Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-12-16
MISCELLA Y.
Bayard Taylor "at Home and Abroad"
From the new volume of Bayard Taylor's Travelling
Sketches.l
THE FIRST JOURNEY I EVER MADE.

ltrOm the new volume of Bayard Taylors
sketches.l
THE FIRST JOURNEY EVER MADE.
My friend Ida Pfeifier, relates in the
preface TO one of her volumes, that the de-
sire for travel was with her an Unborn pro-
pensity When a little girl, she was ac-
customed TO watch the mail coach as it
whirled daily through her native valley ;
and when it had crossed the verge of the
hill which bounded her childish world, she
would frequently weep, because she could
not follow it and visit the unknown regions
beyond. In looking back to my childhood,
| can recall no such instinct of perambula-
ton; but on the contrary, the intensest de-
sire to climb upward-so that without shift
ing the circle of my horizon, / could yet
extend il, and take in far wider sweep of
vision. ! envied every bird that sat swing
ing upon the topmost bough of the great
century-old cherry tree the weaiher-cock
on our barn seemed 10 me to whirl in a
higher region of the air; and to rise from
the earth in balloon, was bliss which
would almost have given my life to enjoy.
Perhaps the root of the instinct was the
same in both cases; but Madame Pleiffer's
desires shot off in horizontal direction,
while mine went perpendicularly.
l remember as distinctly as if it were
yesterday, the first time this passion was
gratified. Looking out of the garret win
dow, on bright May morning. / discover
ed row of Stats which had been nailed
over the shingles for the convenience of
the carpenters, in roofing the house, and
had not been removed. Here was, at last,
a chance to reach the comb of the steep
roof. and take my first look into the world !
Not without some trepidation | ventured
out and was soon seated astrde of the sharp
ridge. Unknown forests, new fields and
houses appeared TO my triumphant view.
The prospect, though it did not extend
more than four miles in any direction, was
boundless. Away in the northwest, glim-
merng through the trees, was white OBJ
! ject-probably the front of distant barn ;
but l shouted to the astonished servant girl
who had just discovered me from the gar
| den below 8 l see the Falls Of Niagara y
With increase Of knowledge, this instinct
took the form of longing to see and TO
climb mountain. My nurse was an old
! Swiss woman, in the back ground of whose
stories stood the eternal Alps; some few
of the neighbors had seen the Blue Ridge
| (the members of our community, generally
were as thorough attached to the soil as the
| Russian serfs) and in our native region Of
sofily-rounded hills and intervening valleys
"A lovely reproduction Of English War
wickshire-the description of mountain,
manted with pine, faced with sheer precl-
pices, and streaked with summer snow,
seemed TO be fable, miracle an impossi-
bnity. So determined-sinc it was diff
ficult to ascend much above the top OF the
house at home-that my first journey
should be in the direction of a mountain.
II was not so easy however TO carry this
plan into execution. farmers boy
tempted on the one hand by books, knives
and breastpins, and on the other, by circus
es, menageries, chronological lectures, pea
pnts and ice cream-can rarely save enough
from the sale of his rabbit skins, walnuts
and sumac leaves or even from his own
cherished pig-the runt' of the litter-to
commence any serious undertaking. MY
nriyate means were chiefly derived from
these sources, and every succeeding spring
7 found myself in the condition OF the
limited States post office department, IN the
wear 1859. But when my seventeenth
Nav came around, and i was formally ap-
prenticed to the printing business, one Sup,
ulation in the paper OF indenture openeu
an unexpected way for me. 1t was ar
ranged that ] should receive forty dollars
wear for the purchase of my clothing, and
rs entered my apprenticeship with toi-
erable supply, / at once saw the possibility
of saving enough ont of my first year ;
allowance TO enable me to reach the near
est mountain.
The plan succeeded well. At the ter
minstion of the year. / found myself IN
possessien of the enormous sum OF hiteen
dollars. But my ideas and desies had in
the meantime expanded, and the amount OF
capilal secured appeared sufficient TO war
rant me in undertaking much more ex-
tensive Journey than i had originally ln-
tended. New York, the Highlands The
Catskills. Berkshire, and the Connecticut
Valley OF course, the tour must he ac-
complished mostly on foot; and confess
counted little upon the hospitality OF the
country neople for a meal or a bed, IT my
nurse should get very low. a fellow-ap-
prentice of ample means, O believe he had
liwen,y-seven dollars.) agreed to bear me
connany; and about the middle of May.
1913, the necessary holiday was obtained
from our employer. Ny scaniy baggage
was contained in soldiers knapsack, bor-
rowed from a private of the National
Grays the sole militia company IN the
nlace-and the gilded letters n. g..
npon the back proved afterwards to be a
source of curiosity TO the public-many
persons. supposing me to be an itinerant