brightly in answer to our prayers this morn- 
 ing, and we are thankful, for we did want a 
 clear sky for our canopy while on the Rhine. 
 At seven A. M. we left our hotel, and were 
 driven a distance of three miles, over a fine 
 road, to the river, where we found a boat ready 
 for us. The steamers that ply on the Rhine 
 look very different from our own craft. They 
 are long, narrow, and low. We made our way 
 on board, with hands full of maps and descrip-
 
 LETTER X. 225 
 
 tive books, with the rest of the crowd, picked 
 up our stools as we went along, and seated our- 
 selves for a day's trip on the Rhine, filled with 
 ' unspeakable emotions ' and a poor breakfast. 
 
 At first we see but little of interest, small 
 villages, gardens, vineyards, and inns, near 
 the water, and excursionists sitting on their 
 porticos eating and drinking. Occasionally a 
 cross or a statue on the hillside varies the 
 scene. We are disappointed in the vineyards : 
 the vines run up on sticks, and look like 
 stunted pole- bean vines growing, and our 
 expectations of graceful green-clothed arches 
 and arbors vanish. * How muddy the water 
 looks, too ! ' said J, ' and when or where do 
 we get to the delightful part of the Rhine ? ' 
 A young German gentleman sat near us, who 
 evidently did not like that question, as if it 
 could be for once thought that any part of the 
 romantic river could be anything but beautiful. 
 I will tell you more of this gentleman later. 
 At Bingen we made our first stop, and thought, 
 as everybody does, of Mrs. Norton's poem. 
 And I thought of the little boy I so earnestly 
 once trained to recite her touching lines :
 
 226 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ' O friend, I fear the lightest heart 
 Makes sometimes heaviest mourning.' 
 
 From childhood we have read of the Rhine 
 and its romantic legends, and now to us it 
 seems as if every spot must be inhabited by 
 princes and princesses, dragons, warriors, 
 knights and syrens. The tower, called the 
 Mouse Tower, which is in the middle of the 
 river, was built in order to collect taxes from 
 every boat that passed. The legend runs that 
 an archbishop, at the time of a famine, took 
 what grain there was from the poor, for his 
 own wants. The starving throng begged him 
 for bread, and he said to them, t You shall have 
 it ; go into that empty barn and I will give you 
 warm bread ! ' The people rushed into the 
 barn, when he closed the doors, and set it on 
 fire, and when they all cried out in terror he 
 coolly said, ' Listen to the pipings of the mice.' 
 From the ashes of the people armies of mice 
 came to devour him ; he rushed to the tower 
 for safety ; but the mice, undaunted, fol- 
 lowed him, and ate his flesh to the bone, and 
 his skeleton was found in the Rhine. You 
 will recall now these words of the poem
 
 LETTER X. 227 
 
 * They whetted their teeth against the stones, 
 And then they picked the bishop'8 bones.' 
 
 Fragments of poetry come to one's mind 
 constantly here, for nearly every spot has been 
 sung of by some one.' 
 
 Near by is the great ruin of the Castle 
 Ehrenfels, where the Archbishop of Mayence, 
 or Mainz, as the Germans say, used to flee for 
 safety in times of agitation. Opposite is the 
 Castle of Rheinstein (Rhine Stone), which has 
 been restored, and is owned and often occu- 
 pied by the royal family of Germany, and 
 looks indeed very inviting. The legend con- 
 nected with this castle is a pretty tale, because 
 the end gives Gerda, the lovely daughter of 
 Count Siegfried, to Kuno, the man she loved, 
 notwithstanding the treachery of his bachelor 
 cousin Kurt, who endeavored to win her for 
 himself, but as a meet punishment fell from 
 his horse while following her and was killed. 
 Kuno inherited his estates, and he, with Gerda, 
 ever after l lived in peace.' 
 
 We saw the Siebenjungfrauen, i Seven Vir- 
 gins,' now seven cold rocks, once beautiful 
 maidens. The Lurlei, a river nymph, turned
 
 228 
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 them into stone for flirting too much with the 
 susceptible youth of the Rhine. Near by are 
 the huge rocks of the Lurlei, where dwelt the 
 syren, whose sweet voice lured all who heard 
 it, and whose greatest delight was to charm 
 these admirers on to their own destruction. It 
 is said that even now, at the uncanny hour of 
 midnight, the phantom of a boat can be seen, 
 with the shadowy figure of a man with out- 
 stretched arms standing in the centre, gazing 
 toward the cliff, where he had once seen and 
 been entranced by the lovely maid and her 
 sweet voice. 
 
 " To the Rhine, to the Rhine, go not to the Rhine, 
 
 My son, I counsel thee well : 
 For there life is too sweet and too fine, 
 
 And every breath is a spell. 
 The Nixie calls to thee out of the flood ; 
 And if thou her smiles shouldst see, 
 And the Lorelei, with her beautiful lips, 
 Then 'tis all over with thee ; 
 For bewitched and delighted 
 
 Yet seized with fear, 
 Thy home is forgotten, 
 
 And mourners weep here." 
 
 I become so absorbed in all these old 
 traditions, that I feel like telling you the
 
 LETTER X. 229 
 
 stories as if they were new, but you know them 
 all, and I must stop or weary you, for you are 
 in practical Boston, and I on this historic, 
 romantic stream. Near us, on the boat, sat a 
 distinguished-looking party of Germans, one of 
 whom was the young gentleman I previously 
 alluded to, and who had watched us, we felt, 
 with considerable interest, for the citizens of 
 one nation are always interested in travellers 
 from far-off lands, taking notes of their own. 
 Hearing me ask of F. a question in regard to 
 one of the old ruins, which information she 
 was unable to give me, he kindly volunteered 
 the desired explanation, apologizing at the 
 same time for addressing us. He was every 
 inch a gentleman, and spoke English a little. 
 His knowledge of everything in the vicinity, 
 his kind attentions, and the use of his superior 
 glasses, added greatly to the pleasure of our 
 trip. I think he looked at my companion, but 
 he talked with me, and was charming. ' Have 
 you reached " the delightful part of the Rhine"?' 
 he asked, and I felt that I had. The only really 
 beautiful portion is from Bingen to Bonn. It 
 is between these cities that the river turns and
 
 230 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 winds from one mountain side to the other, on 
 whose heights stand the picturesque old ruins 
 castles, convents, and crags. Of course the 
 Drachenfels, or Dragon's Rock, with the cas- 
 tle ruins, brought to us many memories of the 
 'Niebelungen Lay,' for it was here, on this 
 romantic ground, that young Siegfried showed 
 his wonderful strength, which has been told 
 and sung of ever since. If only he had dipped 
 his entire body in the dragon's blood, and not 
 left the one spot exposed ! But, ah me ! I fear 
 we all have the one vulnerable spot somewhere, 
 for we are all human ! In and near this vicin- 
 ity the finest grapes grow, and the vineyards 
 are extensive and receive constant care. 
 
 We made a short stop at Bonn, long enough 
 to see the fine statue of Beethoven, who was 
 born here, and who was descended from a 
 family of wonderful musicians. Saw the uni- 
 versity buildings also, where a young gal- 
 lant, once ours, studied, and then we pushed 
 on down the river, the banks now flat and of 
 little interest, until Cologne came in sight. 
 
 Yes, we have greatly enjoyed the Rhine, 
 but taking it entire, I am a little disappointed,
 
 LETTER X. 231 
 
 and as these are honest letters, telling you of 
 sights just as I am impressed by them, I must 
 say, that with the exception of that portion of 
 the river I have spoken of to you, which is 
 bordered by the mountains, castle-tipped, I 
 think our own Hudson, with its lovely banks 
 and its shadowy Catskills, the more beautiful. 
 I am thinking now of the time, one year ago, 
 when I sat on the deck of the Mary Powell 
 running up past the grand palisades and dear, 
 lovely, old West Point. Well, I shall be 
 homesick if I dwell upon that trip. Our 
 attentive German escort, whose card has told 
 us that he is the son of Baron von H., and a 
 student at Bonn, now taking his vacation, re- 
 quested my consent to accompany us to our 
 hotel, as he was to stop at the same one, hop- 
 ing to be able to be of service to us, which 
 very kind offer we declined, and stepped into 
 a droschky, which soon safely landed us at the 
 Hotel Disch.
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 COLOGNE. 
 
 OUR room was all ready for us, and it was a 
 fine one, and a rocking-chair in it, as sure as 
 we are here, the first one seen since leaving 
 Paris. How home-like ! Letters, too ! the best 
 welcome of all. One from you, dear, who 
 have proved by services and self-sacrifices that 
 1 love ' is more than a word ; and two from 
 dear friends whose rare friendship has known 
 no change. How eagerly we read them ! 
 How thankful to know you are all well ! Oh 
 how far away in body we feel from you to- 
 night ! 
 
 A rap at the door ! A note handed me ! 
 What is this ? Credentials, and a letter form- 
 ally introducing our young fellow-traveller of
 
 234 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 our trip down the Rhine. He was well known 
 by our hotel proprietor. Well, he has worked 
 rapidly since landing to try to assure us more 
 earnestly that he is the gentleman he seemed, 
 and of which I was perfectly positive without 
 his having taken all this trouble. He sends us 
 some fresh, sweet roses, and asks if he may 
 sit with us at table d'hote. A little resting in 
 our room, a little lingering at the window, 
 from which we have a fine view, and our first, 
 of the great cathedral, and down to dinner we 
 go, Miss F. not forgetting to wear her share of 
 the lovely jacqueminots. Our friend was wait- 
 ing for us, and looked handsomer than ever in 
 his fine dress-suit. We were all hungry, and 
 did wish a little more speed could be used in 
 serving table d'hote dinners. If one is sight- 
 seeing, and desires the time for something 
 besides waiting, these long-drawn-out affairs 
 require the patience of a Job to sit to the end 
 of them. 
 
 After dining we walked out into one of the 
 parks and heard excellent music, looked about 
 the old town, guided by our German, who was 
 familiar with every spot and who quite edu-
 
 LETTER XI. 235 
 
 cated us upon Cologne and its history. Upon 
 bidding him good-night, he said he should be 
 happy to escort us about the next day, but 
 previous arrangements compelled us to decline 
 with the heartiest of thanks. He was disap- 
 pointed, and the big, dreamy blue eyes rested 
 upon the sun-browned girl with me, who looks 
 thoroughly the tramp she is. They two con- 
 verse in German, and so rapidly ! I must prac- 
 tise German more ; I can hardly follow them. 
 Why will people talk all languages but our 
 own as if tongues were propelled by steam ? 
 
 Hotel Disch, Cologne, August 1st, 1888. 
 Thanks we offer for a good night's rest and 
 for this lovely morning. Our bell rings, and 
 I find at our door a maid with a basket of ex- 
 quisite flowers tied with blue ribbon, colored, I 
 am sure, with the reflection of a certain pair 
 of eyes. A card, with the donor's name, hop- 
 ing the ladies are well. A pretty morning wel- 
 come, surely !" We receive a call later, and bid 
 God-speed to our German friend, who seems as 
 reluctant to leave us as we are to have him go. 
 But such is travelling : we meet as ships at sea, 
 salute each other and then pass on. Moral of
 
 236 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 this little episode : If you wish in journeying 
 about to have plenty of attention, take a 
 young lady with you. 
 
 Cologne, or Koln, is a large city, and in 
 some of the streets where much of the per- 
 fume is made the odor is very evident and 
 much more welcome than the cheese scent of 
 Berne or the garlic-impregnated air of some 
 of the German towns. This is a fascinating 
 old place, and the streets of shops, gay, bright, 
 and progressive looking, and the old, narrow, 
 crooked thoroughfares very odd, with their 
 queer old buildings. The garrison here con- 
 tains seven thousand soldiers : think of their 
 seven thousand 'ribs' at home digging pota- 
 toes. There are many churches here, old 
 towers and fountains, an archbishop's palace, 
 and statues of the different German emperors, 
 one fine one of Gen. Moltke and one of Bis- 
 marck, all good specimens of careful work. 
 Cologne water is for sale everywhere, stores of 
 it, in bottles and flasks of every shape, on the 
 street corners, in the corridors of hotels, and 
 children rush up to you and take it out of 
 their pockets, urging you to buy. Throughout
 
 LETTER XI. 237 
 
 Germany I have seen the beautiful face of 
 Queen Louise carved, chiselled, painted and 
 photographed, but here, in an art store, I saw 
 an engraving of the same sweet face, the love- 
 liest of all. No wonder old Emperor William 
 cherished her memory so sacredly, and forgot 
 not the insults of Napoleon heaped upon his 
 beloved, noble mother. We went, for a short 
 time in each, to the Zoological and the Bo- 
 tanical gardens. We thought we would see 
 some of the sights of the town before going 
 into the cathedral, but the huge pile was 
 before us at every turn and we could wait no 
 longer to see the crowning glory of the place. 
 Cologne Cathedral ! Dear, of this great 
 piece of Gothic architecture, with its majestic 
 arches, columns, pillars, windows, and all else 
 that helps make up its wonderful beauty, I 
 have no words to tell you. It is perfect : 
 nothing has equalled it. We wandered about, 
 then seated ourselves, with never before in our 
 lives so beautiful a perspective before us, and I 
 was so overpowered with it all that I am not 
 sure but I should still be sitting there if F. 
 had not said, i Come, we must see the chapels.'
 
 238 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 There are seven of them, all filled with costly 
 pictures and relics. In the treasury of the 
 church there are gold and silver, diamonds, 
 pearls, emeralds, and rubies enough to buy 
 bread for all Germany. The beautiful churches 
 of this country, the wonderful telling of sacred 
 stories in their paintings, the speaking statues, 
 which bring to us the ' good tidings ' anew, 
 the soothing, restful colors, are all great 
 lessons and we can get much good from them. 
 But the sacristies, filled with gold and silver in 
 meaningless shapes, precious, costly gems im- 
 bedded in old skulls repulsive to look upon, 
 are indeed abominations. If all these riches 
 were turned into money to help the Saviour's 
 poor, would it not be a better way of doing 
 6 His bidding ' ? For the poor and the hun- 
 gry are not far from the masses of wealth, 
 wherever or in whatever form it may be. I 
 appreciate aesthetically this dazzling display of 
 artistic splendor and riches, but my heart goes 
 out in pity and sympathy toward the multitude 
 who are taxed to support it. And are not 
 these terrible differences, whether in church or 
 in society, the seed which may some time
 
 LETTER XI. 239 
 
 grow into anarchy and revolution? Even in 
 dear, good Boston, not long ago, I heard a 
 delicate woman, who toiled daily for her in- 
 valid husband and three little ones, say, ' I am 
 so discouraged to-day in my struggle for the 
 necessities of life that it is almost maddening 
 to take up the paper and see that Mrs. A. had 
 a thousand dollars worth of flowers at her ball 
 last night, that Mrs. B. wore a ten thousand 
 dollar necklace, and so on.' 
 
 This town is well supplied with churches, 
 there being twenty noted ones here. I did 
 not feel much inclined to see anything less 
 impressive than the cathedral, but submissively 
 followed F. to St. Ursula, for, she said, no- 
 where else could I see the bones of eleven 
 thousand virgins. And sure enough, there 
 they were ! many of them placed in position, 
 like rails in a Virginia fence. Three thou- 
 sand skulls are also ranged along on shelves 
 together, grinning silently at each other. If 
 Hamlet runs out of skulls, there are plenty in 
 Cologne. The decorations, however, would 
 probably not be thrown in, as they are worth 
 a good deal more than the skulls. Some wear
 
 240 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 embroidered and jewelled hoods, others wear 
 caps of silver and gold. There is a painting 
 of St. Ursula here,' and the shrine of St. 
 Ursula, set with precious stones. ( And this is 
 the arm-bone of St. Ursula,' said our solemn 
 guide. ( Is it really ? ' said I. 'And this is her 
 foot.' ' My ! just think of it, F. ! St. Ursula's 
 foot !' And with renewed solemnity our guide 
 continued, ' And this is her hair net.' ' Her 
 hair net ! do let me see it closer. Are her 
 false crimps here also ?' ' And here are the 
 teeth of the virgins.' ' Blessed virgins ! they 
 will never have the toothache any more from 
 these teeth !' ' And here is the vase in which 
 the water was turned to wine at the marriage- 
 feast at Can a, in Galilee ! ' ' Is it possible ? do 
 you really believe it ? ' said I. The man a 
 handsome priest bowed low and crossed 
 himself. Much of the story of St. Ursula and 
 her pilgrimage is illustrated in paintings on 
 the walls of the church. We surely had our 
 money's worth, and our fill of churches for one 
 day. 
 
 Our German friend does not forget us, 
 although now miles away ! Flowers, and a let-
 
 LETTER XI. 241 
 
 ter to F., which we find upon returning to our 
 hotel, prove this. The letter is so ' cute,' and 
 so original, also, in its attempts to express its 
 writer's feelings in English, that I will copy it 
 for you, word for word, for you will appreciate 
 it, and I am sure he would not object, for you 
 do not even know his name : 
 
 MY DEAR Miss : I fear this first letter 
 
 will be very sentimental, but I cannot help it. 
 I must once more tell it to you how sorry I am 
 that I fear our acquaintance will now be fin- 
 ished already, and how much I felicite myself 
 to have had the bonheur of this acquaintance. 
 Also I feel obliged to thank you much for 
 the confidence you kindly have had in 
 granting unto me this acquaintance. It I 
 never will forget. Yes, it is a bad, sorry word, 
 the word Abschied. I don't know it meant 
 in English. Before all, if we pronounce it, 
 with the very doubtful hope to see the person 
 everywhere again, to whom we have to pro- 
 nounce that word. You must have seen how 
 much it gave me pain and trouble to say it to 
 you that evening. By writing, that goes bet-
 
 24:2 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ter, than I not do see your eyes, hear your 
 voice, feel your presence but in mind. I now 
 bow down for trying to say to you that for- 
 ever I will cherish you, as I was an old friend 
 of yours, and that I desire, of all my heart, 
 you may be as happy in all your life as any- 
 body can be, and as you want to be. Wher- 
 ever you exist, all my wishes and love will be 
 
 for you, and all the regards for Madame 
 
 accompanying you. And now, enough of my 
 deep feelings, for I fear you may become angry 
 to so hear them, and regulate of your promise 
 to hear my correspondence. If you will have a 
 next letter, I will do my very better to be less 
 melancolie in that following letter, for to-day 
 I cannot else. Allow me pleasure to send you 
 some sweet roses similie, similie, say the 
 homeopaths ; that means 01 know here that 
 means true here, and you must know it. Fare- 
 well, my sweet American lady, and good-bye. 
 My hope and longing for the seeing you again 
 is inexplicable. Please now make my most 
 
 respectful compliments to Madame , and 
 
 do hold me, while life lasts, in your good friend- 
 ship. I hope you will excuse my bad English,
 
 LETTER XI. 243 
 
 for it all comes from this heart, and not from 
 this head of your faithful friend forever, who 
 is in pain to say adieu to you, and more than 
 ever before must I go to America and your 
 city Boston. I pray you do write to me, your 
 friend, who shall wait and watch for your 
 words. .' 
 
 I doubt if we could answer in German, on 
 paper, and make ourselves as clearly under- 
 stood. We hope sometime to see our devoted 
 and much-valued friend again. 
 
 Hotel Disch, August 2d, 1888. We have 
 had a long drive about the city to-day. 
 We saw the bridge of boats and went into 
 the cathedral for the third time, and each 
 time its beauty impresses us more and more. 
 If the tradition connected with the architecture 
 of the cathedral is true, that his Satanic majesty 
 designed it, he certainly did that better than 
 any of the rest of his works. The exterior is 
 also most pleasing to the eye, look at it in any 
 way you will, and the spires, the towers, and 
 the buttresses, with their elaborately carved 
 pinnacles, are c things of beauty,* never to 
 be forgotten.
 
 244 
 
 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 In our ramble later in the day through the 
 streets, which seem to be laid out something 
 like half circles, a little ragamuffin pulled my 
 dress and asked in German, ( Can I show you 
 the horses.' The child's dirty face was wan 
 and haggard, so we could not begrudge a few 
 pennies given him, and I took his hand, which 
 seemed to please him immensely and on we 
 walked together. 'There they are,' said he. And 
 sure enough, looking from a second story win- 
 dow of an old house are two gray horses, stuffed, 
 I presume, but their appearance is very life-like. 
 The story explaining their being there runs 
 like this. The beautiful wife of a rich man 
 apparently died. The grief of the husband 
 was so intense that he would allow no one to 
 come near her, and placed her in the tomb him- 
 self, with her rich garments and jewelry on. 
 Thieves went at night to steal these articles, 
 when at their touch she arose and asked, 
 1 Where am I ? ' The men, alarmed, ran away 
 at full speed, leaving the doors open, and the 
 woman, who had only been in a trance, walked 
 out into the street, and to her husband's house. 
 She knocked at the door until her husband was
 
 LETTER XI. 245 
 
 aroused and asked who knocked. She replied, 
 * It is I, thy own Richmodis, thy wife.' ' No,' 
 said he, ' my wife is dead, and the dead rise no 
 more ; sooner would my two grays trot up the 
 staircase into my room and look out of the win- 
 dow.' He immediately heard a noise, and his 
 two horses came into his room, placed their 
 fore feet on the window sill and looked out, 
 and there they have been looking ever since. 
 And the poor wife, let us hope, was received as 
 flesh and blood. Old traditions and history 
 repeat themselves constantly in these ancient 
 foreign cities. 
 
 A party of young girls, with their teacher, 
 arrived at our hotel to-day from Massachusetts, 
 and it was a delight to see their faces and to 
 hear our own tongue. E. reached us this even- 
 ing from Bayreuth, filled to the brim with 
 Wagner, and greatly regretting that we were 
 not there to see and to hear. Of the latter 
 pleasure we know something from the exquis- 
 itely rendered Parsifal selections given at our 
 own Symphony Concerts, but to see Parsifal in 
 the home of its composer is a delight yet to 
 come.
 
 246 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 August 3d, 1888. Leaving Cologne, and 
 carrying much cologne with us, we started at 
 nine o'clock A. M. for Utrecht, turning our faces 
 toward the cathedral's spire as long as we could 
 catch a glimpse of it, and soon we are out of 
 Germany and in Holland. For all the Ger- 
 mans drink so much beer, we have never seen 
 in the country one intoxicated person, and 
 who could go far in our own land and say 
 that ? ( 'Tis true, and pity 'tis 'tis true,' that 
 the poor whiskey deluded Americans drink 
 is many times more deadly and destructive 
 than beer. Although we have had few oppor- 
 tunities of seeing the better class of Germans 
 in their homes, we know that home-life is 
 sweet and sacred to them, and the Germans are 
 everywhere proverbially honest and their word 
 to be depended upon. Their country is not 
 only a military one, but it is the nation of music, 
 of the sciences, and people of all other nations 
 flock here for instruction.
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 AT Utrecht, our first Holland city, at the 
 station, we had our first glimpse of a Holland 
 lady in her national costume. She stepped 
 from her carriage and stood near us for several 
 moments, and in that time, I fear, we proved 
 to be as good ' starers ' as the French are. I 
 wish I could make you see her just as I did. 
 She was a large-framed, good-looking woman. 
 Her dress skirt was of stiff black satin, in 
 length considerably above her ankles. She 
 wore a full white waist, over which she had a 
 jacket, cut the shape of a zouave garment, of 
 black cloth, upon the front of which seemed to 
 be gilt or gold ornaments, that looked like 
 military decorations ; but her head rigging was 
 the oddest of all. First she had on a cap-like
 
 248 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 covering, that looked as if made of white tarle- 
 ton, with a full front, into which were stuck 
 numerous gold pins, from the heads of several of 
 which diamonds flashed ; a broad gold band ran 
 from side to side across her forehead, and from 
 each end hung a gold ornament ; over this she 
 wore a flaring straw bonnet. She had on white 
 kid gloves, and looked and moved every inch a 
 lady. 
 
 We were a good while delayed before being 
 able to get a two-seated carriage, for everybody 
 in the sleepy old town moved slowly, but after 
 a while we were furnished with an open 
 barouche and a handsome pair of slow-moving 
 black horses, and were driven about the city. 
 Utrecht means ' Old Ford,' and the place looks 
 quiet and dull, although it has a beautiful park 
 and many fine, large residences, but they all 
 seemed shut up ; and we came to the conclu- 
 sion, after a disgusting incident a little later, of 
 which I will tefl you, that the older people were 
 off travelling. 
 
 On one of the best streets of Utrecht stood 
 a group of well-dressed children, intelligent 
 and attractive looking. Just as I had finished
 
 LETTER XII. 249 
 
 a remark complimentary to them, we were cov- 
 ered, deluged, blinded with mud and manure 
 thrown at us by these remarkably innocent 
 looking children, who had grouped there for 
 this very purpose with the dirt in their hands, 
 coolly awaiting and watching our approach. 
 A second time, in another part of the city, we 
 were attacked in the same manner by children, 
 and this time E. rushed from the carriage, so 
 indignant was he at the coarse outrage ; and 
 although both times the children took fast to 
 their heels, they would have been severely 
 and justly punished if I had not begged our 
 defender to let them go, and not take up the 
 little time we had in having them overtaken. 
 Our driver said it was a very common occur- 
 rence for the youth of the town to thus attack 
 strangers. I just longed to give them a good 
 Yankee chastisement. We visited the cathe- 
 dral, and my companions went up into the 
 tower, from which they had a good view, 
 but I had seen ah 1 of Utrecht that I desired, 
 but was destined to see one more disturbing 
 scene. 
 
 A canal runs through the town, and the
 
 250 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 boats are mostly managed and towed along by 
 women, old white-haired women lifting and 
 tugging away at bags and barrels, pulling at 
 the ropes of the boats ; and at the rope of one 
 huge canal boat a woman and a cow were pull- 
 ing together. The water in the canal was low 
 and the mosquitoes were high, for they also 
 attacked us in our carriage, the very first ones 
 we have met with on the continent. So, after 
 a really good dinner the only acceptable 
 attention received by us in Utrecht, we were 
 glad to push on to Amsterdam. 
 
 Holland is largely a grazing country, very 
 level, with vast pastures filled with cattle, 
 horses, and sheep, all fine-looking specimens of 
 their race. At one little station where we 
 waited I stepped close to a dike, on the other 
 side of which were hundreds of sheep ; as if 
 by one consent they all raised their heads and 
 looked at me in such a human way that I 
 felt like an intruder, bowed respectfully to 
 them, and retreated. The Holstein cattle are 
 noble-looking creatures, and the horses of Hol- 
 land handsome animals, dignified steppers, 
 but heavy and slow. Cattle and horses are all
 
 LETTER XII. 251 
 
 black, or black and white, and all the cats I 
 have yet seen here are black. I saw four big- 
 black tabbies at Utrecht. We pass through 
 several little Dutch villages, see farmhouses in 
 the distance, glints of blue water far away, dikes 
 all about us, and, as we near Amsterdam, big 
 windmills without number. And here we 
 are ! 
 
 Amsterdam, August 4:th, 1888. Do you 
 remember our old Dutch nurse, who used to 
 tell me stories, in Pittsburg, Penn., of her 
 home in Amsterdam ? And now here I am to 
 tell you a little about the same place as I see 
 it. Our first stroll revealed to us one of the 
 queerest, quaintest cities we had anywhere vis- 
 ited. Directly after breakfast we went to the 
 markets, where the peasantry were selling fruit, 
 vegetables, fowl, crocheted articles, plants and 
 flowers, cheese, butter, and much else ; the ven- 
 ders themselves, in their queer dress, being the 
 most attractive of all to us. The women 
 nearly all wore the queer-looking head-dresses 
 of their country, although not made up as 
 richly as the one we saw at Utrecht, and all had 
 on heavy, woollen stockings and wooden shoes,
 
 252 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 and when not busy otherwise were vigorously 
 knitting. 
 
 From the market we went to the quarters of 
 the poorer class of Jews, where the streets were 
 narrow, the homes squalid, and the little rooms 
 fairly crowded with human beings, packed 
 closer than were ever sardines. In one small, 
 dirty front entry we counted sixteen children. 
 Our carriage was surrounded, every time we 
 stopped, by crowds of lookers-on, young and 
 old, tattered and torn, but all behaved well. 
 1 How true it is that one half of the world 
 knows not how the other half lives' There 
 are ajbout thirty thousand Jews in this city, 
 many richer than kings, and many who know 
 not ' where to lay their heads.' 
 
 Acquaintances who have visited this city 
 have given me diiferent ideas of it, more dis- 
 paraging it than praising, but I find it delight- 
 ful, and filled with interest. 
 
 Amsterdam, now the capital of Holland, you 
 know, and by far its richest city, was in the 
 twelfth century only a small village. When 
 the Spaniards persecuted the so-called Re- 
 formers of other Dutch and Flemish towns,
 
 LETTER XII. 253 
 
 they fled to Amsterdam, taking with them their 
 riches and their industries, and to them the 
 place owes the beginning* of prosperity. The 
 River Amstel divides the place, the one side 
 being called the Oude Zijde (old side), and the 
 other Nieuwe Zijde (new side). It is said that 
 ninety canals intersect the city, and I know 
 there is one in about every street, and draw- 
 bridges are built over them. In the prettier 
 parts of the city these canals have avenues of 
 handsome residences, and lines of shade trees 
 on one or both sides. On these houses, nailed 
 close to the side of the upper windows, we ob- 
 served the so-called ' Spiegless ' mirrors on 
 hinges, which could be turned so as to allow a 
 person sitting within to see all that was going 
 on in the street below, up or down. They 
 answer the purposes of our bay-windows. In 
 some of the older parts of the city the queer 
 Dutch houses are painted black, with white 
 trimmings, and were apparently ' dropped down ' 
 together, and remain wherever they happened 
 to light, Marblehead-like ; and in many of them 
 the upper story pitches forward, as if to greet 
 the opposite roof, in a most neighborly and
 
 254 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 social manner, and altogether they are exceed- 
 ingly picturesque. 
 
 We visited one of the large diamond factor- 
 ies, and saw every process used on the stone in 
 its rough condition, to cause it to become the 
 glittering, costly gem, ready for the adornment 
 of 'my lady.' The different work upon the 
 stones was to me intensely interesting. We 
 saw little mounds of diamonds, cut and pol- 
 ished, ready for the diamond market, that 
 were radiantly brilliant. The gentleman who 
 escorted us through the building was very 
 polite, and exerted himself to give us clear ex- 
 planations of everything we wished to under- 
 stand. Two officials kept pretty close to us, 
 however ; they may have thought that ( piles ' 
 of diamonds might prove too seductive for even 
 American honesty. These mills give employ- 
 ment to about ten thousand workmen, mostly 
 Jews, and many of the establishments are 
 owned by wealthy Jews. Most of the best cut 
 stones of the present age have been cut here. 
 Well, we cannot always live amongst dia- 
 monds, so out into the air we go, for if but 
 one can be ours, the latter is better, oxygen 
 rather than carbon.
 
 LETTER XII. 255 
 
 The commerce of the place is extensive, as a 
 visit to the docks proved. Ships from nearly 
 every part of the world bring merchandise 
 here, and take back the products of Holland. 
 Amsterdam cheese, gin, and chocolate we well 
 know, but we did not suppose so many other 
 valuable articles were manufactured here. We 
 see not merely one woman at work here on 
 the boats, but hundreds of women. Many of 
 them know no other home ; whole families live 
 on boats, children are born on them, and on 
 them many human beings close their eyes on 
 this life. Everything about these boats is 
 scrupulously clean; pretty Dutch girls, with 
 their short dresses and wooden shoes, peep 
 from behind the fresh, white muslin curtains 
 to look at us ; and women who are not doing 
 harder work sit around with the inevitable 
 queer head-dress on, and the blue kerchiefs 
 pinned across their breasts, knitting away as if 
 lives depended upon stockings being finished. 
 These Amsterdam canal boats have sails, and 
 look very odd to us. 
 
 We took a three-mile sail for a rest, then 
 landed, and lunched in a rose-embowered
 
 256 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 arbor in a pretty garden. Refreshed, we took 
 a barge back, thus getting good views of the 
 river banks ; and next went to the Zoological 
 Gardens, the best we have seen anywhere. 
 How the beautiful, bright-plum aged birds, 
 walking and flying in the open air, seemingly 
 free from the almost invisible chains that held 
 them, welcomed us in their gorgeous costumes ; 
 how the tall flamingo showed us his best ballet 
 steps, I have not time to give you details. 
 The extensive aquarium connected with the gar- 
 dens contained a wealth of wonders. Why do 
 we not have places of such interest in Boston ? 
 As we stepped out of the garden we observed, 
 on a neat-looking house, a singular sign, l Hot 
 Popjies.' With our usual curiosity we entered, 
 and found that l popjies ' were nothing more 
 or less than genuine Yankee griddle cakes, 
 and very good ones too, served with butter and 
 sugar. 
 
 The best picture gallery in Amsterdam, the 
 Rijks Museum, is the best in Holland. Here 
 we saw Rembrandt's ' Night Watch,' of which 
 we have often seen engravings, but were not 
 prepared for such beautiful effects of colors as
 
 LETTER XII. 257 
 
 we found in the original. Near this painting 
 is a still larger one, representing a celebrated 
 banquet of the City Guard of Amsterdam, in 
 1684, by Vander Heist, and here too is Jan 
 Steen's * Lady and the Parrot,' and other beau- 
 tiful paintings by this pleasing artist. One 
 picture here, by Gerard Duow, called the ' Even- 
 ing School/ cost forty thousand dollars, although 
 not over a half-yard long, and not measuring 
 as much across. This painting has five or six 
 different effects of light produced on it from 
 the burning candles represented. A girl is 
 pointing to her lesson with her finger, and a 
 boy is writing on a slate ; a candle, held by 
 another girl standing back of them, throws a 
 light on their backs, and another candle, 
 lighted, which is on a table, throws light 
 upon their faces, but it would be impossible 
 for you to imagine the peculiar glow and love- 
 liness of it all. All of the works from this 
 man's easel are charming. There are here sev- 
 eral of Paul Potter's paintings, wonderful in 
 execution, and particularly to be considered so 
 when we think how young he must have been 
 when he painted them. Here are hens, chick-
 
 258 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ens, geese, and ducks, all so natural that we 
 almost hear their cackle. Here are landscapes, 
 interiors of Dutch homes, and portraits with- 
 out number, works of Tenier, Van Mieris, Van 
 Dyck, Peter Schilder, Dolens, Frans Hals, and 
 the many other Dutch artists. It is one of the 
 most enjoyable collections of pictures we have 
 anywhere seen. It is a marvel to me how the 
 old masters and the noted artists ever did so 
 much work ; they must have gone right ahead, 
 and not even laid down their brushes long 
 enough to have had pleasant little disputes over 
 the hanging of their pictures. But thanks to 
 them for having left to us such great sources 
 of pleasure ! 
 
 Amsterdam abounds in excellent charitable 
 institutions. I think I could name over as 
 many as there are in Boston ; and there are 
 schools and societies for educating the poor, 
 and for their advancement, that do great credit 
 to the citizens. I am told that the rich here 
 of every sect spend freely their money for 
 the benefit of the poor. There is a palace on 
 a square called the Dam, in the middle of the 
 city, containing large rooms, but without much
 
 LETTER XII. 259 
 
 elegance excepting the ball-room. The churches 
 of the city are numerous, and some fine ones, 
 but as we have not time to see everything in 
 this remarkable place, we have decided to omit 
 the churches this time. 
 
 We were told of a ' swell ' restaurant, and 
 for a change dined there to-day. It was a 
 ( swell ' place, we had a ' swell ' dinner, and paid 
 ' swell ' prices. They certainly know how to 
 tempt one's appetite, but the submitting to the 
 temptation must be generously paid for. We 
 have seen a fine statue of Rembrandt ; and we 
 have observed objects very new to us, which 
 are queer, ludicrous-looking faces, over the 
 doors of drug stores, with mouths wide open, 
 and tongues protruding, as if to show that 
 they were coated, or feverish, and needed 
 doctoring. I was so amused at these that I 
 asked the meaning of them, if they had any, 
 but no one seemed to know, only that they 
 were called ' Gappers.' 
 
 After seeing pretty thoroughly the business 
 part of the city, we were more surprised than 
 ever upon being driven to the aristocratic end, 
 where the wealthier people live, to find so much
 
 260 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 beauty. The streets were broad and finely 
 cared for ; the residences palatial, large, and 
 varied in architecture, with beautiful grounds 
 about them. Fine carriages abounded, filled 
 with well-dressed people, in whom we supposed 
 we saw the descendants of the Van Dycks, Van 
 de Werffs, and all of the other Vans ; and these 
 families maintain much elegance and regal style 
 in living. In this drive we had many glimpses 
 of it ; and ended the day by being entertained 
 right royally in one of these beautiful homes by 
 a gentleman and his charming family, to whom 
 we had letters of introduction, and who had 
 previously called upon us, and engaged us for 
 the evening. If we could have spared time to 
 accept, these people would have extended many 
 courtesies to us, and their cordial hospitality we 
 shall never forget. The whole of Amsterdam 
 is indeed delightful, and far exceeds my expec- 
 tations. We leave it with regret. We made 
 hasty excursions to Haarlem, to see the wonder- 
 ful hyacinths and tulips ; and to the over-clean 
 town of Broek, where notices are put on doors 
 ' to take off your shoes before entering ; ' and 
 to the Island of Marken, in the Zuider Zee, to
 
 LETTER XII. 261 
 
 see the queer dress of the peasants who live 
 there, and never leave their homes, nor ever 
 intermarry with the inhabitants of the main- 
 land. Their costume is the same as that worn 
 by their ancestors of a hundred years ago.
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 HOTEL VIEUX DOELEN, 
 THE HAGUE, HOLLAND, August 6th, 1888. 
 
 IN coming from Amsterdam here we saw 
 water-lilies sheets of them on rivers and 
 dikes ! Yes, just like our own New England 
 blossoms. How I did want the cars to stop, 
 so that I could get a breath of their fragrance 
 a breath of Cape Cod a breath of Ply- 
 mouth ponds a breath of East Taunton's 
 sweetest offerings I We saw storks too, tall and 
 stately, carrying with them good luck, and 
 bearing good omens. Our hotel here is a noted 
 one ; it is several centuries old, and has been 
 always the stopping place for members of noble 
 families, travelling from all over the world. 
 It has been several times restored, and is very 
 comfortable. Peter the Great and his suite,
 
 264 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 King Don Ferdinand of Portugal, and a list, 
 as long as your arm, of kings, princes, and 
 dukes, have been registered as guests in this 
 historic old mansion. On our arrival the house 
 was crowded, and to F. and myself was given 
 the state guest chamber, in which these crowned 
 heads have rested. The furniture of the large 
 room, which is on the first floor, is massive, 
 made of mahogany, ebony and gilt, with light- 
 blue silk coverings, and puffs of light- blue 
 silk to throw over our tired bodies. So much 
 elegance for us, while E. is tucked up under 
 the roof somewhere, so full is the house. 
 
 After arranging our luggage in our room, 
 and resting a wee bit, off we started for Schev- 
 eningen. It took but a short time to reach 
 this celebrated watering-place by steam-cars, 
 which we took to save time. As we stepped 
 out of our car at the station a strange picture 
 greeted us. There before us was the North 
 Sea, throwing its big waves toward the beach 
 the first glimpse of sea that we had had for 
 many a day, and its roar was music to us. The 
 broad beach was smooth, hard, and white, and 
 at this point was covered, as were also the
 
 LETTER XIII. 265 
 
 dunes in back of it, with the peasantry, Dutch 
 women and children, old grandmothers, and 
 mothers with their little ones of all ages, 
 playing in the beautiful white sand. We 
 spread our wraps on the beach, and sat down 
 amongst them and we are evidently as strange 
 a sight to them, as they are to us. The wee 
 urchins gradually approach us in a shy manner, 
 but E. coaxes them nearer by distributing bits 
 of coin amongst them, and speaking words 
 which they understand ; and a close look at 
 their sweet, fresh faces is worth the price. 
 These little ones are fair, rosy-cheeked, blue- 
 eyed tots, with long, flaxen tresses, surmounted 
 by little, close, white caps. They are dressed 
 alike, in dark-blue dresses, with little handker- 
 chiefs crossed on their chests, and all wear 
 wooden shoes. The costumes of old and 
 young vary but little, and all look fresh and 
 clean. The women were knitting, and chatting 
 with each other, and occasionally one would go 
 toward the water, hold her hands over her eyes, 
 and peer far out to sea. They were straining 
 their sight to catch glimpses of the boats that 
 carried the men most dear to them. These
 
 266 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 wives and mothers come mornings with their 
 fishermen, push them out on the water in their 
 boats with a ' God speed you,' and then stay 
 on the beach, with their children and their 
 knitting, until the men sail in again. They 
 then help drag the boats on shore, unload, and 
 carry the freshly caught fish to market. The 
 lucky fellow who has caught the greatest 
 number of fish as his day's work is entitled to 
 kiss the maid he thinks the prettiest in the 
 crowd, and the rest look on and clap their 
 hands, and there seems to be no jealousy 
 amongst them. The Dutch fishing boats, with 
 their brown sails, are queer-looking craft, and 
 have been painted by many of our own artists. 
 The beach from here extends for about forty 
 miles, I am told, in a straight line, washed 
 by the cold North Sea waves without rocks 
 or inlets. 
 
 We next proceeded to the fashionable end 
 of the beach; a division rope separates the 
 portion allotted to the fisherwonien from this. 
 What will divide the poor from the rich in 
 heaven, I wonder? Will it not be Father 
 Abraham's voice only, when he says the words,
 
 LETTER XIII. 267 
 
 1 Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst 
 thy good things '? How different this scene ! 
 Here is a fashionable watering-place, with 
 huge hotels, restaurants, stores, and crowds 
 of stylish people. This is more like Old Point, 
 Narragausett, or Newport than anything we 
 have before seen. But the beach is superior 
 to any of these, and the bathing-wagons on 
 wheels, in which the bathers are carried to the 
 water, and back to the hotels after their baths, 
 were quite new to us. They contain all toilet 
 utensils, an abundance of towels, and are most 
 certainly a great improvement over the way 
 bathers at our own sea-side resorts come out of 
 the water, with dripping costumes clinging to 
 the skin, to face a crowd of lookers-on. Here, 
 too, a space for those who bathe is roped off, 
 and others are not allowed to go within that 
 enclosure. The bath-chairs were also a great 
 delight to me. Here were hundreds of them, 
 basket-work, with covers and without, and foot- 
 stools added, in which we could sit and look 
 upon the sea, protected from the sun and the 
 wind. Some were for one, and in others two 
 or three could sit together. The sense of rest
 
 268 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 was most delightful in these chairs, with the 
 broad, blue expanse of water and sky before 
 us. Gay, merry children were riding about on 
 ponies and donkeys, and the road between the 
 hotels and the beach was filled with carriages 
 and people on horseback. 
 
 But the hours flew rapidly amidst such scenes 
 as these, and the sun was going to rest ; so, 
 reluctantly, we turned our steps toward the 
 big hotel on the crest. The piazzas were 
 crowded with people in full dress, but, with our 
 travelling gowns on, we mixed in, and went to 
 dinner. In the house was a beautiful hall or 
 concert room, and after dinner the Philhar- 
 monic Orchestra of Berlin gave a choice concert 
 there. The music was superb, and nowhere in 
 Europe had we seen so fine-looking an assem- 
 blage ; many of the ladies were remarkably 
 handsome, and all were dressed in excellent 
 taste. 
 
 Hotel Vieux Doelen, The Hague, August 
 7th. You would have laughed had you been 
 with us in our fine room this morning. Our 
 commode looks like a sideboard, and is so 
 high that I had to stand on a chair to take my
 
 LETTER XIII. 269 
 
 morning splash ; and as I began to fill my bowl 
 with water, something jumped, and so did I. 
 c The shade of Peter the Great !' said F., but 
 it was only a little, harmless toad, which had 
 probably come in at the window, which I had 
 left open. The arrangements for bathing and 
 washing in houses in this land are very meagre 
 and inconvenient. 
 
 The Hague seems a very elegant, sleepy, 
 quiet city. The streets are broad, many 
 of them bordered with handsome limes, and 
 the residences are large and square. Canals 
 are here, also, but do not seem to be used 
 much, if any, and the water looks stagnant. 
 In one street, the odor from the canal was 
 very offensive, although the streets on its bor- 
 ders were beautiful ones, and this is the resi- 
 dence of the Court ; in fact, the place has really 
 the appearance of an exclusive little royal city 
 dropped in the centre of a grand old forest. 
 It has pretty parks and gardens, and a plea- 
 sant promenade around a lake, called the 
 Vijver, or fish pond, from the water of which 
 the old palace seems to be rising. In the 
 square is the statue of William the Silent, who
 
 270 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 did so much to effect the liberty of Holland, 
 and who was a father to its people. This 
 brave man's faith never failed him, nor did he 
 ever swerve from what seemed to him his 
 duty, through political storms or discouraging 
 defeats ; freedom for all, and the right to wor- 
 ship God in accordance with the dictates of 
 one's own conscience he fought for as long as 
 he lived. In Delft, a little town near by, he 
 was struck down by an assassin. 
 
 The best stores here have very little appear- 
 ance, from the outside, of being stores at all. 
 Perhaps, as a sign, there is one elegant vase, 
 or a choice piece of drapery in the window ; 
 but upon stepping within, room after room 
 filled with exquisite goods surprises you rare 
 laces, china, furniture, antiques, and every- 
 thing else beautiful to tempt one to buy. 
 
 I very much wished to go into the palace 
 where the King of Holland and his family 
 live. We have seen many palaces where 
 royalty has resided, but few occupied by kings 
 and queens at the present time. We suc- 
 ceeded in gaining permission to do so, not 
 expecting to see more than the state apart-
 
 LETTER XIII. 271 
 
 ments. As we neared the palace entrance we 
 saw the royal carriage stop at the door and the 
 King and Queen and their little daughter the 
 Princess Wilhelmine, with a maid, enter it. 
 The carriage was a heavy, lumbering-looking 
 affair with two horses only. We might have 
 been much nearer them, but our escort said 
 no, as an introduction might then be neces- 
 sary, and it was no compliment to American 
 ladies to be presented to *the present King 
 of Holland, but I looked with all my eyes 
 and this is what I saw : A man, over sev- 
 enty years old surely, feeble-appearing in his 
 gait, and, although not bad looking, with a 
 certain tell-tale appearance of having led a 
 somewhat profligate life. The young Queen 
 Emma looks about twenty-eight, has a full 
 face, bright complexion, and pleasant expres- 
 sion, and was dressed in a gray costume. She 
 is, you know, his second wife, and a daughter 
 of the Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, one of the 
 poor, insignificant sovereigns of Germany, and 
 she is sister to the Duchess of Albany, the 
 daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria. It is said 
 there was much feeling on the part of the
 
 272 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Dutch against this young woman at first, for 
 it was thought her great ambition was to be 
 Queen of the Netherlands; but she has made 
 her way into the hearts of the people, and has 
 proved also a good wife and mother. The 
 King's first wife was the Princess Sophia of 
 Wurtemburg, and was a remarkably talented, 
 gracious woman, a fine linguist, musical, a 
 charming conversationalist, unaffected, affable 
 in manner, and dearly beloved by her people. 
 She died about ten years ago. She had two 
 sons, both now dead. So the little Wilhel- 
 mine, whom we saw, will be, after her father's 
 death, which cannot be far off, the Queen of 
 Holland. She is a pretty child, and looked in 
 dress and movements no different from hun- 
 dreds of our own little eight-year-old girls. 
 The people here seem to be much attached to 
 their king, and say he has been a benefactor to 
 them, and that his public life has been beyond 
 reproach, whatever his faults in private life 
 may have been. 
 
 As they drove away we entered the palace 
 through the same door at which they came 
 out, and were most kindly shown through it-
 
 LETTER XIII. 273 
 
 Their breakfast-table remained just as the 
 family had left it after taking their morning 
 meal. Probably servants do not hurry ' to 
 clear off the table' in royal households, any 
 more than they do in our own homes when we 
 go out for a morning jaunt. Everything in 
 the dining-room was rich and elegant, and the 
 gold breakfast-service worth looking at. The 
 drawing-rooms, reception-rooms, libraries, and 
 other apartments were in truth palatial, and 
 altogether it was by far the finest palace we 
 have seen. 
 
 They have another palace about three miles 
 away, called ' Huis-ten-Bosch,' or House in the 
 Wood, to which a little later we were driven ; 
 and it was a drive, the memory of which will 
 always seem restful. The day was lovely, and 
 as we rolled along over the splendid road in 
 the woods, which is really an immense, woody 
 park, retaining all its natural beauties, it was 
 so quiet that we could hear a leaf fall. The 
 birds only broke the stillness with their occa- 
 sional trills, and we met no life on our way 
 excepting a party of ladies on horseback with 
 their groom. After so much bustle the rest-
 
 274 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 ful, shadowy stillness was delightful to us. 
 This summer palace is a plain building sur- 
 rounded by beech trees, is very richly furnished, 
 and contains valuable pictures and rare, costly 
 ornaments, superb draperies, and curiosities. 
 Queen Sophia dearly loved this ' Huis-ten- 
 Bosch,' and spent much of her time within it. 
 Here she cordially welcomed her friends, with- 
 out ceremony, forgetful of station and self, ever 
 keenly alive to the happiness and needs of all 
 who came into her presence. She once re- 
 marked ' that God seemed nearer to her here 
 than elsewhere.' The present Queen seldom 
 comes here. 
 
 We next went into the Holland Exposition, 
 now open. O dear ! the days are not half 
 long enough to see all we wish to. You will 
 be glad, I know, when I tell you that we do 
 not get very tired. We ride instead of walk- 
 ing much, so as to save our strength for in- 
 teriors where we must walk and stand ; and we 
 eat often, for E. says * machinery so constantly 
 run must be often oiled.' How I wish I could 
 run in to ' 144 ' to-day and have one of their 
 delicious home dinners, roast chickens, all
 
 LETTER XIII. 275 
 
 kind of vegetables, prepared just right, jellies 
 and pickles, and all at hand when wanted, and, 
 not the least of the sweets, the always sweet 
 welcome, thrown in ! We do get so tired of 
 these table d'hote dinners, every dish served 
 without any seasoning, and only one at a time, 
 and the waits between courses long enough for 
 one's hair to grow gray. And yet what crea- 
 tures of habit we are. E. likes it, because he 
 has lived over here so much of his life that he 
 has become accustomed to it. It is a perverted 
 taste, and most surely a great waste of precious 
 time. Our bill of fare for dinner has been just 
 about the same every day since we left the 
 Schweizerhoff at Schaffhausen, where it was 
 most acceptably varied. 
 
 To show that we can be wrongly educated 
 in our appreciation of food and in the way we 
 eat it, I will venture to tell you a true story of 
 a little boy we know, who had lived in France 
 and Germany the greater part of his life of 
 ten years. He was taken to New York a year 
 or so ago, and there studied English with his 
 governess. One fine day his aunt took him to 
 her home in the country to spend the day.
 
 276 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 When he returned at night he said he was 
 hungry. ' Why, did you not have any din- 
 ner ? ' he was asked. ' I did not eat any.' 
 'Why not?' 'I did not want it.' 'Why 
 not ? ' was again asked, curiosity becoming 
 excited. At last the little fellow, so closely 
 questioned, cried out in despair, in his broken 
 English, ' Because Auntie had " swill " for 
 dinner.' Upon investigation it was ascertained 
 that the dinner was the old-fashioned, substan- 
 tial one of corned beef and its satellites of 
 various vegetables served at the same time. 
 The boy, the day before, had been reading a 
 story about pigs, in which the word ' swill ' was 
 used. He asked his teacher what that word 
 meant, an inelegant one at best, and she 
 told him, a little hastily perhaps, that it meant 
 bits of meat, potato, turnip, or other particles of 
 food all thrown together ; and he thought, in 
 his day's visit, that he had an ocular and tan- 
 gible demonstration of the definition. 
 
 The Hague, Wednesday, August 8th. 
 The memorables of to-day: First, the Royal 
 Picture Gallery, where are many costly and 
 valuable treasures. I have anticipated much
 
 LETTER XIII. 277 
 
 pleasure in seeing the collection here, knowing 
 well of many of the paintings, and I have not 
 been disappointed. Rembrandt's ' Lecture on 
 Anatomy,' known of the world over, is a won- 
 derful study, and a grand representation of 
 death and life on canvas. The old learned 
 doctor Nicholas Tulp, with a dead body before 
 him, is explaining to seven other surgeons the 
 dissecting of the subject. These faces are all 
 real portraits of physicians, and the expressions 
 of interest and attention given in them to the 
 lecturer's words and movements are grandly 
 and wonderfully portrayed. Nor is there the 
 slightest thing repulsive in the picture ; on the 
 contrary, it has the effect of making one 
 desirous of sitting down to listen to the les- 
 son also. Here too is Rembrandt's i Presenta- 
 tion,' a perfect gem : Joseph and Mary are pre- 
 senting the ' Holy Child ' for a blessing. Paul 
 Potter's famous ' Bull ' is here, which Napoleon 
 once stole and took to Paris, and it was then 
 rated as the fourth picture in the Louvre, but 
 after Napoleon's star of power had set the 
 Dutch reclaimed it. This picture represents a 
 bull, looking as if really alive, standing under
 
 278 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 the branches of a tree ; a cow, and a lamb with 
 its parents, are also near by resting, and a pleas- 
 ant-faced old farmer, standing with his arm on 
 the trunk of the tree, is looking on well satisfied. 
 These figures are life size, and are full of vigor. 
 Although the collection here does not please 
 me as much as the one in Amsterdam, it 
 contains many gems of the Dutch and Flemish 
 schools. Here are Berghems, Van Der Heists, 
 and Ruysdaels mellow landscapes and restful 
 pastoral scenes, helpful to look upon. But oh, 
 I wish you could see all the grand paintings 
 that are in this country ! It pains me, dear 
 mother, to enjoy so much and you not with me ; 
 but we shall not forget all we see, and will tell 
 you more about it sometime. 
 
 Storks are kept in the city at the public 
 expense, as they are the arms of The Hague, the 
 same as bears are of the city of Berne. And 
 now, good-by to this aristocratic town, and on 
 to Rotterdam, our last Holland city. 
 
 Rotterdam is something like Amsterdam, 
 although not nearly as attractive, nor anywhere 
 nearly as clean. It is a large place, and its 
 shipping interests considerable ; its canals and
 
 LETTER XIII. 279 
 
 wharves are crowded. Here, as in Amsterdam, 
 the houses are, many of them, built on piles, 
 and the land is kept land by keeping the water 
 in the canals, locks, and basins. It requires 
 much money, good systems, and much energy 
 to do this, but the Dutch have proved themselves 
 equal to it. We hear here such names as the 
 ' Hoogstraat ' (one of the streets), the ' Schie- 
 damsche dyke/ etc., regular jaw-breakers. In 
 fact, I think if Americans can understand or 
 be understood in Holland, they need have no 
 fears of not being able to travel in other parts 
 of the globe, so far as ' language * is concerned. 
 We took a drive through the new portion of 
 the city, where are many elegant residences. 
 We went into two churches ; saw a fine statue 
 of Erasmus the scholar, also one of Spinoza. We 
 then went into many of the old, crooked, narrow 
 streets of the older part of the city, called 
 Binnenstad, and here everything looked very 
 ' Dutch ' like ; and it is the queer aspect of these 
 foreign cities that I particularly enjoy, the 
 markets on market-day especially. The peas- 
 ants at their stalls, in the funny gowns and 
 funnier head-dresses, are perfectly fascinating. 
 We bought delicious cherries and strawberries
 
 280 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 of them to-day. Some of the women had 
 caps on that had long capes, others with caps 
 close to the head, and others with inside 
 frills, but one and all had the gold, gilt, or sil- 
 ver band across the forehead, and the wire 
 rosettes and pendants at the temples. 
 
 We talked up our little stock of Dutch his- 
 tory here, remembering that it was in this town 
 that the Puritans of England, when persecuted, 
 fled for refuge ; and here ' John Robinson [one 
 of our own ancestors] fired them with longings 
 for liberty, and they set sail to go across two 
 seas to find a new home where they would have 
 freedom to worship God.' What an amount of 
 studying we will do next winter, and Motley's 
 1 Rise of the Dutch Republic ' we are looking 
 forward to reading with much pleasure. 
 
 Our admiration of the Dutch, always great, 
 is much increased by this trip through their 
 country. When one sees the obstacles they 
 had to contend against in making their land 
 habitable old ocean itself for one, and the 
 victory they have achieved, it seems more won- 
 derful even than their conquering the tyranny 
 of Spain. They are an industrious, persever- 
 ing, and honest people.
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 HOTEL DE I/EUROPE, 
 ANTWERP, BELGIUM, August 9, 1888. 
 
 WE reached here last night in time to take 
 a look at this old city and to hear the ring- 
 ing- of ' bells, bells, bells.' We thought at 
 first they were ringing on account of our 
 arrival, or for some other unusual occasion, but 
 find we were mistaken. The bells of Antwerp 
 are ringing always. We find at our hotel the 
 M.'s, our pleasant Chamouni friends, and it 
 was a pleasant surprise indeed to have them 
 meet and greet us ; also Rev. Mr. G., of Bos- 
 ton. 
 
 Immediately after breakfast this morning we 
 started for Brussels. We made every effort to 
 have an early breakfast and have it quickly
 
 282 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 served, but the people of this land never hurry ; 
 they do not know the meaning of the word. 
 At eight A. M. we were seated at our table in 
 the dining-room ready to eat, and had ordered 
 our breakfast prepared one hour before, but 
 there was nothing ready for us. ' Will you 
 hurry up our breakfast ? ' said E. to our sleepy- 
 looking waiter. Slowly he answered, ' It is 
 cooking,' in 'his own lingo. Ten minutes go 
 by. Another nod to the stolid waiter ; and in 
 tones of entreaty, accompanied with a piece of 
 money, E. said, ' Will you not bring us some- 
 thing to eat ? ' The man, still standing as stiff 
 as a post, replied, ' It is coming.' * But we 
 leave at eleven o'clock,' said E. in the man's 
 own language. But the stupid Belgian did 
 not see the joke, and did not relax a muscle. 
 
 We have had a delightful day in Brussels, 
 and modern Brussels is a beautiful city and in 
 many ways much like Paris. It has broad, 
 handsome streets and boulevards, beautiful 
 parks, squares and gardens, with many rich 
 statues, monuments, artificial lakes and foun- 
 tains. The city is built on and up and down 
 a hill the new and elegant part of Brussels
 
 LETTER XIV. 283 
 
 on top, and the old and poorer part at the foot. 
 The royal family of Belgium live here, and 
 have several handsome palaces. The Capitol 
 is a magnificent structure, and there are many 
 noted churches ; we went into several of 
 them, but of all these things I shall not now 
 tell you very much. 
 
 Service is always going on in some one part 
 of these European cathedrals. In one that 
 we stepped into to-day they were celebrating 
 funeral rites, and before us were placed some 
 painful paintings of Christ, showing his bleed- 
 ing wounds. The Cathedral of St. Gudule is 
 the largest and finest, and contains a great 
 number of perfectly magnificent tapestries. 
 
 We went into the largest art gallery in the 
 city, where are many choice works, and we 
 greatly enjoyed them ; but here too are more 
 of Rubens' plump angels, of anything but 
 angelic proportions, and I am sure if our Sun- 
 day-school children at home should see some of 
 them they would never sing, ' I want to be an 
 angel,' any more. Here are more of Tennier's 
 beautiful productions, and fine pictures by 
 Vander Weyden, Rhemi, Vander Meulen, and
 
 284 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 other noted Flemish artists, and the collec- 
 tions give good opportunities for studying the 
 Flemish schools. 
 
 But the laces ! These laces are the most 
 tempting of all things. We go into houses 
 that on the outside look like private homes, 
 and are politely asked to be seated at tables, 
 when the women in attendance take from boxes 
 and drawers their stores of rich fabrics and 
 spread them out for our eyes to feast upon : 
 flounces, handkerchiefs, fichus, capes, collars, 
 all of the finest make and of most exquisite 
 designs. In the Royal Lace Manufactory we 
 saw the bridal trousseau of some noble lady, so 
 called, which was just completed, and the dress, 
 made entirely of the finest duchesse lace, was a 
 marvel of loveliness. We were taken into the 
 rooms where the women were making the 
 ' dentelles,' and after seeing their methods we 
 shall never again wonder that duchesse and 
 point laces are such costly fabrics. Nearly all 
 the most valuable laces of the world are made 
 here, and many women spend their entire lives 
 in making a piece of lace to ornament some 
 other woman made of the same perishable dust
 
 LETTER XIV. 285 
 
 as themselves and of whom they are the equals. 
 Ah me ! We spent a short time in the Belgium 
 Exposition, now open, and never before did I 
 see in any one collection such a wilderness of 
 rich, beautiful objects. A drive about the 
 charming city, a short stop in the Botanical 
 Gardens, and we are soon on the road back 
 to Antwerp, with mingled thoughts of the 
 paintings, gems, and laces back of us, and of 
 Bonaparte and Waterloo, and the historic 
 ground we are travelling over. We will save 
 more time, and more money too, for Brussels 
 in our next trip. 
 
 Antwerp, Friday, August Wth. This has 
 been a rainy day, but we ought not to com- 
 plain, for we have had but few of them. We 
 have been out all the day, and have seen this 
 old city pretty thoroughly, although many 
 parts of it now have a modern look. Yet 
 numerous old historic landmarks remain. I 
 hope you will not get weary of hearing about 
 art and artists, for we are in the laud of 
 Rubens and in the very cradle of art here. 
 We saw to-day the house Rubens lived and 
 died in. He is buried in the church of St.
 
 286 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 Jacques, as are also his two wives. In this 
 church is the picture of his l Virgin and 
 Child/ with several other figures on the can- 
 vas, all said to be likenesses of members of 
 his family. In the museum are many works 
 of all the noted old masters of the Dutch and 
 Flemish school for Antwerp gave birth to a 
 long list of them and here their works are 
 treasured. Here is the noted ' Le Christ a la 
 Faille ' Christ dead, lying on a stone strewed 
 with straw ; and here too is Vandyk's ' Saviour 
 on the Cross,' which tells the whole sublime 
 story. Of the more modern pictures, Lady 
 Godiva is worthy of mention. The flesh tints 
 are exquisite. She is represented as just let- 
 ting drop a curtain, which is of a bright, 
 warm color, and her attitude is so graceful that 
 one looks at her again and again. Of the 
 many exquisite paintings we have seen here, I 
 will tell you when I see you, which will not be 
 long now, God willing. 
 
 At noon it held up a little, so we took a 
 drive about the town. Antwerp is the strong- 
 hold of Belgium, and there are immense forti- 
 fications about the city. The town has known
 
 LETTER XIV. 287 
 
 great vicissitudes, and in old times terrible reli- 
 gious persecutions, but it is now in a most 
 prosperous condition, and trades with all the 
 large mercantile cities of the world, as the 
 piles of all kinds of merchandise we saw at the 
 wharves proved to us. The beautiful double- 
 width black silks are manufactured here, and 
 can be purchased at low prices. The shops 
 are fine, and present a tempting display of 
 articles. 
 
 I must tell you of a laughable incident that 
 occurred to-day. E. and F. were walking in 
 front of me, I lingering to look in' the store 
 windows, and carrying not only my own wrap, 
 but one for F. also, over my arm. Two fine- 
 looking ladies paused to look at us, for you 
 must remember we are known as foreigners 
 everywhere. One turned to the other and 
 said, ' Look, two foreign travellers and the 
 lady's-maid ! ' I carry no more wraps ! 
 
 Now, of only one more joy shall I tell you. 
 The cathedral and its contents ! We had 
 looked again and again at its tall, graceful, 
 delicate spire, rising high above the houses, 
 and we had heard its sweet, soft bells before
 
 288 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 going in. But now we have seen its inside 
 walls and the glories they hold. The interior 
 of the edifice is comparatively cold and barren, 
 but the paintings within are delightful and 
 surprise enough for a life-time. I forgive 
 Rubens for his unangel-like angels, that I 
 have not liked, for these wonderful works here 
 of his surpass anything on canvas I have ever 
 seen. I was expecting to behold something 
 unusual in ' The Descent from the Cross,' but 
 not prepared for anything so miraculously 
 beautiful and sublime. I could not tell to 
 mortal my sensations upon first beholding this 
 painting. I wonder now if it was a painting ! 
 There was Christ dead ! His beautiful, pathe- 
 tic face looked as if he had suffered, but 
 it is now full of spiritualized peace and rest. 
 Mary's sorrowful face, at his feet, is wet with 
 her falling tears. The loving and Beloved John 
 is near, and Magdalen extends her arms to take 
 the body of her dead Master. These faces are 
 all exquisite, sadly so, and yet one seems to 
 see in them an expression of trustfulness, a 
 spiritual hope, as if they saw something 
 beyond the unspeakable sadness of the hour.
 
 LETTER XIV. 289 
 
 The figure of our Saviour is touchingly real. 
 The drooping of the precious head the 
 muscles relaxed it is all Death ; and never, 
 before or since has the great, sad tragedy been 
 so sublimely told. The colors are wonderful 
 rich, mellow, and harmonious ; and we leave 
 the cathedral with tears in our eyes, thinking 
 only of Christ crucified, and for us. 
 
 Antwerp, August \\th. My dear : 
 
 My last words to you from a foreign land! 
 We are shopping, packing, speaking our 
 adieux, for to-day at three P. M. the Nord- 
 land sails, and we turn our faces toward our 
 native land. We are glad to go, and we are 
 sorry to leave.
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 ON SHIPBOARD. 
 
 OUR first hours on board were busy ones, 
 making our state-room seem home-like, deco- 
 rating it with little souvenirs, and disposing 
 boxes and bundles in out-of-the-way corners. 
 Placing in vases lovely flowers, which friendly 
 hands had placed in ours, with best wishes for 
 a ( Bon voyage.' As glimpses of the chalk- 
 cliffs of England could be caught in the 
 distance, we turned our faces toward that shore, 
 with loving thoughts of one dear to us, whom 
 we leave on British soil. ' We were a-hungered, 
 and he gave us meat; strangers, and he took 
 us in/ and God cares for such, and He will 
 protect. 
 
 After a good night's rest, for the next
 
 292 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 few days out it seemed enough for us to sit 
 silent, as silent as women can be, and think. 
 Think of all the wonderful sights we had seen, 
 and carefully store them away in memory's 
 niche for future enjoyment. Think, too, of 
 home and the loved ones there, and bless the 
 steamer's big wheel, whose every turn carried 
 us nearer to them. 
 
 Amongst our pleasant fellow-voyagers we 
 
 have Kev. Mr. G r, of the < Old South ;' 
 
 who is, if not all Boston, a valued bit of it. 
 Prof. Berlitz is also one of us, and adds to his 
 many accomplishments a knowledge of f mal 
 de mer ' in all languages. 
 
 We have had head winds, and much stormy 
 weather, but we are glad to have a chance 
 given us to see old ocean in all her varied 
 moods, and can scarcely say in which we like 
 her best. 
 
 New York, America, August 24:th, 1888. 
 On land again ! Our good steamer brought 
 us safely over. ' Slow, but sure ' was her 
 motto. 
 
 Our sailing into New York harbor at just 
 sunset, with the gorgeous colors of the western
 
 LETTER XV. 293 
 
 sky, and the purest blue above our heads, was 
 to us a pretty welcome ; and, with hearts full 
 of gratitude, we joined voices in singing 
 
 ' My country ! 'tis of thee, 
 Sweet land of liberty.' 
 
 In a few hours more we shall be steaming 
 toward the dear old ' hub ' Boston home ; 
 and shall soon be with you, dear mother, 
 my queen of queens. But our pleasure in 
 anticipation is not entirely painless, for here 
 we part with one of our trio, whose kindly 
 care of us, for the last few months, has added 
 greatly to our happiness. 
 
 Boston, August 27th. Europe, in many 
 ways, is delightful, and the memories of our 
 perfect trip will certainly be a joy to us 
 forever; but we wonder that any Ameri- 
 can can choose expatriation, for we return 
 from all the fascinations of the 'other 
 side ' certainly enjoyed and seen at their 
 best thanking God that we are free Ameri- 
 can citizens. Some one has said that ' different 
 descriptions of the same countries are ever 
 like old coats turned.' And George Mac- 
 donald writes, ' Fact, at best, is but a garment
 
 294 A BUNDLE OF LETTERS. 
 
 of truth, which has ten thousand changes of 
 raiment, woven in the same loom.' Many a 
 made-over article gives enjoyment and satis- 
 faction. If my words give these to my readers 
 I am satisfied. 
 
 FINIS.
 
 Extracts from 
 J. G. Cupples Co.'s
 
 RKCEN-T PUBLICATIONS OF 
 
 J. G. CUPPLES CO., 
 
 PUBLISHERS, GENERAL BOOKSELLERS, PRINTERS, AND STATIONERS, 
 94 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. 
 
 ** NOTE. In order to insure the correct delivery of the actual works, r 
 particular Editions specified in this List, the name of the Publishers should be 
 distinctly given. These books can be had from any local bookseller ; but should 
 any difficulty be experienced in procuring them, Messrs. J. G. CUPPLES CO. 
 will be happy to forward them direct, postage paid, on receipt of cheque, 
 stamps, or postal order for the amount. 
 
 TWO VOLUMES OF TRAVEL. 
 
 GLIMPSES OF NORSELAND. BY HBTTA M. HERVEV. With many 
 illustrations of exceptional value, i vol. izmo. Cloth, gilt top. $1.25. 
 A breezy book about Norway, its people and its places, its fjords and fjelds. 
 A critical notice says : "The book is not pretentious. Miss Hervey has 
 sought to tell in a direct, simple way the story of her wanderings in Norway, 
 and to describe some of the strange sights of that romantic land. But she has 
 avoided dulness, the bane of thousands of books of travel, while many of the 
 passages are strikingly well done." Again, "She has recorded her experi- 
 ences in exactly the manner which makes her book pleasurable and fascinating 
 reading." 
 
 TEN DAYS !N THE JUNGLE. A journey in the far East by an 
 American lady. By J. E. L. With vignette, i vol. i6mo. Cloth. 
 $1.00. 
 An interesting and entertaining description of travel through the Straits of 
 
 Malacca, with pictures of life and scenery in the adjacent British Colonies of 
 
 Singapore and Pulo-Penang. 
 
 BY JAMES H. STARK. 
 
 ANTIQUE VIEWS OF YE TOWNE OF BOSTON. By JAMK H. 
 STARK. Assisted by Dr. SAMUEL A. GREEN, Ex-Mayor of Boston, Libra- 
 rian of the Massachusetts Historical Society; JOHN WARD DEAN, Libra- 
 rian of the New England Historic Genealogical Society ; and Judge MEL- 
 LBN CHAMBERLAIN, of the Public Library. An extensive and exhaustive 
 work in 3^8 pages. Large quarto. Illustrated with nearly 2OO full size 
 reproductions of all known rare maps, old prints, etc. I vol. 4to. Cloth. 
 $b.oo. 
 
 BERMUDA GUIDE. A description of everything on or about the Bermuda 
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 of value" Joseph Cook. 
 
 WORKS BY THE LATE DR. JAMES R- NICHOLS. 
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 of Dr. Nichols' talents was his deep insight into and wonderful grasp of agri- 
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 advice respecting soils and fertilizers. In this volume will be found the gist 
 of a series of lectures and addresses delivered before the various agricultural 
 communities of New England and elsewhere, which abound with helpful sug- 
 gestions and solid facts. 
 
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 W. J. ROLFB, Associate Editor. Formerly Boston Journal of Chemistry. 
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 and is designed to be a journal of Useful Knowledge for all classes of 
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 Important New 'Book. 
 
 HIERO-SALEM: 
 
 THE VISION OK PEACE. 
 
 A FICTION FOUNDED ON IDEALS WHICH ARK GROUNDED IN 
 
 THE REAL, 
 
 THAT is GREATER THAN THE GREATEST OF ALL 
 HUMAN GREAT IDEALS. 
 
 25? . H. 
 
 Symbolically Illustrated. 
 
 The publishers feel pride in announcing the appearance of what they believe 
 to be a very remarkable production in the department of Didactic Fiction. It 
 is entitled " HIERO-SALEM : THE VISION OF PEACE," by E. L. Mason, and is 
 unquestionably a work of a very high, if not indeed of the first, order. What- 
 ever may be thought o f 
 its theories, ^^^^^HHBM^^^^II ant * its 
 
 theories will I H^-M I attract > even 
 
 where they I Ir^^^l I failtocor - 
 
 vince, read- I 9U t IB I ers, there 
 
 can be no I Mf L-" / m I Question of 
 
 its great I MPB^^^-2/ I I P ower - II 
 
 goes to the I flEP^yH^/^ I bottom of 
 
 things, and I RSfcWrlrA X ^^ I stirs its read- 
 
 ers c o n- 
 to its lowest 
 Hugo, and 
 Balzac, an d 
 Richter, and 
 masters o f 
 heart, do. 
 philosophi- 
 
 scious ness 
 depths, as 
 Sand, and 
 Heine, and 
 all the great 
 the human 
 Striking 
 cal and psy- 
 
 chological insight, marked originality, and intense vigor of attack, are among its 
 characteristics. Those who remember George Sand's Count Albert will find in 
 Daniel, especially in the first half of the work, something akin to that marvel- 
 lous creation of abstract wisdom and ideal beauty. The general plan, too, of 
 the book, consisting as it does of a succession of apparently somewhat unre- 
 
 J. G- 
 
 CO. 
 
 " Booksellers, 
 
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 BOSTON.
 
 Important New 'Book. 
 
 lated episodes, which, however, at the end are brought together, explained, and 
 wrought into a consistent and symmetrical whole, may not impossibly recall 
 Consuelo. Charles A uchester, doubtless, will occur to the minds of many, as, 
 we should say, if the reference had not become hackneyed, will Robert Els- 
 tnere, with which it has much in common. Still, possessing qualities resem- 
 bling those of the above-named works though it does, as a whole " Hiero-salem " 
 is totally unlike them, and indeed distinct from every other work with which we 
 are acquainted. It is, we think, sui generis in Fiction. Containing passages 
 of great poetic beauty, and of the most intense and sustained passion; bristling 
 with appropriatenesses and happy audacities of expression, that are likely to be 
 welcomed into the common fund of speech; abounding in queer turns and 
 startling surprises of incident and of thought, it takes the interest captive, and 
 hurries it, breathless, and sometimes even almost bewildered, on. The publishers 
 feel themselves unable to hazard any conjecture with regard to the popular- 
 ity of this book. To persons of cultivation, experience and thoughtfulness, 
 whenever it reaches such, they feel sure it will speak ; and their number is not 
 inconsiderable. They await the verdict of critical and competent society with 
 confidence, and will not be surprised if it settle down to the conviction that, 
 on the whole, here again is nothing more or less than a great work, worthy to 
 stand and live beside the abiding literary masterpieces. 
 
 The author, evidently an earnest believer in the immortality of the spiritual 
 ego, treats in this work of the endeavor made by a man deeply versed in all 
 lore that deals with the universality of the immaterial world, and the possibility 
 in this life of the partial removal of the sensual barriers which separate us 
 from it, to raise the standard of physical and intellectual man by the establish- 
 ment of a new race founded at the outset by careful selection of two individuals. 
 Many subjects of much interest to many thinkers now, are introduced as an in. 
 tegral part of the narrative, the doctrine of reincarnation, the beliefs oi 
 Esoteric Buddhism, even the occult knowledge acquired by the Kabbalists. 
 The idea, however, that shines through all is that behind these mere glimmer- 
 ings of light there is the splendor of the truth itself, of which these are but the 
 reflections vouchsafed to the earnest studies and strivings of man a deeper 
 truth which this book endeavors to express. 
 
 " Hiero-salem " will be found to be unique in manufacture as well as in con- 
 tents, and is symbolically illustrated. 
 
 / vol. Illustrated, large square I2tno> Unique cloth binding) gilt top, 
 bevelled boards, 328 'pages. Price $2.00. 
 
 * * * Mailed postage paid to any address, by the publishers, on receipt of the 
 price. 
 
 J. G. Cupples Co. Putl ^iur., BOSTON. 
 
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 Important New Books. 
 
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 AUNT NABBY: HER RAMBi_S, 
 
 HER ADVENTURES, AND 
 
 HER NOTIONS. 
 
 With characteristic illustrations and vig- 
 nettes. 12010. pp. 314, xii. 
 
 Paper, 50 cents. Cloth, $1.00. 
 
 " Delightful drollery." 
 
 Pilot. 
 
 '' Highly amusing." 
 
 Boston Herald. 
 
 SECOND EDITION, ENLARGED AND IMPROVED. 
 O O O 
 
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 BRIGHT ORIGINALITY, SPRIGHTLINESS, AND KEEN 
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 (Hood as it is to infant a li&TO it is totter 
 to collect on*. (Bach volume then, houm*er lightlg 
 a stt[anjj*r's q$ mag t[oam fr L ont sfylf to sh^lf, 
 has its own iudiuidualitg, a history -of its aum* 
 Qm ^m^mfe^r a^h^ pit got it, anil hotc much 
 gou 0at'3 fw[ it. . . . ify man who has a Iforarg 
 of his fluin c0tl4tiutt is Ms to |0ftbm|ixb him- 
 self flbjqthjdg, and is justijieil in bflieuing in 
 |jis uuin mstytt^. gu uth^r man but to would 
 haw mad* jiwisdg such a ([omMnation as his. 
 gad h$ hwn in ang singly Wtytqt different f^m 
 what h$ is, his Iiht[at[g, as it wists, na^i[ mould 
 hau^ ^xist^d. Shtrtjput, sur^Ig ht mag exclaim, 
 as in the gloaming h^ Contemplates the hachs 
 of his loud xrn^s, ' iheg ar^ mine, and | am 
 theirs/ " 
 
 Obiter Dicta.
 
 THERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
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