The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-24
Dream Travels.

In the parks and open places the birds gath
ering together in restless flocks, making ready for
the long journey South. One morning we shall
go forth under the trees and hear gossip of the
feathered folk. Then we shall know that winter
is indeed upon us. But our little friends in some
far sun-warm corner of the world will spill their
ringing, happy voices on the bright air. thinking
not of the future remembering not the past. But
just now the Mall is vocal with their chattering
and cries. No doubt they are canvassing the risks
and pleasures of the journey, the first glimpse OF
the blue Gull waters delicious fruits OF the An
titles, certain bleak and forbidding wastes, too,
where the duck hawks and the truculent little fall
cons quarter the upper reaches OF air for winged
travellers that have lost their way. One can
imagine that if these feathered chatterers were h-
man beings preparing for migration they would be
talking about hot water bottles and light under
wear and above all not lose the tickets leave
the cat locked up in the house. As we watch
these tourists making ready busting among the
yellow autumn leaves or wheeling in little COM
panies overhead, realize OF a sudden all the
keen delight, the large excitement with which in
times past we have made ready for journey. If
one could only go now, when the skies are
full of WEAKNESS and the shadow of death upon
all the green world. Whittier would we not go, to
what tropic isles OF palm and spice and white
beaches Tapped by waves unbelievably blue? Over
what deserts would we not pass, to the graves of
long dead civilizations and the narrow winding
lanes of Oriental cities and the teeming, gaudy
bazaars where the ghost OF adventure still turks.
Think of the great rivers, the shining pagodas the
hillsides aflamc with azalea and rhododendron the
dusty, teeming roads and the far-of peaks of in
finite ice. Dwell for moment upon the great plains
and the thunder of countless hoofs breaking the
far horizon, upon blue Andcan lakes lifted to the
skies, upon bleak resounding islands," wet with
ever drifting mist and melancholy with dune and
marsh and the crying OF the wild geese overhead.
There is so much to and we have 20 little.
How wait moSlent? Let us off and away:
the trains leave for the ends of the earth night
and day and the great steamers await with
up that traffic in all the ports of the world
Alas! Our travels must be dream-travels, all
the lovely vstas must beckon to us through fore
ground OF well tramped streets and the yellow
autumn leaves. This bench is our magic carpet
ii can supply the magic-and through all
adventurings will be the subconscious of I'M
reality. For married likely not, or
without funds, which is likely still, and
Smith is coming to dinner tomorrow and on We'd
nesday is the meeting we must attend and next
week the important lawsuit or the ball game we
are bent seeing. To dream-yes, but to make
the fatal plunge, to pull up stakes and notify the
landlord-thst is different affair.
And it is we'll so. For man is truly6 gregari-
GUS animal. And to the earth wanderer in far
places-for to him all places far-comes
great bitterness OF spirit, unutterable loneli-
He is ship that calls no port its home. He
all men and is not of them, visits all lands
but never looks upon the fruit of his labors, on
hearth and garth and the little folk-themselves
most accomplished dream travelers-that inhabit
nurseries
Already it is dusk and the chattering assembly
have gone to roost 1t is chilly, too and time to
be going home. So we turn up our collar and
as we prepare TO trudge home begin to evolve GER
tain rainbow-hued adventures that commence
"Once upon a time"