The Washington times., 1933-03-22
Continued from Page y

~"s NkS
dered. at what moment they
would come hurtling down from
their self-styled hurricane deck,
bringing to an abrupt end their
jaunt to Borneo or Cathay.
Believer in Heredity
You know. I have always
been a great believer in he
redity. and Franklin's wander
lust, confined though it was at
first to mythical excursions,
can be attributed directly to
my own love Of ships and dis
tant horizons. The Delanos
have always been associated
with the sea.
My grandfather, who owned
a fleet of rugged sailing ves-
sells, became his own best sea
captain, and my father, like his
father before him, had a great
affection for the sea. His first
long voyage took him to China,
where he joined Mr.. Russell,
with whose business he had
become affiliated in Boston.
Long absence from him had
made Mr.. Russell, who headed
this trading company that dealt
in China tea, anxious to return
to the States so the two young
men traded positions, my father
staying on for a brief time las
he thought in China. But he
stayed many years, rising
higher and higher in the firm
until finally he became a part
ner, journeyed back, married,
settled down-or thought he
had settled down-at Algonac,
the home on the west bank of
the Hudson which he bought
soon after his marriage.
The Panic of 1857
But there were depressions
in those days, too, and in 1857
we had one of the worst panics
the country had ever seen. My
father lost almost everything,
and when he tried to sell our
house he found almost all pros
pective buyers in the same
plight. So he left his wife and
growing family behind and went
back to China to start at the
very beginning again. One
child was born after he left,
and he did not see it until it
was almost three years old.
Then father. finding it pos
sible to send for us, arranged
that mother, her little brood of
children, and a cousin who was
helping her teach us. should
set sail on an old-fashioned,
square -rigged clipper, the Sur
prise, to join him in the Orient.
I was naturally completely
thrilled at the dramatic change
in my orderly little life. To go
to China! Even today I sup
pose child of eight would be
thrilled at the prospect, but to
us in those days. it was in
credibly exciting. I suppoSt it
was altogether terrifying to my
young mother to give up her
beautiful home and its peaceful
security for perhaps the rest
of her life-but in those days
the older members of a family
carefully kept away from the
children all traces of sadness
or trouble or the news of any,
thing alarming, I often think
today when I hear money
troubles. illness. or accidents
fully discussed before eager
eyed, open-eared children, how
tranquil and unmarked by
adult emotions our lives really
were.
Fine, Sturdy Ship
The Surprise was a fine,
sturdy ship, and one that had
made the voyage many times.
It took us four months to round
the Horn and reach China,
and ours was an uneventful and
easy voyage. Our lives were
regulated just as they had been
at home. We had our lessons,
our sewing, our games, our read
ing aloud and talks with our
mother, our meals. and our
early bed. There was a. COW
on board and chickens, and
while the food was simple, 1t
was wholesome and homelike.
Nobody was lost overheard or
fell i'll or otherwise created any