The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-11-04
GOING ABROAD
Observations of a Feminine Rambler.

bazaar on board That is what Ger
man Mediterranean liner is 1t requires
three months to make the trip to China
and return. and there isn't d summer re-
sort or hotel in the world that could
tempt me in preference to spending q
holiday in such a journey.
The steamers carry no emigrants. There
are first, second, and third class. The no
billty and people of wealth-and Of course
Americans when any happen 10 take the
trip which is seldOm-travel first class.
In the second cabin are principally Eng
Hsh. who get on at Southampton, and are
the officers or families of officers going
out to India They 80 back and forth
so frequently that it has become a Tecog-
nized form OF economy to travel second
cabin In the third class are the genuine.
relocated Tommy Atkins and strange
types of travellers in picturesque grab, re-
turning to the Orient
Our stateroom was wonder for size
and comfort One double berth, enc
single, one couch, q wardrobe, desk, and
table combination, Iavatories, camp stools.
and chest Of drawers. all on the star
board side. well forward We had a little
.Ssprivate hail. on the opposite side of which
was a room corresponding to ours, in
which dWelt a honeymoon couple. One
half of il was gOod-lOOking young
physician with a slight knowledge Of Eng
lish, and the other half was an animated
fashi0n-plate who laughed away all need
OF speech when approached upon CONVEX
sationGl footing. They were from Berlin,
and when ever 1 essayed 10 introduce the
subject of clothes as a cOngenial theme.
this little bride would clasp her hands
and go of into a gurgling ecstasy over
Spite She iSped, and her manner
OF suffering the word Spite" was 50
fascinating to me that 1 held her up in
the corridor as a daily pastime TO admire
the beautiful specimens that decorated
her person.
The visiting cards Of the occupants Of
the various cabins were neatly framed
and attached outside. like dainty little
door plates, and during the first few days
of the voyage, the women wandered about
studying this social register through their
lorsnons. Several times. upon opening
my door suddenly, l bumped against
scrutinizlng visitors and my embarrass
ment was greater than theirs.
The hands0mest and most sOcially-gifted
captains are assigned TO the Mediterr3-
mean service. and To the Over-stewari fails
the inspired selection of who shall occupy
the seat of honor. Titles are give rrecod-
ence. and Americans come next Thus 1t
was that a beautiful countess sat to the
right of tie captain, then her husband,
and next to him myself. Opposite. two
more counts, a baron. several distin-
guished officers Of the German army, an
eminent surgeon. and stretching down the
length or the central table a most inter
esting company of men and women If
many nations At the s o'clock dinner the
great salon. with its innumerable tables
surrounded by the wealth and beauty of
all the world, the magnificent toilets Of
the women and the fun dress OF the men.
the orchestral music the illumination,
and the sparkle of jewels. talk and wine,
made a scene of brilliancy difficult TO
equal on land. Dinner is the great func-
ton of the day, and one table, surrounded
by the Chinese Educational Commission
returning from England. and which con-
sisted of thiTty-fve nabobs in Oriental
dress, was especially gIittering- There
were besides, Japs, HOllandeTs. Belgians.
French, Germans, Sidmese, Javancsc.
English, Russians, Spaniards Italians
Filipinos, and even HindOos. on our
steamer. Do YOU think it was not a lib
eral education in customs, dress, and Ian
guages 10 be brought in contact with so
many nationalities? Jack said it was way
ahead of vaudeville. To me it was the a
r and the postgraduate course Of
universal history.
We sailed from Bremerhaven one per
feet evening of moonrise and sunset. to
the music of a band. and until nearly Il
o'clock the sea was a lake of color
through which we broke a foamy wake
with decks full OF happy promenaders
and all the fascinating action of n mann
moth steamer set going for lengthy
voyage. High hopes and bounding hearts
seemed to animate passengers and crew
and the hundreds Of white-appareled Chi
namen-cooks, runners, and under-stcw-
ards and human dumbwaiters-cut fash
ing streaks OF pig tail through the al
Hospherc as they ran hitler and thither
in swift silence
The 'Prinz Heinrich was the name of
our steamer, and the large painting Of
that scion of the nobility that occupied
place of vantage on the grand stairway
was a fac-simile of the satin print that
Jack has framed as a souvenir Of the
Prince Henry dinner, which was one Of
the events of the Emperor's brothers
visit 30 America few years ago.
The first stop we made was at Rotter-
dam. We arrived early one afternoon
and as we We're not scheduled to leave
until three the next morning. we went
ashore for dinner and the theatpr 4
cunning little scOw ferried us across a
waterway into the heart of orderly. cheer
ful Rotterdam. First. second, and third
class. even on this tiny enterprise. and
we threaded a course through pictur-
esque slOops, that looked TO be all masts.
and the sort Of shOrescape made familiar
10 me by the Delft decoration of my best
toilet set. The same fat little craft and
figures in high relief against "A cloud
patched sky with windmills in the back
ground and a canal az hand ready TO be
sketched. This canal-turf, tree flower,
and shrub b0rdered-forms a sort OF wa
terry boulevard on either side Of which
Dutch residences are reared. I was
drought up 10 believe in Dutch ''stOops -
lin fact, I have sat upon one as "a little
7 child in my Holland Dutch-dcscended
/ grandparents home. but I saw no
/ "stOops' i'm Rotterdam. The best houses
/ have a wide entrance on a level with the
\ sidewalk, and passers-by obtain a beauti-
1 ful view Of domestic felicity through the
4 clean window panes.
French comedy was in progress at
the theater. but Jack and I had enjoyed
our dinner in the midst OF a crowd of ma
tives, and we did not remain through the
play, but went in search of an al frescO
drinking performance We chose q beer
garden under the shadow Of Il revolving
mill. and proceeded 10 study types. Jack
fused about the women not wearing full
skirts and wooden shoes. I questioned
the utility Of the wndmills Nothing will
ever make me believe they are Of any
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