The National tribune., 1909-09-16
ON BOARD SHIP.

when some of the glories of the Orient
were revealed to me, and made me all
the more anxious to try conclusions with
the Atlantic, for up TO that time the
shores of the Old World We're still a
sealed book TO me.
When, then. a few months ago my
friend Elizabeth, said to me, Come.
let us go to Norway this Summer, to the
land of the midnight sum- the home of
the Vikings'-or words to that effect
my heart leaped with joy at the
thought, but L replied: Out of the
question; couldn't think of it Non
sense" said. Elizabeth. of course, you
can. Let us talk il over So talk it
over We did. and the more We talked
the more plausible the thing seemed
AS time went on the difficulties which
had appeared almost insurmountable
at first disappeared, as If fairy god
mother, wishing to humor me, had
taken hand in the matter herself, un-
til. behold me, this beautiful morning
in July. seated in my deck chair, actual
that
Huge and haggard shape,
OF that upkn5,Tn North cape,
Whose form is like wedge
as Longfellow remarks, for that land
of great rocks from whose snowy peaks
the Valkyrie sisters were wont to call
10 each other while watching the prog
ress of the battle and indicating their
victims. That is very long sentence,
but if you start with plenty of breath
and read IL correctly it comes out all
right. I'm not going to change il, any
way.
] can hear your groan of envy as you
read this, not on account OF the athletic
maidens who served Odin and the other
Morse gods at their banquets of VAL
halla-their stunts were far too siren
uous to suit you-but envy pure and
simple for your Sailor Aunt" 1t is
plain to see where your vagabond blood
comes from, and well do i know your
feet will burn to tread this deck and
share this experience with me.
This is a fine ship. You have so often
laughed at me for my interest in dry
and dusty facts that i shall spare you
all statistics with regard to her size,
displacement, number of tons of coal
she consumes a day, number of men
employed on her, etc j couldn't tell
you il ] wanted to, and ] certainly shall
not inquire, so you see how reckless
and insouciante is my present humor.
1t is quite enough for me TO know that
her decks are Immediately clean and
roomy, that my steamer chair is always
placed just where / want il, that / have
seat at the Captains table-tho, real
ly, this is no special advantage unless
one happens to know that officer very
weII-that the food is good, and, bes
of all, that my room Is delightfully."-
comfortable And thereby hangs a tale
The day we sailed from New YorH
was a scorcher. Elizabeth and s5-@
early that we might have plenty OF
time on the ship before she left. A
last purchase believe it was foun
tain pen-beguiled us over TO Wanna
makers, only short distance from III,
hotel, and while there other purchase
were madS-you know how IL is-uEti
10 our horror we found we had barel,
time to get TO the ship. On the docl
an was confusion, as is always the cas-
on such occasions Luggage was being
put on board, carriages We're arrivin,
filled with passengers and their friends
who had come TO see them off, the lat
ter laden with flowers and interesting
looking little packages. The gangplanl
was crowded. The decks of the steam
er were gay with bright, well-dresseC
throng. laughing, talking and mopping
for the day was very hot, as / have al
ready said. We had some delay oI
account of our trunks, and when w
finally hurried on board We met tn
= visiting friends. who had been warne'
that the steamer was about to starr
and among them was your Uncle p
who had been cooling his heels, so h
SAID, IN my steamer char call the chair
were plainly marked) for the past hour
expecting TO see me every moment II
had only time TO grab me, give me
hug and kiss, and say hurriedly: .'Th
Captain is an old friend of mine
have spoken to him about you and ais
TO the purser. Good-by. Have bull,
time" And he was off
And so in very few minutes wer
we. When we were fairly under wa
NJ NEa.s in
handkerchiefs of friends on shore, Eliz
abeth and i went below TO inyestigat
our cabin, where we were TO spen'
the next eight or nine days together
My dear, II was impossible 1t appeare,
TO be away down in the very bowels o
the ship. hotter than Tophet and darl
-as pocket We had paid a pretty goot
price for the room, and he'd been as
sured we would find II comfortable, ant