The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-08-30

His face is very handsome, for it has
great strength, and it's rich bronzed
color to-day, set off by his spotless
white uniform, tells of a perfect re-
covery from the strain of the exacting
duties OF the past year.
"Come and see how live" he said.
after our formal introductions we're
over and he led the way into his sleep-
ing room, the roomy cabin that he had
made so homelike.
L do not know how it happened, but
another party of Americans, who ar
rived at this point, were introduced
formally, and after few pleasant
words were allowed to go away, while
we were invited TO take tea with the
Admi al. Of course it will not look
the same to you, but out here in the
bay of Naples, with the smoke rising
from Mt. Vesuvius into the cloud
above, with the sky elsewhere a soft
Italian blue, with the sun shining on
the white villages across the way and
on the grim fortresses that guard the
port; here under the American flag, a
friendly little circle in wicker chairs,
chatting like old friends with the man
who is doing more today to give our
nation dignity abroad than any Ameri-
can who sails the seas, it was an hour
in which the Appian way in Rome, the
art treasures of Paris, or the beauty OF
the Swiss mountains and lakes became
things that were but the fances of an
hour. The tables were set on deck by
the Chinese steward At home he is
rich man, with farm and sixty labor
ers, but he has served Dewey for more
than dozen years, and he would not
leave him when the Olympia sailed for
home.
"He is richer tina l am" said the
Admiral, "but he makes the best tea
that you ever drank"
The steward served the tea, but it
was the Admiral, the captain and the
flag lieutenant who passed around the
cakes. Our conversation was that OF
the drawing room at sea.
1t would turn to the fight at Manila
bay, and the three officers would tell
how they had believed in the cruiser
and how they would have fought the
whole Spanish fleet with her alone.
There would be delightful little COM
ments upon incidents of the day, and
upon the part that the English and the
Germans played-words Of the SINGER.
est friendship for the English.
And we talked of dinners in Europe,
of how the big men of Naples had tum-
bled over one another to pay their re.
spects, and of how the mayor had called
early in the morning, with bow near
ly touching the deck, though Dewey
has visited the harbor twenty times,
and never before heard of the mayor.
One of the girls, who was born in
Tennessee, spoke of her three cousins,
holding volunteer commissions in the
Philippines; and at once the Admiral
talked of the Tennessee regiment, and
told how its colonel had died, and some
thing of its battles. Back we would
come then to the destruction of the
Spanish fleet, and he would relate how
the plans were studied out in advance,
and the whole battle fought on paper,
in harbor that had not be entered by
the feet before.
The Admiral was dined by the am
bassadors. We had bought all the
roses that two florists could furnish, and
banked them with wreath of green.
He found them upon his table, with
this note: with the best wishes of the
Americans who were 80 fortunate as to
be your guests this afternoon"