Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-08-13
$500 PER ANNUM.

llbecOme little more familiar and comuni-
cative than is usual in a formal tete-a-tete
with the public. But am fond of children,
Of my own especially; and having just then
seven of them, all full of health and animal
spirits, big and little il will readily be believ-
ed that they formed the most pleasant part
of the landscape, Notwithstanding that Mont
Blanc, and the other Alps of Savoy, consti-
tuted the back ground. What added greatly
to the interest was the consciousness that !
was about to leave them-perhaps forever
They were of all ages, from nine OF ten years
to six months; and when their mother, with
the baby on her lap, formed the centre of the
group, they used to circulate around her in
wild and never-ending gyrations of delight.
In. my minds eye, see them now, though
time and circumstances have disturbed and
located them far apart, from the extremities
Of Insular Asia to the banks of the Nile and
the Seine. But an invisible link Of brother
hood binds them together still and, doubt
less, there are moments when, from the most
distant parts of the world, the minds of all
revert to that beautiful spot where, in days
of unmingled happiness, they laughed and
I'sported before ME in the shadow, as it were
of Mont Blanc.
1t is an exclamation of Byron, 80 that !
could wreak my thoughts upon expression p
j have thousand times uttered a similar
wish not that my ideas are too big for Ian
guage, but that have never yet had the
courage to turn them out of the spiritual in
to the visible world. Many and many are the
thoughts that crowd and nestle about our
hearts, and exist only for ou&elves. Perhaps
we love them the more, because they are ex-
clusively ours, and beauty, if exposed in in
different drapery to the public. wish, how
ever, to be somewhat frank in this place, end
to reveal little of what passed in my mind
when about to quit Europe for Africa. Moth
ing can be further from me than the desire to
impart undue importance to journey which
many had performed before, and some with
out encountcring any very formidable obstac-
les or dangers. But the question was one Of
prudence or imprudence. All my fortunes
were mysteriously bound up in my gray goose
stood altogether in the place of Aladdins
lamp. Heaven, for aught they knew, rained
cakes and bread and butter upon them from
the sky, and would continue to do so, whether
l happened to be on the shores of the Leman
lake, or in the Mountains of the Moon. But
my faith was not quite so boundless, and
therefore my almost irrepressible buoyancy Of
spirit sometimes tagged little when re-
hected that the poke of an Arab spear, OF
Moggrebin dagger, might turn the world into
leave my bones bleaching among those Of
camels in the Libyan or Arabian Desert.
However, in the sphere ofpartnership there
are two human providences and, therefore,
il was not without great confidence that de-
termined on my expedition. Most persons
endowed with fancy have, probably, from
childhood, nourished longing to visit some
distant spot, hallowed, if l may so express
myself by early associations of history,
poetry, or romance. My imagination's land
of promise, divided into two parts, lay on the
banks of the Ilissus and the Nile, where great
nations had fourished and faded-where
great men had speculated oil life and death,
and toiled increasingly to unveil the mystery
of this vast universe. by no means resem-
bled that honest man who hoped to become
possessed of Epictetus' wisdom, after his
death, by purchasing his lamp. hoped for
no philosophical or religious inspiration by
visiting the birthplaces of philosophy and
theology. But knew, at all events, that
could not fail to increase my experience and
knowledge of mankind, by taking view,
however cursory, of Italy, Greece, and Egypt.
was, besides desirous of solving for my
self, at least one problem, namely, whether
from the Nilotic valley, which could better
do by studying the remaining monuments
themselves than by trusting to the represen-
tations, seldom faithful, given of them by
artists and travellers.
With these views determined, about the
middle of September, upon quitting Laus-
anne, and took my place in the diligence for
Milan. My wife and children came down to |
the Buceau to see me off; and, though hop
ed my journey would prove one of pleasure,
my feelings at parting were far from enviable.
Strong doubts Of the wisdom, or even NOR
atty, of the step was about to take came
over me. Around me were the proofs OF my
multiplied responsibilities clinging to their
mother or me, and shedding such tears as
only children shed. My own feelings are
hers, shall not attempt to describe. shall
only say that overtaking the group again as
they were ascending the steep street leading |
up from the Place st. Francois, felt the
conceivable desire to leap out OF the |
diligence, and return home with them but
while was revolving this thought in my
mind, the vehicle attained the summit of the
activity, and rolled ON, while through the
window looked at them as long as they were
visible. Presently turn in the street hid
Them from my sight, and away we went, rattl-
ng and jingling over the stones, the driver
tracking his whip, and the conducteur laugh
ng and chatting with the outside passengers
as merlly as if he had not contemplated pro-
,eeding beyond the next village. 1t was eight
o'clock in the evening when we quilted Laus.
.nne. The gloom of night was congenial with
he gloom Of my mind, which, for time,
seemed to be completely stunned and bewil-
lered If there are those who can leave
home without pang whatever amount of
enjoyment they may be looking forward to,