The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-10-04
A LETTER FROM BRAZIL.

Lib LII NUN BhAZIl.
CEARA, BRAZIL, August 27, 1890.
My DEAR FRIENDS In fulflllment
of my promise had intended that the
first mail steamer bound TOR homo
should carry letter giving you an ac-
count of my trip to the far south, but
the steamer sailed two days sooner
than | expected, and | was compelled
to wait for another. The day after it
sailed budget Of letters came from the
states, out of which poured such
shower of questions that congra tu-
lated myself that the uninten ded delay
gave me an opportunity to answer
these questions collectively by taking
advantage. perhaps un lue, of the Intel.
lIgencer's invitation.
AS you know. | said goodbye to my
Lexington friends more than mont b
before we set sail. Except the last
week i'm New York, which was fully
occupied in making preparations for
the voyage, those intervening weeks
were spent in visiting friends and
relatives in Missouri. IlliHoIs, Ken
tucky, Washington City and Mary.
land. From every place [ carried away
beside parting gifts, sweet memories of
kind hearts, loving hospitality, inspir-
ing words, noble lives and ideal
Christian homes; and, also, sad memo
ries OF the inevitable tarewells which
always followed the happy tarryings.
The glimpse that had OF Kentucky
life was very Interesting. | saw the
pretty women, had drive behind the
fine horses over the pixies, and | am
cory to say, saw evidences OF the
plenty OF old Kentucky Bourbon.
In going over the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad from Louisville TO Wash
ington my eyes teasted glorIously on
the wild and picturesque scenery of the
Alleghanies aud the Bue Ridge. l
could but contrast the mountains OF
the east with those of the west, In the
general effect upon the beholder. Here
one drinks in the beauty aud expert
ences emotions the strongest OF which
is no more powerful than a dreamy,
pleasant ycarning Tor soul expansion;
but there among the great Rockies. the
gigantic pines, frowning, oyerhanging
bowlders, the weird, mysterious rock
formations, the d. eadiul precipices, the
| fathomless abysses, almost crush the
spirit with their awful sublmity, and
the pain felt by the feeble soul in it's
attempts to grasp the ideas so eloquent
ly expressed by these immensities IL as
great az the thrilling, rapturOus joy.
We passed by beautiful Piedmont
Valley inst after a rain, and the drops
lingering on hill and foliage were gilt
tering gems, and gave the whole land
| scape radiance almost celestial.
AS We sped through the famous war
regions, history became more real, for
names were used in familiar conversa
ton, and places were seen with my
own eyes that had never before been
free from text book association.
On tho afternoon OF June 18th /
reached our grand capitol. Here |
expected to stay until the next alter
noon, but DIR. and Mrs. Holt and little
Edith had planned such delightful
week for me, and hearing at this time
that the sailing of our vessel had been
postponed, decided to spend the extra
| time with them. Ii seems to me that
vi dut
| ere crowded into that ono week.
Many cities of our union are beautiful,
but Washington with its wide, clean
streets, its green public squares and
circles with their adorning statues. its
| stately, palatial residences, and stately
public buildings, surpasses them all.
One OF the greatest pleasures of this
week was sail of about fifty miles
/ Hnxu,, fLn hsek4.t, w. 4;
stop at Mount Vernon, but had a view
| OF ii through the trees as we sailed by.
According to the custom, our boat
tOlled its bell as we passed. Every yes
sci does this, even British man. OF. war
in 1914. showed this signal OF respect
when on its way TO storm the fort.
| should love to tell you of the many
interesting and wonderful things that
saw in the capitol, the Smithsonian In
stitnte, the national museum, the
department of agriculture, the army
medical museum, the CocOran art gal
lery, the war aud navy department,
and other places, but most of Your
questions were about the voyage, 80
must hurry on.
"Oh," but one of you asks, "What is
that we hear a5uGt your visit to the
presidentf do explain" Well, | WAS
one OF abont hundred foolish peOple
no sat for an hour or more i'm The
great "east room" OF the white house
waiting for the supreme pleasure of
shaking hands with "the first man IN
the land" Somehow. the solemnity of
the occasion didn't impress me az II
should, and when gazed on the faces
around me with their various express
sions OF eagerness, reverence, and even
awe, / became so kcenly alive to the
ridiculous side of the whole proceeding,
that 1t was only by the most strenuous
efforts that | could make my f.ce as-
sumo al expression OF dignity becoming
the eventful moment when | was per-
mitted to shake hands with his royal
highness and hear from his lips the
gracious words: GLOW are you,
madam" Is this the explanation YOU
want2
My visit to the great McDonogh
school was a rare treat. | was much
impressed with the beauty of its siiua-
ton and surroundings, the admirable
system which governs its affairs, and
the noble work it is doing in shaping
and building up the characters of the
boys that come under its influence.
While was in Baltimore waiting TO
take the train for New York my broth
or and | went to sec PhiIippoteaux'
Battle of Gettysburg, work OF mar
velOus artistic skill and masierly
execution.
Although the week spent in New
York was such busy one, We took
time from our work to play n little.
One morning al five O'Clock we went
down to the docks to meet the steamer
Advance, which brought home some
missionaries from Brazil, and you can
imagine with what eager interest met
and talked with those who had just left
the land so soon 10 become my adopted
home. The monkeys, parrots, o0rals,
and tropical plants among the posses
ions Of nearly every passenger Oh