Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-20

good New England school could be made up to
her-and more than made up to her-in other
ways. Both girls would learn something of the
world which they could not o get IRON m, books
strange countries and new people. and
their power of expression cultivated
stters wbio6 co ehsm not but a Prove ana
better exercise in thought and style than the
ordinary school girl composition. Then there
was to be considered the immense advantage OF
acquiring the modern languages where they are
spoken, instead of in the high school French OF
German class, where you so seldom hear true
French or German accent. They had already
learned little French of their father, the Shep-
herd, or q good deal of music from private teach
ers. Gabrielle's instrument was the piano,
while Estelle gave promise OF excellence as a
Violinist.
Then there was the little fye-year-old, whom
we will for the occasion christen Ariel. Very
serious misgivings were entertained regarding
him. Impossible to leave him, even In the ten
derest grandmotherly hands; yet 1t seemed al
most cruel to take him from his ample play
grounds and all the comforts and conveniences
of home. But after long hesitation 1t was de-
cided that he too must go.
Then what weeks of preparation, not only to
get the little family ready to start, but to put
home and home affairs in a condition to leave
for indefinite time. Passage had been early
engaged in fine large steamer advertised to
sail from New York directly to Naples. which
was to be the starting point of the European
pilgrimage; and the shepherd was armed with q
golden crook IN the form OF q letter or credit,
which was to furnish ways and means wherever
Not much uneasiness was felt when the news
came that in place of the first-class steamer,
1.-The largest that ever entered the Mediter-
ranean,'' one of the second-class had been sub
stituted, nor yet when this withdrawn, e
other announced to sail in its place. Butwhen the
shepherd came to see the sort of craft to which
he was to consign his precious charge, 1t must
be confessed that his heart sank. She was long
and low. and grimy-black, with narrow and
gloomy saloon accommodations, and, what was
worse-so the seamen he talked with board
oI- ha had hnnT
teen days coming from Gibraltar to New York,
and cher deck had been wet'' much of the
time. Even a lanGsman could guess what that
meant. Money for the passage, however. had
been paid, and could not be got back without
delay and probable litigation; the very day of
sailing had arrived, and it would have been
tremely lnconvenient to change all our plans
and go by another route.
This we should have been inclined to do, how
ever, at whatever cost of money and of trouble,
if had known how many Italian emigrants
were to crowd the third-class accommodations.
There were over 700 of these, as we discovered
only after we had put to with them, making,
with the saloon passengers and the
crew, nearly 900 souls board, with only
seven boats and two liferafts to scramble des-
perately for in case of a serious disaster. Some
thing appalling when one came to think of 1t!
Up to the moment of sailing no suspected
how many of those italian peasants there We're,
returning to their native land, so well were they
distributed over the enormous lengths of the
main and spar decks. Even when the boat
swung away from the pier we were too intent
upon our own leave-takings with friends on the
wharf to think much of the huge swarms of hui
man bees crowding to her rails, from the far
away black bows to the barricade that shut them
off from our part of the ship.
1t was the afternoon of the ist OF December
bleak and chill enough, as we found, when once
afoat on the dashing waters of the bay. The
faces of friends on the wharf grew indiStinct;
the 1uttering handkerchiefs became almost
too small for sight; then vanished: the
great statue OF Liberty was passed, and, after
brief delay, awaiting the captain and his papers,
the Victoria joined the procession of Satur-
days steamers sweeping slowly. one by one,
lowed in line, to watch their smokes streaming
behind them, at first in the light westerly wind,
then rising more perpendicular as each rounded
the curve in the channel which gives its
name to the ''Hook,' and lastly flying out
once more gayly behind as they gained speed on
their easterly course, Few passengers re-
manned on deck, but the saloon writing table
was crowded by eager scribblers, getting their
farewell letters to friends at home ready TO send
back by the pilot, who was still aboard.