Year: 1873




and then went on banging up the board
ers, none of whom desired to take the
early train.


When they called me at one, it made
my rest seem very broken, and l said i
they would skip me at two would cal
myself, not really intending to do it
but hoping to beguile the porter an6
deceive him. He probably suspected
that and was afraid to trust me, because
when he made his rounds at that hou1
he did not take any chances on me, but
routed me out along with the others
L got some more sleep after that, but
when the porter called me at three,
felt depressed and jaded and greatly
discouraged. So I gave it up an6
dressed myself. The porter got me E
cup of coffee and kept me awake while
/ drank it. He was good, well mean
ing sort of founder, but really draw.
back to the hotel, I should think.


Poor Mr.. Blank came in then, look
ing worn and old. He had been called
for in all the different trains, too, just
as [ had. He said it was a good enough
hotel, but they took too much pains.
W lie we sat there talking we fell
asleep, and were called again at four,
then we went out and dozed about town
till six, and then drifted aboard the
Lively.


HER MAJEsTY's SHIP THE LIVELY.


She was trim and bright, and clean
and smart she was as handsome as a
picture. The sailors were in brand new
man-of-war costume, and plenty of Off
GERS were about the decks in the state
uniform of the service; cooked hats,
huge epaulettes, claw-hammer coats,
lined with white silk, hats and coats
and trousers all splendid with gold lace.
| 1 judged that these were all admirals,
and so got afraid and went ashore again
| Our vessel was to carry the shah's bro
| ther, also the Grand Vizies, several
Persian princes, who were uncles to the
shah, and other dignitaries of more or
| less consequence. A vessel along side
was to carry the luggage, and vessel
just ahead (the Vigilant) was to carry
nobody but servants; and the queens
special ambassador, Sir Henry Rawlin-
son. who is a Persian scholar and talks
to the shah in his own tongue.
was very glad, for several reasons,
to find that ! was not to go in the same
ship with the shah. First with him
not Immediately under my eye would
feel less responsibility for him and,
secondly, as 1 was anxious to impress
him, I wanted to practice on his brother
first.


GETTING READY FOR HIS sHAHsHIP.


It was getting towards the time for
the shah to arrive from Brussels, so [
ranged up alongside my own ship. I
do not know when ever felt so i'll at
ease and undecided. It was sealed
letter which had brought from the ad-
miralty, and could not guess what the
purport of it might be. I supposed I
was intended to command the ship, that
is, had supposed it at first, but, after
seeing all these splendid officers, had
discarded that idea. I cogitated good
deal, but to no purpose. Presently a
regiment of Belgin troops arrived and
formed in line along the pier. Then a
number of people began to spread down
carpets for fifty yards along the pier,
by the railway track, and other carpets
were laid from these to the ships. The
gangway leading on board my ship
was now carpeted and it's ratings were
draped with bright-colored signal flags.
It began to look as if I was expected
so I walked on board. A sailor immedi-
ately ran and stopped me, and made an
other sailor bring mop for me to wipe
my feet on, lest might soil the deck
which was wonderfully clean and nice.
EVIDENTLY was not the person expected
after all. I pointed to the group of of
ficers and asked the sailors what the ma
val law would do to man if he were to
go and speak to some of those admirals,
for there was an awful air of etiquette
and punctillo about the premises but
Just then one of those officers came for
ward and said that if his instinct was
correct an admiralty order had been re-
ceived giving me passage in the ship
and he also said that he was the first
lieutenant, and that was very welcome
and he would take pains to make me
feel at home, and furthermore there was
champagne and soda waiting down be-
low; and furthermore still, all the Lon
don correspondents, to the number of
six or seven, would arrive from Brussels
with the shah, and would go in our ship,
and if our passage were not lively one,
and jolly and enjoyable one, it would
be very strange thing indeed. Icould
have jumped for Joy if I had not been
afraid of breaking some rule of naval
etiquette and getting hanged for it.


THE SHAH ARRIVES.


Now the train was signalled, and
everybody got ready for the great event.
The Belgian regiment straitened itself
up, aud some two hundred founders
arrived and took conspicuous position
on a little mound. was soon occupied
with other interests. The train of thir-
teen cars came tearing in and stopped
abreast the ship. Music and guns began
an uproar Odd looking Persian faces
and felt hats (brimless stovepipes) ap-
peared at the car windows.


Some gorgeous English officials fled
down the carpet from the Vigilant. They
stopped long car with the royal arms
upon it, uncovered their heads and
unlocked the car door. Then the shah
stood up in it and gave us a good view.
He was a handsome, strong-featured
man, with rather Europern fairness
inches thick, for this is the plate glass
manufacturing region, you remember.
It was very clear and fine. If one were
to enter the place in such way as not
to catch the sheen of the glass, he
would suppose that the end of the house
was wide open to the sun and the
storms A strange boyhood instinct
came strongly upon me, and could not
really enjoy my dinner, 1 wanted to
break the glass so badly. 1 have no
doubt that every man feels so, and I
know that such glass must be simply
torture to boy.


This dining rooms walls were almost
completely covered with large oil-paint-
ings in frames.


HOW THEY ''K EEP HOTEL THERE.


1t was an excellent hotel the utmost
care was taken that everything should
silent, solemn founders; the correspon-
dent of the London Telegraph was hur-
rying along the pier and took off his hat
and bowed to the "king of kings" and
the king of kings gave polite military
salute in return. This was the commence
ment of the excitement. The success
of the breathless Telegraph man made
all the other London ncorrespondentsm mad,
every man of whom hourished his stove
pipe recklessly and cheered Justify,
some of the more enthusiastic varying
the exercise by lowering their heads and
elevating their coat-tails. Seeing all
this and feeling that if was to "im-
press the shah" at all, now was my time