The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-04

there are some oddities; but we are for
tunate in having very quiet, agreeable
voyageTs. That gentleman in the corner
has O penohant for collecting souvenir
spoons. anu is displaying some nIteen
Or more that he has just purchaseu IN
Portland and Halifax, while ne wholly
eclipses the STAT boys fame, py Eelhg
able to sleep standing on deck with the
ship at an angle of forty five degrees.
Our vis-a-vis at table, is Mr.. Smith, an
interesting young man who has travelled
extensively, and talks we'll. Inc beiies
OF the ship are two sisters, DARK hahn-
some girls, full of viyacity,. making all
the lie and excitement there Is. we
have II Romeo with us, in the person OF
a young man with very aquiline nose,
who looks about twenty yea,s old, ne
was married two months ago, ru naway
match, parents still obdurate. SO the
YOUNG groom takes aE OCEAN voyage
until mat, ers are amioably adjusted. The
passengers are from Halifax, st. John,
Erederickton ami Montreal, with a
sprinkling from Old England. large
proportion are young people, who amuse
then selves proinenading. playing games,
and becoming aoquainted; while the
older ones sit in steamer chairs envsloped
in rugs reading, writing and Meaitat-
ing. and the mericans taking notes of
Eng lish manners. Near us sits a fine
looking man beside his wife; their boy,
a lad Of fifteen, steps up saying. will
you please have q game of quoits with
me Pater?'' Certainly" was the reply,
then turning to his wife, ''Will you es-
ouse me dear?" Iha shock of this con-
jugal attention WAS the same upon the
Americans as that we'll directed ball
would have III game of ten pins it
felIed six women at once.
Good Friday was made memorable by
listening to our first service at SEA; as
the bell t0lled at eleven o'clock we
summoned every particle of will power
at cur command, and followed the con-
gregation. The Lieut.. Governor of Hall
TAX read the morning service, hut SO ex-
tremely prestissimo that VIC found it ut
terly impossible to articulate with suffi-
cient rRpidity to join audibly in the SER
vice, and we followed silently, but TO US
much of the itLpressiveness was lost, and
eventually ''mntter triumphed over
mind" and we fled precipitstely to the
deck. The usual concsrt was given Sat
urday night, and consisted Of recitatious,
violin and piano solos, but was not of a
suffi Gent thrilling character to call for
extended notice. The piano is beyond de-
scription, so in preference, we listened to
the music of the waves.
Gravel to use the language Of our
childhood's oopybook. broadens the
mind, and worcestershire power of obssrvs-
tion,'' but little did we dream that the
actual sensations and experiences of the
early navigatoss, would be ours, but now
we know precisely the feelings with
which sin fourteen hundred ninety tive,
Columbus crossed the ocean blue" Have
we not had mutiny on board, in our
own mental conditions, and when late
Saturday night we saw stray potato-par
ings floating On the sen, and heard in
the distance the cheerful Ito us) erunts
of homely but familiar animals. we knew
land was near which we Immediately
ohristened Ireland mentally pressing
our lips to dear, steady Mother Earth,
and exuitinQly waving aioft our only en-
sign, a hand bag. soon the rugged coast
of the Emerald Isle was outlined againss
the'sky. With what eagernsss We gazen
ut the different peaks and rough rocks,
over which dashed the most vivid green
water we have ever seen.
The Partisan anchored short distance
from Neville, small village of two or
three hunrdei houses, twelve miles from
Londonderry, only short stay was made
long enough to allow the tug to bring
and take back the mails. We were de-
lighted to have our first glimpse of Irish
gorse, small Drickly shrub covered
with bright yellow flowers: it grows or
the rocks and the sides of the hills addirg
greatly to the sttractiveness of the land
scape About two hours after leaving
Neville we passed the wonderful Giants'
Causeway, and are now stsan,ing along
steadily, without the slightest motion,
for the first instant in eight days Mon
day morning, April 10. we expect to be ut
Liverpool, with most grateful hearts
surely, for a safe passage, and with eyes
and ears Blert for new sights aud sounds.
|. MRS. HERMANN KOTZSCHMAR.