The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-02-12
PROGRESS IN COMFORT.
Interesting "reminiscences by Edward
Everett Hale

Interesting "reminiscences by Edward
Everett Hale.
In the midst Of the extensive and GU
rious studies which try to make us COM
prehend the wonderful advance Of the
last century, it has seemed to me that
people pass by the amazing progress in
comfort, or, shall say, in the conven-
fences of life, Improvements in the saw
Ing Of time, and all the possible
achievements which follow on such
comforts and conveniences.
When my father came to Boston for
the first time from the Connecticut riv-
er, he took what was even then called q
: stage" for the passage. The time re-
CURED for the journey was two days
and he was entitled to a seat for that
time. The stage waited at Brookfield,
that the passengers from Springfield
and Northampton might meet and go
on together. On this occasion 1t proved
that there were seven through passen-
gers, and only six seats, so that they
must determine among themselves
which of the seven must remain for
twenty-four hours at Brookfeld. A
reason for being in Boston on the sec
ond night, or thought she had; and my
father, with the kindness and courtesy
which always distinguished him.
yielded the seat to her, and remained at
Brookt1eld for twenty-four hours. In
telling the story, he always used to say
that, in that day of enforced leisure. he
made near friends, who had been
friends his life through.
Another of his stories of travel was
that of his first voyage from the city
of New York to Troy in 1904. He was
in a river sloop. I suppose the winds
were not favorable for the voyage last
ed twelve days. The tradition in the
family Is that he read through Gibbons,
Decline and Fall of the Roman En-
pire" in that time.
A careful student of the Arabian
Nights is reminded by such stories of
the experience of Sinbad, the Sailor
an experience almost invariable in each
of his seven voyages. For it almost al
ways happened to him that, on his ar
rival at the seaport from which he was
to go home to Bussora, the yearly
before. So Sinbad would have to wait
at this point, as my father waited at
Brookfield, and for a longer period.
The Mussulman year. although some
times a short one is at the least three
and fifty-four days long, so
that Sinbad would have large opportu-
mites to enter into trade or to read
any of the chronicles of his
day.
All this has changed now. With the
change there has come great opportuni-
ty for using the time gained for the
greater glory of God and the greater
good of man. One studies the old day
books with certain eagerness to see
how and where we make improvements
in the time which we gain.
One thing is certain; namely, that our
tools are, on the whole, great deal bet
ter, or rather that we can use better
tools if we will. Our best ink is as good
as the best ink of 1901. But, alas! a
habit, which one may call almost a
passion, has come in for using ink
which is almost illegible. 1t seems to
me that half my correspondents water
tlltll lin 81 lHuCI lIdt IHSii iCILCi -
ought to be put into the fire unread.
But, if we will, we can have at very
cheap rates good ink, good paper and
good pens When one remembers the
time and thought required for cutting
the goose-quill into shape, "nibbing" 1t,
and restoring it when it was worn, he
feels that in year or two he could, in
the minutes thus saved, learn new
language. We were we'll advanced in
the SOS, before the Use of steel pens
was universal in this country. I be-
ieve that in England their use is still
as bad form, ''shopkeeperish,
Or tradesmanlike, you know" l was
oy accident writing with quill pen in
L station-house in Connecticut little
while ago; and gentleman crossed the
'oom, to say he had never seen such
pen before, and to ask if he might look
1t it.
Lord Ashburton told my father that,
when he went to see Niagara in the
year 1898, he went on horseback. His
party was within half a day Of the cat