Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-10-31


gondolas nit to and fro just Us had
read in song and story. One moonlighs
night we lay under the bridge Of tho
Rialto, and listened to o delightful
serenade. I closed my eyes and thouRhs
of the meeting OF Shylock and Antonio.
of De sde mona, of Byron and his poetic
fancies conjured up by these beautiful
scenes. And again we were by the
Lake Of Como, whore tho prisoner OF
Chillon pined in his lonely prison, and
where, but the other day, pretty Sal
walton Army lassie was incarcerated for
persistently leading her soldiers through
the streets in defiance OF the local police
regulations. 1t was here, too that tho
Prince OF Como in Bulwer Lytton's
Lady OF Lyons owned splendid
palace, to which he wished to lead tho
fair Pauline.
After a short stay in Lombardy We
started of for Switzerland in the ma
chine, as the heat was too oppressive in
Italy, this not being the season for
visiting that country. AS we travelled
along MIR. Galileo said it was all hum
bug about the Italians vowing ven
geance upon Americans in consequence
Of the shooting affair at New Orleans,
and indeed could only agree to what
no said, as during the whole OF my stay
in Italy l was treated with the utmost
politeness and consideration. Ofcourse
l found that they appreciate money
| there as much as in the States. About
midnight tho aeronaut said we were
passing over the Lake OF the Four
Forest Cantons, or Lucerne. He asked
If would like to descend upon the sub
NIT Of the Rigi, where l should bc GER
tain to meet q number of Americans
| waiting to see the sun rise, which is
particularly splendid sight. l agreed.
and in a few minutes we had anchored
on the top Of the mountain. On leaving
tho car what was my surprise and de-
light to hear Enthusiastically American
voices singing
"whe HI Johppy comes marching home again.
in chorus. l was advancing toward
them when there was loud report, and
looking back saw that the cable OF the
flying machine had given way from
the pressure. The aerostat shot up
ward into the night and was almost i'm
mediately lost to view. One man, who
had seen us arrive. seemed to think
~
evil, but FASTENED to assure him that
I was simply an American citizen taking
a walk abroad. We fell into converse
ton, mostly on the curious railroad Gus
toms on the continent. Here about
eight or ten persons are boxed up to-
gether in 4 compartment, and you have
no opportunity Of stretching your legs,
such as We have in our cars. Every
now and then, often in the dead OF
night, the conductor comes along and
suddenly thrustS his head in at the
window and asks to see the passengers
tickets. We had a good deal of fault to
; find with the hotels, too, which. al
| though very fine and pleasantly situated
| many Of them, do not quite como up to
| the American idea of what these estab-
| lishments should be. 1t seems to me
that We have accomplished m ore in
| America, in many respects, in CEN
| fury tn an Europe has achieved in many
| centuries. ] refer moro particularly to
| inventions of different kinds Cor saving
time and making life more comfortable.
It is mistake to suppose that you can
| travel on the continent of Europe and
| thoroughly appreciate the sights to be
met with there without knowing n
little of the principal languages. French
| will suffice, however, for really with
French you can go all over the world.
was conversing with my new &C
quaintance on these matters when the
| sun rose from behind the mountains,
shedding indescribable splendor round
about us. The sight was most unearthly
| in its beauty and will not attempt to
write anything about it. The morning
mists rolled amid the mountain peaks
and formed sort of sea around them,
SO that they stood out like islands. AS
we looked the sound of falling water
smote on the ear, which gradually grew
in intel sity until it had risen to a deaf
ening roar very suggestive of the Falls -
Niagara. Ny companion said we wert
standing by the celebrated Falls o.
| Giesbach (?), but how We got there was
q mystery to me. Well, Americans are
Justly proud of the lakes and waterfalls
and canous in the States, but they will
| find many marvels in Switzerland,
| which, on the whole. is perhaps the
| N ost beautiful Of the countries / saw
during my tour. This was the opinion
of most of the people l met from this
side of the water.
Then. as / gazed at the mighty cur
tain of falling water, upon which the
sun threw q rainbow glory, / seemed to
be slowly mesmerized. ! saw a tall,
bearded gentleman before me; we were
standing in q fine room in the Hotel
Continental, Paris, and looking down
| upon the waving foliage of the Tuileries
Garden. l found that my companion
1 ,l,,, tl., l.
| Alexis, brother of the Emperor of all
the Russias. He had just arrived from
Germany, and a tremendous crowd was
| collected around the hotel and yelling,
'Vive la Russia. Vive la Gar, Vive la