, 1873-06-08
MY MISADVENTURES ABROAD.


| CHAPTER III.
| SHOW, sir, atep up lively, il you please there
| is no time to spare"
! Such WAS the admonition addressed to myself
IS struggled up the gangway Of the steamer
Baltic, in New York harbor. Under the circum-
stances, the exhortation was about as absurd as
an invitation to 3 one-1egged girl to dance the
polka. I carried q va1ise in each hand, bundle
Of unbrellas under one arm, and d can OF con-
densed milk under the other while Angelina
and Clementina held fast to my coat-tail Mrs.
Adam, Jack, and the faithful Kate toiled after,
each heavily encountered. We present.
ly reached q breathing-place, where We
could rest, and look down upon the
crowd which came streaming in "iust like" said
Clementina, "the animals in my Noah's ark"
Everything wes in uproar and confusion. The
most Heterogeneous articles Of baggage came
tumbling on board: trunks, band-boxes, e1-
tension-chairs, rocking chairs, sewing machines,
barrels of shell-oysters, demijohns OF whisky,
and such like. People hurried to and fro as
wildly as the occupants OF an ant-hil that has
just been kicked over. Dignifed merchants and
fashionable ladies we're jostled at every turn by
steyedores and portors. Everybody called for
the Steward, and seemed to think that that in
dividual should be, "ike bird" in twenty
places at once. i
Hackmen were swearing; passengers e1postu-
1atingi old maids gesttculating; but, amid all
this din and disorder, my admirable wife retained
her composure, and occupied herself By count
ing the children and bundles every three min
utes to be sure that none we're missing. In one
corner Of the cabin Hero and Loander were bid
ding each other tender and sorrowfu1 farewell
In another, the Hon. Joshua Blowhard and
party Of select friends were drinking champagne
with great llilarity and enthusiasm. The hon
orable gentleman's constituency had acted the
Lovite at the last election, and passed him by;
but paterna1 government had poured oil and
wine upon his wounds by appointing him United
States Minister to the Court Of Siam and
he was now setting forth upon his mission. A
notorious stock-broker, who had feeced " the
etreet, !" and thought it prudent to visit Europe
until the affair should blow over, WAS also IT.
tended by coterie Of admiring associates, who
wished him. il not exactly :sgodspeed," at 1east
q pleasant journey and q speedy return.
Gradually the chaos WAS reduced to something
like order. 6tragg1ers and camp-fo11oWers Wero
sent to the rear or, in other words, visitors and
interviewers were sunmarily sent ashore. The
cables we're cast loose; the steamer slowly
moved from it's mooring; feeble cheer
rased tse By the aanSey"5a,s GFSwd standing
in great request for the purpose Of waving fara-
wells, and Of wiping away some unaffected tears. |
Presently there belched forth salute from the |
Baltic, which was presently returned by q
steamer OF the Cunard line (whereupon several !
the impression that we would have continuous |
all the way to Sandy Hook) and our !
goyage WAS prosperous1y begun.
The fprogperity, however, did not long con
tinue. As soon as We got out Of tho harbor the
breeze "freshened considerably, which had |
,,,;+o %t,a courrarv effct 4113on the pa9aonperB.