Chapter XXIV

Through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.--Columbus.--The Beautiful Station. --Church Service.--Nearing Home.--Parting Thoughts.--Our Amusements. --To Ethel Asleep.--A Parting Wish.--Pilgrimages of Patriotism.

It was well on in Sunday morning when we reached our next stopping-place, Columbus, Ohio, where we stayed until Monday forenoon.

The morning light, as we journeyed on in the early hours, showed us the smiling country in its Sabbath rest. It was all such a contrast to the far West, and the Pacific Slope, and not an ungrateful one.

We were passing through Ohio, which, one might say, is no longer the West, but the centre of our land. It is a glorious country, rich, fertile, and prosperous-looking.

Columbus quite pleased us, by the evidences of its bustling activities and improvements; as well as by a certain old-fashioned dignity and state. It is the governmental seat of Ohio, and has some quite respectable public buildings, all done in the American-Greek-Classic style--rows of pillars, pediments, and all that--which, I confess, I like better than the strained effort after effect, seen in some more modern structures.

A new piece of architecture at Columbus, however, the beautiful railroad station, was charming. It is full of beauty, like a rich Italian palace, all warm with golden carvings, yellow marble walls, and mosaic pavements.

The interior effect of the waiting-rooms was exquisite, with the arched and coffered roof, and the graceful outlines of all.

On Sunday night we all attended church, where we heard a good sermon, and joined, with keen relish, in a fine choral service, rendered by a well-trained surpliced choir of men and boys. The leader of the choir evidently had a heart for the noble effects of Gregorian music, while not such a purist as to rule out all modern compositions. In this he was right. Gregorian music is like salt, really necessary as a healthful adjunct in church song, but too much of it is as bad as none at all.

It was toward evening when we reached Pittsburg, where we made but a short stay; and in the early morning hour we were once more at the Pennsylvania Depot in Jersey City, where we took reluctant leave of each other and our good car "Lucania."

Sleep had refreshed us, as we flew, all unconscious, through the splendid scenery of the Alleghanies. But what were such mountains to us now, who had seen the Rockies; and what was the Horseshoe Curve, compared to the daring engineering of Colorado railroads! Nothing. We were more than satisfied with all we had seen.

But before closing this scattering record of our "Flight in Spring," surely it will be well to look back, once more, at its pleasant hours, and sweet companionship.

In those six weeks of our trip, equal almost to a lifetime of contact, under ordinary circumstances, how well we got to know each other. Surely the more each knew of each, the more did trifling fault fade away, and clear goodness come out into pleasing prominence. Was it not so?

So that when we came to part at the station, it was with a regret for that parting, and a hope that friendships were cemented on our journey, which nothing ever could dissever.

Let us think, too, with gratitude of the unwearying attention given to our comfort by Mr. Payson, in whose charge were all the details of our transportation, involving so much of most serious importance, as well for our safety, as our comfort. How wonderful to think that our eight thousand miles of travel was all conducted like clockwork, with entire reliability, and precision, from point to point, across the continent and back again, without hitch or accident.

Then we must remember the Pullman employees, to whom the whole journey was but an episode, in lives of such journeys; and yet how enthusiastic and attentive they were, at all times.

And we must remember Delia and Charles, in their sphere of usefulness, ever ready and willing to carry out the hospitable intentions of our good host and hostess.

It is all over, our "Flight in Spring," with all its pleasant incidents. Some of the sweetest moments were, when we turned in upon ourselves for amusement and pleasure, at the evening hours, when formal sightseeing was over; or in those hours of travel, when the eyes refused to gaze longer on the flying landscape.

Then came the Nonsense Verses, and the Stories, and the Songs, and the Machine Poetry, and all the fun. Shall we not gather up some of those trifles, as worthy of preservation in our record? Yes, certainly we will.

We will first start out with the machine poetry. Rhymes were furnished, which were these dreadful collocations, "give, live, dove, love, merry, cherry, go, slow, tease, squeeze, muddle, fuddle." A hopeless list surely.

Dear Fred, who said he could not write poetry, evolved the following:

POEM BY FRED

And when a pretty orange he did give,
He thought it was too sweet to live,
So he gave it to his dove
To ever sustain their love.

One day when all was merry,
He gave to her a cherry;
And he said she should not go,
For fear it would be slow.

First he began to tease,
Then he began to squeeze,
Until there was a muddle--
Soon afterwards a fuddle.

This realistic effort was received with rounds of applause. The next poetic effort on the procrustean rhymes was by Miss Hayden, as follows:

POEM BY MISS HAYDEN

Oh, why should I give,
Or expect me to live,
When, you called me a dove,
Yet you now cease to love?

I once was so merry,
My lips like a cherry,
I wept when you'd go,
And my heart beat so slow.

Then at once you would tease,
And kiss me, and squeeze,--
But--my brain's in a muddle,
And--you in a fuddle.

This effort, too, was greeted with approbation, and its tenderness duly appreciated.

But the Nonsense Verses were the best fun. One would shout out a line, an additional line would come from some one else, and by the time the whole thing was complete, it would be hard to discriminate as to who was the author.

Here is one hurled at me:

There was a Canon named Knowles,
Whose mission it was to save souls;
When out on this trip,
He said, "Let them rip,
We'll save them all yet from the coals."

Some of our young ladies were deeply interested in the sailor boys at war, and for their benefit this nonsense had wing:

There was a young lady named Harding,
Whose sweetheart, the nation was guarding.
The rumor of war,
Went to her heart's core
For fear he'd be lost while bombarding.

These verses, too, have a maritime flavor:

There was a young lady of nerve,
Who bet on the Naval Reserve.
She got a flat cap
Like that of her chap,
And said, "This our love will preserve."

We had lots of others, and ever so many good stories, but it is time to end. This last must suffice for the Nonsense Verses:

There was a young lady _en route_,
Who wanted to go on a toot,
So she jumped off the ca--ah
When no one was ne--ah,
And feasted on candy and fruit.

This was the favorite refrain of all, for its reckless suggestions, and the special intonations of its third and fourth lines. Its echoes would sound out in the most unexpected connections--

"So she jumped off the ca--ah
When no one was ne--ah,"

and then would come a merry peal of laughter.

Sometimes the laughter even, would cease, and, we were all so free and unaffected, that siestas were taken, quite unceremoniously, when silence would settle down upon our party.

In such a quiet interval, one of our fair sleepers inspired the following lines, as she lay at rest, on the couch in the dining-room. This is what the poet said:

TO ETHEL ASLEEP

Our car glides on with giddy speed,
But Ethel feels no motion;
Her soul and body take no heed,
Wrapt still, in sleep's deep ocean.

And as I gaze on her sweet face,
So placid, true and tender;
The wish for her I fain would trace
Is this--May Heaven defend her!

'Mid all the whirling cares of life,
May peaceful rest come to her;
And sleep, no matter what the strife,
Be ever near to woo her.

With some such wish as this for all of us, I would like to close the record of this "Flight in Spring."

When spring, and summer, and autumn, and winter, will for us have forever fled away, then may we all find comfort, after life's wanderings are over, in this restful thought, as our great journey shall end:

"He giveth His beloved sleep."

But other thoughts also come to me, as I recall the splendid advantages of such a trip as our "Flight in Spring." It was a revelation, to pass from ocean to ocean, over our own broad land. It filled one's soul with enthusiasm, as one thought of the opportunities, the responsibilities, the duties, and the prospects of our citizenship.

It made me long that such "Flights in Spring," or in any season, might be more widely enjoyed, so that many more might realize the immense splendor and power of our great land.

For such purposes I would wish that there were instituted "Pilgrimages of Patriotism," which would bring representative men, from ocean to ocean, from seashore to centre, and from centre to seashore, at stated and solemn periods; thus emphasizing the sense of national citizenship, and the splendid and indissoluble union of our States.

I have read that among the Zuni Indians it was a sacred law that some of their tribe should, each year, pour the waters of the Pacific into those of the Atlantic. The task was accomplished, despite of all difficulties, arising from tribal contests, or opposing forces. It was a symbol of union, touching as it was simple, and might again be revived among us, to emphasize the glorious bond of citizenship in this our land; a bond, which we felt continually, through our eight thousand miles of travel, in our "Flight in Spring."

ITINERARY

Lv. New York Wed. Apr. 13 9.30 A.M.
Arr. Thomasville Thu. " 14 2.35 P.M.
Lv. " " Sat. " 16 2.45 "
Arr. New Orleans Sun. " 17 9.20 "
Lv. " " Mon. " 18 8.40 "
Arr. San Antonio Tue. " 19 5.30 "
Lv. " " Wed. " 20 5.15 "
Arr. El Paso Thu. " 21 3.45 "
Lv. " " Fri. " 22 2.35 "
Arr. Los Angeles Sat. " 23 9.20 "
Lv. " " Tue. " 26 2.00 "
Arr. San Diego " " " 6.20 "
Lv. " " Thu. " 28 7.00 A.M.
Arr. Los Angeles " " " 11.15 "
Lv. " " " " " 4.00 P.M.
Arr. Santa Barbara " " " 8.30 "
Lv. " " Sat. " 30 8.15 A.M.
Arr. Brentwood Sun. May 1 9.00 "
Lv. " " Mon. " 2 9.47 "
Arr. San Francisco " " " 12.15 P.M.
Lv. " " Fri. " 6 10.40 A.M.
Arr. Palo Alto " " " 11.59 "
Lv. " " " " " 4.44 P.M.
Arr. San Jose " " " 5.20 "
Lv. " " Mon. " 9 11.00 A.M.
Arr. Santa Cruz Mon. " " 1.45 P.M.
Lv. " " " " " 4.35 "
Arr. Del Monte " " " 6.30 "
Lv. " " Wed. " 11 6.51 "
Arr. San Jose " " " 9.07 A.M.
Lv. " " " " " 1.15 P.M.
Arr. Oakland Pier " " " 3.45 "
Lv. " " Thu. " 12 8.37 A.M.
Arr. Ogden Fri. " 13 5.00 P.M.
Lv. " " " " " 6.20 "
Arr. Salt Lake City " " " 7.30 "
Lv. " " Sat. " 14 7.40 "
Arr. Colorado Sp'gs Sun. " 15 6.46 "
Lv. " " Mon. " 16 5.00 "
Arr. Manitou " " " 6.45 "
Lv. " " Tue. " 17 7.07 "
Arr. Denver " " " 9.15 "
Lv. " " Thu. " 19 7.00 "
Arr. Kansas City Fri. " 20 6.00 "
Lv. " " " " " 9.00 "
Arr. St. Louis Sat. " 21 7.10 A.M.
Lv. " " " " " 10.00 P.M.
Arr. Columbus Sun. " 22 11.20 A.M.
Lv. " " Mon. " 23 11.35 "
Arr. New York Tue. " 24 7.43 "