The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-09-13
A MAD STRUGGLE.
Continued form Ninth Page.

train could maintain a reputation for integrity
and run according to Cooks schedule /
could find day trains that reached Antwerp
before starting, and others that made the en-
tire trip in less than ten minutes, but none OF
these seemed just what | wanted. The only
practical way of reaching Antwerp, according
to my guide, seemed to be by way of Constan-
tinople or Rome. Our tickets were by way of
Brussels and continued my search | could
get to Brussels all right, but from this place
1t seemed all trains run to Paris. / became
desperate and felt that unless l found train
to Antwerp soon would be an unreasonable
and dangerous Individual. The last thing ]
remember was trying to reach Antwerp by
way of London without changing cars, and
then in my delirium fancied l was on phan-
tom trains that went to Antwerp by way of
the moon, and heard people asking for trains
to the sun, and others taking trains for Nep-
tune with stop-over privileges at Jupiter. /
thought they all carried "Cook's Continental
Railway Guides'' and all seemed In q hurry.
When | returned to consciousness Smith was
holding me and trying to quiet me. When
he asked an explanation l told him how 1t
happened, and he merely remarked as he
picked up the guide book, "I'll see when our
train leaves,'' and in few seconds he con-
tinued: eve leave here at $40, arrive at Brus
sells at IL, remain there till 5, and get to Ant
werp 6:O7 in the evening"" and then quietly
placed the book in his valise. Time and again
verge of insanity when Smith would quietly
take the guide book turn to the proper page
and explain everything in detail. | would
then sit and contemplate him as he resumed
his reading, and wonder if he were really
human being like myself. And it is this pro-
digious power more than anything else that
makes me look upon Smith as the greatest
production of the present century.
But anticipate. We are yet in London. We
expect to remain here for "a few days longer
,ir,ri cfafa
to Madame Tussaud's." l believe most
visitors to London do 60 to this exhibition of
famous wax works. 1t is now considered one
of the city's sights. l would rather go to
Madame Tussaud's than to the British
Museum. You have visited Madame
Tussaud's? l scarcely expected to find such
an imposing-looking building with mirrored
walls beautiful furniture and well-trained
orchestra. admit that | found Madame
Tussaud's wax works more pretentious and
dignitied exhibition than | expected 1 was
agreeably surprised. like the wax works.
like to study the features and expressions said
to be fairly well reproduced of the worlds
famous men and women. 'Tis true the wax
stare, the wax rigidity, the wax color, and
the general waxy aspect is noticeable, but less
prominent than in other wax figures.
found the line of English sovereigns particu-
larly interesting-the ruler was so character
istic of the r4ign. The sight of that old
rooster, Henry VIII, standing in the midst
VI clA ueH WlfOS WAS pdbacOiC III tnS GA
treme. He wore vague, indefinite expression
as though he We're in doubt about the pro-
priety of his presence. Henry only had six
partners of his joys and sorrows which, con-
sidering the then rude and imperfect con-
dition Of the divorce machine, wasn't so bad
after ALL What luxury it would have been
to this droll king to live in these modern days
with our decided divorce sentiment Henry
would have been kind ofperpetual supply to
the American demand for titled foreigners
sI4I a1
| pseudo-aristocratic mammas with marriage
| able daughters and a few surplus millions
would have lioniZed him and spoken for the
earliest date possible for their queen-aspiring
girls. No, Henry, with his weakness for
matrmony, made the greatest mistake of his
life by not choosing the present as the time
and Chicago as the place for what doubtless
under these circumstances would have been a
career of brilliant and uninterrupted hymeneal
triumphs. At times he seemed to be apol-
ogizing for his paltry sum of six wives in Ian
guage something like this: Gentlemen, you
behold my meagre collection. know il is a
poor showing for king, and when l think OF
the untitled and uneducated American citizen
who often secures twice my number l feel
that my efforts in this direction have been
disgraceful. 1 feel that / ought to apologize
for appearing in these halls as wife exhibitor.
Yet to be perfectly just you must remember
that the time in which l lived was very diff
ferent from the present. The obstacles to
marriage ana ulVOrce-eSpeclally divorce
were greater in number and harder to sur
mount than In your convenient age. Look at
| your admirable divorce system where a dis
satisfied husband may look over the matrl-
monial news and select his next wife while he
waits for his liberation papers. In my day l
had to work up tedious cock and bull story,
| resort to the block, which was always trouble
some, or row year or two with the Pope be-
| fore | could cast about for my next victim.
| All these things considered, gentlemen, l
think l did fairly well, but, of course, when
| compared with your enterprising Americans
band plays popular wedding march Henry
| looks sad and miserable.
ALvA SIGEL RoUsH.