Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-28
FULL OF ATTIC SALT
Is This First Delightful Letter of Miss Willie Aliens Series, Written on Oceans
 Heavng Bosom.

Cunard Royal Mail Steamship Aura mia" June 15, 1S96.-One feels safe in counting upon some familiarity with ocean phenomena on the occasion of a fifth crossing of the Atlantic, but thus confident one might as well be prepared for disappointment on that score. The sea Is ever fresh. A new meter and new rhyme come with each dawn.
 To become personal, we are really com pos mentis for the first time today. Up to this balmy, sunshiny morning we have bidden adieu to sanity, have made rash vows of never putting foot on a ship again so long as we live, of taking up permanent residence in good, steady old England, of eschewing food, fluid and solid, hot and cold, for-wel, forever. But now restored to health, we walk the deck, buoyant, happy creatures. The Malachite sea adorns itself with crested silver; on the far horizon vessels appear and vanish; one discloses the blue, white and black smokestack of a Brazilian line and another looks like picture from an old geography, for it carries mass of sails, and might be, as far as looks go, ghostly frigate from old Trafal- gar days. We are two days out from Liv- erpool and I imagine that our good ship is putting on airs as she hears her own shores. Officers and men seem more alert, the flag -futters more briskly, the
 
 American coin, and we are looking up stray shawl straps and miss proper ties great and small. A group of zealous musicians are practicing for the concert tonight. Echoes of Yum Yum" and the skirt Dance" float down to me from the music room. These concerts are an es- tablished institutions on the transat- lantic lines, and, aside from the diver sion offered, never fail to engage the att tention of passengers. The receipts go fN ha ftIr ia6 .axfo t1,n Sailors Orphans home at Liverpool.
 We thoroughly like the Cunard line. Its remarkable record for safety is a pleasant thing to think of when the time comes to lay one's head on pillow and trust these watchers of the night. And the company on board We are for tunate in enjoying the especial kindness of Justice W of New Orleans. Colonel T. recommended us to his care in New York, and not many hours pass during which he does not draw up a steamer chair in his genial way to show us that justice of the supreme court of the United States is as far ahead of us in bright small talk as in his knowledge of jurisprudence. It Is delight to me to watch his enjoyment of well-earned vacation His massive head and fine eyes attract first, but a big baby mouth and round chin so remind us of Joe Jeff ferson that when he appears we involun- tarily prepare ourselves for a flow of genial humor. And we are not disap- pointed.
 Our little circle on deck was augmented yesterday by a gray-mustached lawyer from Newport, R. I. This is his eighteenth visit to Europe. His daughter is with him and together they expect to enjoy a stay in Thuringia and the Tyrol Alps.
 My daughter is an Alabamian," he said with smile; and later he proceeded to tell us that he came to Alabama an officer on General Meade's staff when the latter was stationed in Montgomery in reconstruction days. He had many in- uuiries to make of prominent Mofitgom- cry people of thirty years ago. We spoke rapturously of our Capital City and ex- plained how it had developed since 65. And then, remembering that he had re- ferred to Judge Busteed and his interest ing career in Montgomery, l remarked: "Ah, but I am sure that MT. H. knows how delightful Montgomery is- how social, how attentive, to the stranger within her gates!' And MT. H. lies back in his chair and with a retrospect i've smile says: "Yes, yes; do, indeed" But this ex-federal officer Is good dem- ocrat and a sound money man, so we let bygones be bygones and fall to talk ing of Heidelberg and the Black Forest.
 We will mail our letter at Queenstown on the outgoing White Star steamer. l fear that any letters which may send to the State Herald will betray by their poverty of incident the fact that have many cares which are not exactly pro- ductive of the literary impulse. on the head of the editor who asked for them falls the responsibility for these impend- ing delinduencies. w. M. A.