Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-12-05
For the Spectator.

Church congregation, in this county, was writ
ten from Bologna, Italy, en- route for Al-la-ha-
bad. in Northern India, whittier she is going
in connection with the Foreign Missionary So
ciety of the Presbyterian Board Of the North
efn Church 1t was written to a, much loved
cousin in Hillsboro, and as she has many rela-
tives in Virgisfa, it will greatly interest them,
as perhaps the general reader. K.
BOLOGNA, ITALY, Oct 22d, 1871.
Nh Darling Cousin Alice Il have longed
to write to you ever since left home, but have
had so little time during my flight around the
| world. and have seen and experienced SO much
since I left dear old HilIsboro, that am be-
wildered when [ attempt to write.
[ must send one more letter to Hillsboro be-
fore leave Europe, and have determined it
shall be to you, feeling sure that my friends
will have the benefit of its contents You have
heard of my pleasant sojourn In London. L saw
so many old objects of interest there, and my
brain is SO loaded with them, that whenever l
shut my eyes see old Knights in armor or
some of the effigies of West Minister Abbey
standing at my side. Oxford that old seat of
learning, with its twenty colleges, where so
many Of England's great men were educated
the Old Tower of London, and Westminster
Abbey, contain much of highlands history
we're more than realized. We left London the
18th of October, at P. NJ, for Hardwick,
took little steamer for Antwerp, and had a
most delightful passage through the Channel
and North Sea, and met delightful English
people going abroad to spend the Winter. We
landed at Antwerp on the 10th, and for the
first time realized we were strangers and for
eigners, every thing seemed so strange. We
could hear nothing but German or French see
L. i
found my little knowledge of French of great
value; indeed, we could not have done well
without it. We visited the old Cathedral, No
tredame, in Antwerp, saw Ruben's celebrated
paintings and many other works of art. Pass
ing on thraust AK la Chapele to Cologne
the count beautiful and richly cultivated,
but the H. oad arrangements are miserable,
being coAbelled to ride in small cars holding
six persons, with the doors locked and no es-
cape from the fumes of the pipe, as all the
men smoke We reached Cologne after dark,
and stopped at the hotel 'Du Nord, de-
lightful house where all the servants speak
English, the fare delicious and the apartments
capacious Supplied ourselves with the Gel
ebrated Cologne water and left next morning;
passing the great Cathedral could see its out
lines, but with imperfect ideas of its grandeur
Soon after leaving Cologne saw the first ruin
of an old Feuda Castle, and were interested
all the way with the beautiful country and its
high state of cultivation. Soon we came to
the Rhine and most of the way our road lay
along its banks. Its old walled towers and cas-
tied bills made us feel indeed that we were in
the Old World Macy beautiful towns were
passed of anciont date, the most important being
Bonn and Coblentz Here we crossed the Blue
Mosele near where it enters the Rhine, and
saw an old Chateau which had been occupied
by several Roman Emperors. We passed
through "Bingen on the Rhine" and thought
of the poor soldier dying in Algiers." May
ence is strongly fortified town Here the
Main enters the Rhine and the scenery is grand
and beautiful and the route through very
fine country Saw the peasants at work with
their primitive implements, and when night
came on my eyes and head ached with looking
and trying to remember all the way over which
we had passed
We reached Munich after dark, and came
right on in order to see the mountan-pass in
day light. | love nature more than cathedrals
and cities Leaving Munich at II at night,
a~d iuet got to sleep when We were called to
find we were on the connneS or Austria aud
must have our baggage examined. Here we
met a very pleasant genial German who could
speak English. He saw our perplexity for
want of language and kindly offered his as
sistance and had our baggage passed without
being opened Indeed, niue has not yet been
examined on the whole route thus far, passing
through flee Custom Houses. This kind gen.
tleman took car with US and was very enter
tanning and will ever be remembered with graf
itude Have indeed met with elegant and in
teresting people all the way, and wish [ had
time to describe them.
About daylight yesterday we came to the
pass in the Alps, and entered Austrian Tyrol.
Ga! the wild aud sublime grandeur of this
scenery battles description, and the houses,
churches, and shrines In these wild regions are
wonderful. On, on we swept between two ran
ges of the mountains and soon entered Italy,
Here we met kind gentleman from New ork
who helped US safely through another Custom
House.
This adjusted, we were again sweeping
through the vine-cad hills Of this fair and
| tabled land; saw the herdsmau with his little
| COWS and goats, and mountalneers coming home
with game; saw peasants gathering grapes &C..
| indeed, all had ever read was living picture
before me- On we came to Verona and thought
of spending here the Sabbath but concluded
to come on to Bologna. On yesterday saw an
Italian sunset and travelled by the light of an
Italian moon. You have no idea how delight
ful is the atmosphere of this favored land. There
are many English people coming over here to
spend the Winter, and have met with many
very pleasant ones Reached their famous city
at night. You cannot imagine how old and
strange it looked as we drove through its dark
narrow streets, and arrived at the hotel Burn
This is an old Italian Palace, with al inner
Court into which the carriage was driven. The
walters here speak English, so we were prompt
~ shown to our rooms, to reach which we as
cended long fight of stairs, with pots of flow
ers at each end Of every step, then through
narrow halls to our quaint apartments. wish
I had time to describe it to you. In the halls
below are the busts of all the Roman Empe-
rors. Elegant and costly paintings decorate
every nook and corner. The Emperor Of Bra
4. Don Pedro, and his suite were here to-day,
ill be on the steamer with us to Alexan-
"a. -g them very beautiful Countess
and W. They have two beautifi,l little
dna, amo.. New Foundland dogs, and
and her Coun,. to both hovs and dogs
boys, and two larg. ii English families
the lady seems devoted @.ere is no Sab
There are many delightl4 If life are
here and some Americans III, We
bath here all the busy avocations It.
going Oh, bands playing and confusion.
hoped to find religious services, but could NJ
Some went to Cathedral to High Mass. Oh |
is it not sad that in this fair and beautiful land
such gross darkness prevails? We leave to-
morrow for Brindice and will sail from there
on Tuesday, the oath, On the steamer Poonah
for Alexandria The steamer will be crowded
with english officers and their families going
back to India, after the hot season. So every
day takes me farther and farther away from
home, friends and country, but nearer to the
work before me. | have not time or strength
to write more. You are all very dear to me-
When nv friends 10 II shave seen this please