Chapter II

On through the South.--Thomasville, Georgia.--Dr. Humphrey's Winter Home.--Southern Flowers.--The Old Plantation.--War Declared.--They Leave To-day.

Soon after leaving Washington the night came on, but ere darkness settled down upon us, we had already seen the fresh verdure, and the trees and flowers in full, radiant bloom.

Night closed in as we whirled on through the Southern land. We took the Atlantic Coast line, passing through many historic spots, well worth a stay; but our destination was Thomasville, Georgia, where we were to join our good host, Dr. Humphreys and his family, and rest with him at his winter home for a day or so, before starting on our full trip from New Orleans, by the Sunset Route, directly west, for Los Angeles.

Our stay in Thomasville was delightful. We found ourselves at home in the broad ample residence of our good host. The house is a large, one-story, double structure, standing in its own spacious grounds. A large hall, more than ninety feet long, runs through the midst of it. There we spent two days with our host, enjoying every moment of our stay. Flowers and roses were on every hand, and great trees with grateful shade, and the songs of many birds, and the pealing laughter of young folk, and the quiet happiness of those who loved to see others happy all about them.

The poetry and sentiment of the time, the place, the occasion, seemed to me to be symbolized in a lovely bouquet of wild flowers presented by Thomasville friends--Colonel and Mrs. Hammond--to our dear host and hostess, as a tender floral _bon voyage_. It was truly a thing of beauty in its rich and unstudied simplicity, made up of a great spray of wild pink azalea, and another of a flowering ash called Old Man's Beard. The silver threads of the latter fell over the exquisite color and finished form of the azalea, and all was overtopped by a branch of flaring crimson honeysuckle. It was both magnificent and dainty, all at once, and had the added beauty of most utter simplicity. It was merely a handful, plucked at random, from the abundant beauty of the rich Southern forest. I fancy, however, that an ordinary eye might have passed by the exquisite possibility of the Southern blooms, and that the unerring taste and tender sentiment of the givers were necessary factors in procuring such a perfect floral offering, so appropriate and so beautiful.

We had another great treat while at Thomasville, in a drive out to a Southern plantation of the old-time type. How sad and silent, though, it all seemed! It was like a charmed castle, waiting for the arrival of some one whose footsteps should quicken all to life again. There it stood, all ready for an awakened hospitality, at a moment's notice. We wandered through the great parlors, the spacious bedrooms, and out on the shaded balconies and verandas, peopling all, in imagination, with the home happiness for which it seemed so well prepared. The ample portico, with its great pillars; the luxuriant trees; the stately, silent house, and the tangle of roses and creeping plants made a picture long to be remembered. It did not seem quite right to romp and frolic in such a place, but such is the limit of our nature that one always loves and longs for contrasts; that is the reason, doubtless, why we awoke the echoes with many peals of ringing laughter and good fun. The ever-present kodak had its own share in our comedy, and brought away a shadow of our sport in the picture of "Rebekah at the Well."

The time came all too quickly for our departure from Thomasville. Even in our short stay we were charmed by the visits of many friends, among them some old acquaintances of other places and other times. We met, too, the genial editor of the "Daily Times-Enterprise," and found our departure duly mentioned in the issue of Saturday evening, April 16, 1898. It contained also the stupendous announcement of the certain opening of the war with Spain, which appeared in these startling head lines:

UNITED STATES ARMY ORDERED TO COAST

FIFTY THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS TO BE ORDERED OUT NEXT

SENATE STILL IN CONTINUOUS SESSION

But They Are Warming Up.--Money Calls Wellington a Liar.--The Queen
Regent Contributes $200,000 to Equip Army and Navy.--Official
Denial that European Powers Will Interfere.--Spain Says She Will
Never Evacuate Cuba.--Uncle Sam Buying More War Ships.

Separated from the above, with the telegraphic detail following, was another head line which read:

"THEY LEAVE TO-DAY."

Any one would, on a hasty glance, suppose that these words referred
to the movements of the United States army, but they did not; they
were spoken of _our departure_, on that afternoon, for New Orleans
and the Pacific Coast. Here is what followed the startling line,
and as it introduces our party in full and by name, we give it _in
extenso_:

"THEY LEAVE TO-DAY."

"Dr. Frederick Humphreys and his party will leave to-day for an
extended tour on the Pacific Coast.

"The following is the _personnel_ of the party: Dr. and Mrs.
Frederick Humphreys, the Misses Hayden, Mr. J. F. Hanson, Rev.
Dr. D. Parker Morgan, of the Church of the Heavenly Rest, New
York, and Mrs. Morgan; Canon J. Harris Knowles, of St.
Chrysostom's, one of the Chapels of Trinity Church, New York;
the Misses Harding, of New York; Mr. Frank P. Payson and Miss
Sanford, of Brooklyn; and Miss Jayta Humphreys and Mr.
Frederick Humphreys, of New York, the latter two being
grandchildren of Dr. and Mrs. Humphreys.

"All the party, except Dr. and Mrs. Humphreys, the Misses
Hayden, and Mr. Hanson, arrived here on Thursday, in the
private car 'Lucania,' a palace on wheels, in which the tour
will be made.

"Dr. Humphreys spent yesterday in showing his guests some of
the attractive drives and scenery in and around the town. And
they could not have had the guidance of one more familiar with
this charming winter resort, or one more competent to tell of
its many attractions. The good doctor has been a great friend
of Thomasville, and all our people will cordially join us in
the wish that he may spend many more happy winter months at his
pretty home on Dawson Street. He has done much for the place,
and it is duly appreciated by all classes of our citizens.

"The party will leave in the 'Lucania' this afternoon at 2.35.
The itinerary will embrace the following principal points: New
Orleans, San Antonio, El Paso, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa
Barbara, San Francisco, Monterey, San Jose, Ogden, Salt Lake
City, Glenwood Springs, Colorado Springs, Denver, Kansas City,
and St. Louis. Stops of more or less length will be made at all
these points. New York will be reached on the 25th of May.

"It will be a most delightful, interesting, and instructive
outing. We trust it may be made without a single mishap, and
that the party may all reach their Northern homes in safety,
and that when memory calls up its scenes and incidents,
Thomasville, clothed in its fresh garments of spring, with its
countless flowers, its balmy air and blue skies, will have a
place in the picture."

We can hear the cheery voice of our editorial friend, Captain Triplett, in all these lines, full of kindness and good feeling.