Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-09-04
The Last Of the Travel Letters.
BY WALTER sLLIAMs IN COLUMBIA HERALD

HoMEwARD BOUND, July TO- 1907
Fascinating and strange though
foreign countries are, the fascina-
tion fades after a time and the
strangeneSs fails to attract. People
are interesting for various periods of
time, some for moment, some for an
hour or two, Others for month and
few rare spirits for years. As with
people so with peoples. AS with peo-
Piles SO with countries. The charms of
one foreign land may be exhausted in
a fortnight while the attractions of
another are perennial. After one has
been absent from home and friends
for days and weeks and months, how
ever, the pleasure OF foreign travel
grows small indeed and every thought
Is homeward.
Before this-the last Of the tlavrl
letters written, as all its predecessors
have been, under streSs-before this
final epistle will have appeared
In print, the Missouri pilgrims
will have completed their journeyings.
Their voyage by land and sea has
occupied more than nine months, has
extended over $4,000 miles, further
than around the globe. They have
seen under fayoring circumstances,
somewhat of more than twenty coun-
tries, republics, constitutional mon
archies, and absolute monarchies
tempered only by assassination. They
have been almost from the torrid to
the frigid zone-certainly the weather
has been at times frigid and again by
contrast, torrid They have been on
four continents and listened while
more than forty languages were
spoken. They have heard no speech
more universal than English, have
seen no country so boundleSs in re.
source as the United States, found no
flag so beautiful as Old Glory and ex-
perienced no climate so changeful and
cosmopolitan as that of Missouri.
GREAT GREAT BRITAIN.
Kinship and courtesy, language, race
and religion, links Great Britain to
the United States in closer bond than
that subsIsting between the American
republic and any other European
power. Because of this, perhaps, we
found largest interest in our British
cousins, their little island and its
large concerns. 1t was a fortunate
time to be in the British isles. Not
only did we see rural England-the
most beautiful country in the world
at its best, wearing its spring dress of
living green with bouquet Of dear
old-fashioned flowers in its hand,-but
we saw London garlanded with beauty
as a bride adorned for her husband
and then, stricken by sorrow, bowed
as the bride in grief because the
bridegroom cometh not. 1t was a
panorama of British power, an object
lesson of English self-restraint, a
picture of beauty and notion kneel-
ing in silent supplication at the altar.
We have seen the Oxford students
demonstration when peace was declar-
ed, Birmingham riotous in its cheers
for Chamberlain, London changed in
a moment from merry-making, and
heard in st. Georges chapel at Wind
sor the Kings chaplain pray for the
suffering King. This week the Prince
of Wales reviewed the empires varl-
uniformed veterans and yesterday we
heard the shouts OF the multitude
when Kitchener Of Khartoum, a stern
figure with bronzed face and iron jaw,
received a welcome as no Roman
generals triumph could have been.
We carry home lasting memories of
England's greatness, of its hospitable
homes, stone walled and steel-barred
from the outside though but all the
more joyous in welcoming within, of
its glorious history told on the pages
of literature and written in so many
monuments upon its green sward.
Among European nations England,
however much her prestige has waned
OF late, is still the premier. She has
no equal to-day, save only her child,
outgrOwn in its broad new home, the
mother-country. She will have no
other rival tomorrow except the
Muscovite giant, sprawled across two
continents and wakening to the
possibilities of its power.
AT A CONGRESS OF NATIONS.
At close glance the worlds nations
suggest a parliament assembled.
Some limp into the council-chamber,
while Others walk with head erect and
vigorous step. The older countries,
Spain and Italy and Portugal, come
with exaggerated politeness, bowling
with Difference and staggering with
age and rheumatism. Germany, made
over by Bismarck, has been galvaniz-
ed into new life by the imperious, i'm
perial William. Austria Hungary and
Norway and Sweden are each twins
and walk as far apart as the connect