The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-08-01
CHAPTER II,
LEAVES PROM A YOUNG GENTLEMAN's JOUR

LEAVES FROM A YOUNG GENTLEMAN'S JOUR-
NAL
Before setting forth on this memorable
pilgrimage to where, 1promlsed certain
friend Of mine, in literary Bohemia, to keep
notes of my adventures, with view to FL
cure publication, Illustrated by my own bril-
liant sketches. l fear the promise was a
rash one-frstly, because I am constitution
ally lazy and averse to literary exertion; and,
secondly, because I have, as yet, met with no
adventures worth writing about. Not that ]
have altogether lost my first enthusiasm for
he idea. There would be novelty in the
title, at any rate, Cruises in a Caravan by
Charles Brinkley, with Illustrations by the
author: photographic frcntispiece, the Cara
van, with Tim as large as life, Sinking self
consciously in delight at having his pictur'
aiken. Ny friend B. has promised to fad
ne a publisher, if ] will only perscvere,
Well, we shall see. If the book does not
progress it vii be entirely my own fault; for
have any amount of time on my hands
Paint as hard as ! may al day, l have al
ways the long evenings when ! must either
write, read or Go nothing
$50 am beginning this evening, exactly a
fortnight after my first start from Chester !
purchased the caravan there from a morose
Individual with one eye, who had It built
with view to the exhibition Of f Wild MN
Of Patagc2ia: but said Wild Man having
taken it into his head to return TO County
Cork. where he wGs born. and the nlorOsa IN
ividual having no definite idea Of a novelty to
take his place, the caravan came into the
market. Having secured this travelling
palace, duly furnished with window-blinds,
a piece Of carpet, a chair-bedstead. table,
stove, cooking utensils, not to speak of my
Jwn artistic paraphernal-a, / sent over 10
MuIrany, County Mayo, for my old servant,
Tim-ns Chalnig, or Tim o. the Ferry-other-
wise Tim Linney; and with his assistance,
when be arrived, purchased strong mare
at Chester Fair All these preliminsries
being settled, we started one fine morning
soon after daybreak, duly bound for explora-
tons along the macademized highways and
byways Of North Wales.
Il am pleased TO say that Tim, after be
had recovered TIE first shock of seeing peri
patetie cweliug house, took to the idea Won
derfulv Sure its just like the ould cabin at
home h9 averred, 'barTin' the wheels, and
the windies, and the chimley, and the haste to
Dul it alonr@ and / Think the reearnflanne
would have been complete in his eyes if there
had only been two CT three pigs to trot mer-
rly behind tine back door. As for myself,
took to the noinad life as naturally as if
had never in my Life been in civilized habi-
tAtion. To be able to so where one pleased,
to dawdle as one ple2ses, to step and sleep
where one pleased, was certainly new sen
sation. My friends, observing my sluggish
ways, lad often compared me to that inter
est..lg creature, the snail; now the resam-
blanoe was complete, for Twas snail indeed,
with my house comfortably fixed upon my
| shoulders, crawling TRANQUILITY along.
| ''Of courae, the caravan has its inconveni'
ences. Inside, to quote the elegant simile OF
OR Progentors, there is scarcely room enough
to swing cat il; and wien my bod is made
and Tins hammock is swung just inside the
| door, TIE Place forms the tiniest Of sleeping
| chambers. Then our cooking arrangements
ere primitive, and, as TIN has no idea what
ever in tie culinary art, beyond being able to
boil potatoes in their skins and make very
doubtful stt.raboc., there is certain want
| Of variety in cur repas.s.
| Besides tie inccnveEiences which / have
mentioned, but which were, perhaps, hardy
worth chromcling, the caravan has sotla
drawbacks, more particularly embarrassing
! to a modest man ike myself. Its confusing
| for example, On entering town, or good
sized village, to be surrounded by lie entire
juvenile population, who cheer US vociferously
under the impression that we Constitute 6
SHOW and efterward, on ascertaining thei1
mistake, pursue us with oppcobrious jeers
and it is distressing toremark that our mode
of life, instead of inviting confidence, cansesu III
20 be regarded with suspicion by the vicar Of