The New York herald., 1872-09-02
UP THE HUDSON.
An &xcursion to Fort Lee-sce nes ON
Board tho Pleasant vaiIcy-A View

An Excursion TO Fort Lee-scsn nes ON
Board tho Pleasant vaney-A View
from the Palisades.
Fort Lee, like all other places in the envIrons Of
the great CITY, has obtained wonderful popularity
during the past few years, and no place more
Justly. You might search vainly for more beauti-
ful location In It's way over the whole American
Continent. 1t Is no wonder, therefore, that crowds
aock to 1t every Sunday. 1t Is true that
Fort Lee on Sunday is not all that
could be desired by the most fastidlous. Young
America is apt to be rather noisy and demonstra-
tive, and desecrate the woods and the day with
too great amplitude Of obfurRative language. But
then that's disadvantage in Sunday excursions
all the world over. No, not perhaps the whole
world. France is an exception, though even there
Sunday excursions have lost some OF that inno-
cence which once characterized them. And
speaking Of France and the French recalls
the fact that no place OF resort In the
vicinity OF the city is more popular with the
American French than Fort Lee Look at the faces
around you as you sit on the upper deck Of the
Pleasant Valleys sad old tub-and listen to them
speak. There is the little vvaci0us French grisette
just as grisettish as ever she was in the QUARTER
Latin. Hear her rattle away with the nippancy and
esprit Of the true Parsian How It recalls the pic
mics in the woods at St. Cloud Neuilly years ago.
places waste deserts, where, perhaps, never again
win be heard the same merry laughter and ringing
voices such as were heard there before the war
And there, Just little way on, sits the statd old
bourgeois, not whit changed from his cOulterpart
In Paris and looking on the Hudson with the same
expression Of naive wonder which marked his
Faux de Versailles" And beside him his folly, good
tempered wife, paying the most assiduous attention
most to cSus Or little ora who with the
the mothers parasOl between them. Watch
this party for q few moments and then say whether
you agree with the popular American idea that
there is no happiness no unity in French families
And, further, sitting on the stair railing ia the
Of Ia Repaoque and nd NJ Thers and }ast al savage
against them a. he was three years back against
h'Empfre and Napoleon. He vomits all manner OF
dience consist only of thn pale Youth, With speS W.
tacles, evidently piano teacher and oil about you
tongues, among them, Of course, two or three
opera oOste ch0risters. In fact, You actually
De @ Paris a to and the feeling
burst Of pentup sentiment below. Young Ameri-
ca.or perhaps better, Young Gotham, which is an
to be every PROBABILITY Of q nee aght be-
however (he is accustomed to this sort Of
thing, and, with a strong Mileslan accent,
and threat Of something more substantial dis
bryo fight Is an old man with bloody nose, who
takes his wounded feelings up stairs among the
which deserves It's name, and at Pleasant Valley,
and at length after on hours delightful sail Fort
passengers or the boat; he is anxious to get back
flock or wherever their instincts carry. Some
beer saloon, Others wend their way up the hilf to
the woods; some hire boats for row; others jump
in tor SWIM and as toy
Others, who want bit OF scenery walk along the
margin OF the river where after a walk & Of ten
the hillside. on a hot Summers day these
steps, some i've hundred in number, are a
Du5 wa the to a wUms
down half way; but with little courage, and per-
is as length reached. TSen view view bursts % on on the the
sight which people might often go thousand miles
wS Sasnna Sna half ss feet 1Su DSrn & %
majestic Hudson. You can distinguish the pleasure
boats, but the people in them LOOK no bigger than
slowly sailing along with tug boat doing its little
best to help them. The breeze occasionally watts
on on board and You may imagine that nimble feet
are dancing to its strains. But you cannot see
them. Over on the other side o train Of cars,
along the river bank. Above them stretches the
leaN prospect of:Fort Washington, with its white
& e % sSs cs
barely, the spires and domes OF New York, and
below them its confused mass OF houses. Around
you stretch the dense woods, where you may wan
@ ting Us out q them 4Ss sapsre eSS' vie% ff she
M, yoir seul with silent Joy. TO be sure It is
gang OF roughs VINO Sa Of youthful
distinct symptoms Of disturbing your peauv,s
you give way to the innux and wander through the
woods. Hunger at length warns that 1t is neces-
sary to return to civilization, and you indulge in
lager and sandwiches till the boats come up to take
Weekday toll Vastly benefited by y your @ sunday ex
cursi0n to Fort Lee.