Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-03-09


On stepping from the train we follow
| the crowd to the boat which crosses the
English Channel, that terror OF all trav-
elers. Even our own Americans dread
It more than the Atlantic Ocean, and the
English and French people absolutely
refuse to cross It unless compelled TO do
sc. One scared passenger questioned
the pilot regarding the prospect OF q
rough passage. He replied that II look.
ed like II, az Indeed Il did, for the boats
at anchor were whirling round and
round, and we thought ourselves certain
| " doomed to second edition OF Purga-
tory. The trip across, at this point, if
advertised as taking but one hour, II not
exceedingly rough, while at the other
points It takes several hours, but AT
much cheaper rates. We chose In,
shorter route, having had quite enou. b
Of Old Neptune's caprices to satisfy 70
for while.
Thinking to find more comfort In
reclining posture, steamer rugs and
wraps were utilized for pillow and GOV.
ering, kind aud most beautiful wont n
sitting opposite coming to attend to the
.stucking-iLr process. Ths boat had be q
on her way scarce five minutes, when
one after another the passengers began
to show the effects OF violent seasick-
ness, and all around and about US, the
horrors were increasing each moment.
Every one had succumbed except the
friend opposite and another young
woman beside her, both Of whom per-
sisted In their determination not to BE-
seaslck, nonchalsntly reading their news
papers mean while; but after little the
Younger was obliged to 60 the way OF
all the rest, much TO her chsgrln aud dis
gust, so there were left but we two. Our
friend bore up bravely until within ten
minutes Of landing, when suddenly hei
face blanched, and she too was
Obliged to relinquish her claim TO being
a good sailor, In favor OF us, who had
never dreamed OF such thing, expect
ing to be the very first to succumb.
When the boat stopped, and the VIC
tins had again regsined their voices,
having parted With about everything
else, they focked about the solitary pas
senger Who had successfully eluded th'
attacks Of the demon Of the sea, clamor.
ing for our antidote for the English
Channel. The only explanation tina,
G puld be si,el was, iha, several
weeks before, such dose of the Allan.
tic Ocean had been administered tha,
nothing short OF an upheaval OF Hades
could have any effect again. And when
we wouderingly asked II they called that
a rough passage, they thought we must
be related to the mermaids or sharks;
our acquaintance Informing US that she
had crossed no less than flfty times, and
never knew what seasickness meant be-
fore. When we told her that the hour
and half just passed was like sitting
under syour own vine and tig tree,
compared 10 every hour for six days and
nights OF the voyage across the AT.
lsntic, she vowed then and there never
to cross to our side of the world. We
could sympathize with the man at our
elbow, who, though the sickest one on
board, said he "didn't care rap for the
English Channel-it couldn't be men,
toned In the same breath with the At
lsn;ic Ocean for genuine, downright
cussedness, for you get across u some
time ~
As we all proceed towards the gangway
whose farther end rests on French soil,
the woman with the sealskin coat and
French poodle makes "scene" with the
officials by blocking the way for fully
ten minutes, being determined to cross
without depositing her ticket with the
guard, saying her husband has 1t on
board. She Is securely held by the
guards, however, refusing TO come back
aud walt for the tardy husband, who
makes his appearance at last, and she Is
allowed to land, not, however, without
the parting information from the inter-
prefer, that III know my business better
than you do, II you do wear big coat
and French poodle"
As the foot steps on French soil, the
hand baggage Is seized by an attendant,
for this Is one Of the many ways you are
compelled to get rid Of your ducats.
After putting US on the train for Paris,
he comes in for fee, so we offer him
coin which he refuses, saying in broken
English that Il Is .'no good" We then
present another, and another with the
same result, but finally find one In our
receptacle which he deigns to receive,
and we then begin TO surmise that the
man on the boat who changed our Eng
lish money into French gave US spurious
coins, and have since learned that II is
trick they play on people who have
never crossed before. They buy up for
almost nothing all the useless coins with
which France Is overstocked, and palm
them of on Americans who are unsc-
ausinted with the French money. And
this reminds US that II "a person intends
travelling through many different coun-
tries, he must needs have the bank ac-
count of Rothschild, for whenever the
borders Of foreign country are reached,
the one who changes your money Is al
lowed a percentage, not giving you it
full value.
Calais, where We take the train for
Paris, Is & military port, with It's forts
and barracks and red-tr0userod soldiers.
unlike the English red-codted ones. As
we speed on the way towards the Illus
trious city, the landscape shows very
little of interest, 1t being q most barren
aud forsaken looking country. In sum-
mer, they tell US, the fields are covered
with the corn poppy, called In French.
coquelieot, and for miles along the rail
way they grow so luxurisntly that they
seem like broad red ribbon stretched
along the way. They are OF dazzling
bright crimson and give cheerful look
to even this barren waste. They are not
satisfactory to gather, for at the slight
est touch their petals fall to the ground.
reminding one Of the lines Of Burns:
pleasures are like poppes spread;
You seize the fower-its bloom IL she'd"
The windmills are an interesting and
most picturesque feature, with their four
arms fastened to a small, round tower,
slowly revolving against the sky. They
are very unlike our tall, modern Ameri-
can ones, but are the same kind Of war
riors that Don Quixote fought 80 many
imaginary battles with, though on differ
o,,t onu