第5章

It"slikelookingoveraprecipiceallthetime。IwassogladwhenIgotdownthatIsangwithglee。Ihateworklikethat，andtomakeitworseItookeverybody"spictureontopofthePyramid，andforgottohaveoneofthemtakeme，sothereisnowaytoproveIeverwentup。LittleandIhiredtwodonkeysandcalledthem"Gallegher"and"VanBibber"andracedthem。Mydonkeywassolittlethattheycouldn"tseehim——onlyhisears。Gallegherwon。Thedonkey-boyscalleditVonBebey，soIdon"tthinkitwillhelpthesaleofthebook。

TodaywewenttocallontheKhedive。Itwasveryinformalandtoodemocratictosuitmytastes。Wewentthroughalineofhisbodyguardinthehall，andthemasterofceremoniestookusupseverallowbutwidestairwaystoahall。Inthehallwasalittlefatyoungmaninafrockcoatandafez，andheshookhandswithus，andwalkedintoanotherroomandweallsatdownonchairscoveredwithwhitemuslin。ItalkedandLittletalkedaboutmeandtheKhedivepretendedtobeverymuchhonored，andsaidtheAmericanwhohadcomeoverafterourrebellionhaddonemorefortheofficersinhisarmythanhadanyoneelse，meaningtheEnglish。HedidnotsaythatbecausewewereAmericans，butbecausehehatestheEnglish。Hestruckmeasbeingstubborn，whichisonesideofstupidnessandyetnotstupid，andIoccasionallywokehimtoburstsofenthusiasmovertheSoudanese。Hisburstswerechiefly"Ali。"Littleseemedtoamusehimverymuch，andLittletreatedhimexactlylikealittleboywhoneededtobecheeredup。IthinkinonewayitwasthemostcuriouscontrastIeversaw。"Ed"LittleofAbilene，Kansas，tellingtherulerofEgyptnottoworry，thathehadplentyofyearsinwhichtoliveandthathewouldgetaheadofthemallyet。

Thosewerenothiswords，butthatwasthetone，hewasperfectlyfriendlyandsincereaboutit。

ThisplaceappealstomeasaboutthebestplacewithwhichtogetmixedupwiththatIknow，andI"vegoneoveragreatmanymapssinceIlefthomeandknowjusthowsmalltheworldis。So，IsenttheKhedivemybooksafterhavingaskedhispermission，andreceivedthemostabjectthanks。AndasCromercalledonme，Iamgoingtodroparoundonhimwithafewofthem。Somedaytherewillbefinethingsgoingonhere，andthereisonlyoneGod，andLordCromerishisProphetinthiscountry。TheythinkthatMohammedisbuttheyarewrong。Heisaverybigman。ThedayhesenthisultimatumtotheKhedivetellinghimtodismissFactaPashaandputbackRiazPasha，hewentoutinfullviewoftheGezerikdriveandplayedlawntennis。AnymanwhocancableforthreethousandmoretroopstoMaltaandstopatransportfulloftwothousandmoreatAdenwithonehand，andbangtennisballsaboutwiththeother，isgoinginthelongruntogetaheadofastoutlittleboyinaredfez。

Itisgettingawfullyhothere，almosthotenoughforme，andIcanlayasidemyovercoatbyteno"clockinthemorning。

Everyoneelsehasbeeninflannelsandpithhelmets，butastheyhadtowearovercoatsatnightIcouldnotseetheadvantageofthecostume。

DICK。

IopenthistosaythatALLofyourlettershavejustcome，soIhaveintoxicatedmyselfwiththemforthelasthourandcangooverthemagaintomorrow。Icannottellyou，dearest，whatadelightyourlettersareandhowIenjoytheclippings。

IthinkofyouallthetimeandhowyouwouldlovethisBiblelandandseeingtheplaceswherePharaoh"sdaughterfoundMoses，andhearingpeopletalkofSt。PaulandtheplaguesofEgyptandJosephandMaryjustasthoughtheyhadlivedyesterday。IhaveseentwoSt。Johnsalready，withlonghairandmelancholywildeyesandbarebreastsandlegs，withsheepskincovering，eatingfigsandpreachingtheirgospel。

Yesterdaytwomencamerunningintotownandtoldoneoftheprieststhattheyhadseenthenewmooninacertainwell，andthepriestproclaimedamonthoffasting，andthemenwhopulledusupthePyramidhadtorestbecausetheyhadnoteatenordrunkallday。Atsixasheikcalledfromthevillageandallthedonkey——boysandguidesaroundtheSphinxrantogetwaterandcoffeeandfood。Thinkofthat——oftwomenrunningthroughthestreettosaythattheyhadseenthenewmooninawell，wheneveryshopsellsWaterburywatchesandthepeoplewhopassedthemweredrivingdogcartswithEnglishcoachmenintop-bootsbehind。

Isthereanyotherplaceasincongruousasthis，asoldandasnew？

DICK。

ATHENS，March30，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

IamnowinAthens，howIgothereisimmaterial。SufficeittosaythatneverinallmylifewasIsoillasIwasinthetwodayscrossingfromAlexandriatoPiraeus，whichIdidwithtwoothermeninthesamecabinmoreillthanIandprayingandswearingandgroaningallthetime。"Itwasawful。"

"IhavecrossedinmanyshipsupontheseasAndsomeofthemweregoodandsomewerenot；

InGerman，P&O"sandGenoese，ButtheKhedive"swastheworstoneofthelot。

Wenevergotamoment"speaceinherForeverybody"dhowlorprayorbellow；

Shethrewusonourheadsoronourknees，Andturnedusallanunbecomingyellow。"

Athensisasmalltownbutfine。Itischieflyyellowhouseswithredroofs，andmountainsaroundit，whichremindyouofpicturesyouhaveseenwhenayouth。AlsoolivetreesandstraightblackpinesandtheAcropolis。ThereisnotmuchofitleftasfarasIcanseefromthecity，butwhatthereisisenoughtomakeyouwishyouhadbrushedupyourGreekhistory。IhavenowreachedtheplacewherePanhasacave，wherethemanvotedagainstAristidesbecausehewashumanlytiredofhearinghimcalledtheJustandwheretheMinotaurateyoungwomen。

WhatwasintheIsleofCretebuttherockfromwhichthefatherofTheseusthrewhimself——isstillhere!AlsothehilluponwhichPaulstoodandtoldtheAthenianstheyweretoosuperstitious。Youcanimaginemyfeelingsatfindingallofthesethingsaretrue。AfterthisIamgoingtotheNorthPoletofindSantaClausandsorenewmyyouth。

IregrettosaythatitisrainingveryhardandAthensisnotsetforarainstorm。ItisalsocoldbutasIhavenotbeenwarmsinceIcrossedtheNorthRiverwithChas。amidcakesoficethatisofnoconsequence。WhenIcomehereagainIcomeinthesummer。Thegoodoldrulethatitiscoldinwinterandwarminsummerisagoodenoughruletofollow。Youhaveonlytotraveltofindouthowuniversallycoldwinteris。

lastnightIwasinCairo，IgotinacarriageanddroveoutalonetothePyramids。Itwasbeautifulmoonlight。IgotadonkeyandrodeuparoundthemandthenwalkedovertotheSphinx。Ihadneverunderstoodorseenitbefore。ItwasthecreepiestandmostimpressivethingIeverhadhappentome，I

dobelieve。Therewasnooneexceptthetwodonkey-boysandmyselfandtheSphinx。Allaboutwasthedesertandaboveitthepurpleskyandthewhitestarsandthegreatnegro"sheadinfrontofyouwithitspawsstretchedout，andthemoonlightturningitintoshadowsandwhitelines。IthinkIstoodtheresolongthatIgotsortofdizzy。ItwasjustasifIhadbeenthefirstmantostumbleacrossit，andIfeltthatIwaswaybackthousandsofyearsandthattheghostsofCaesarandNapoleonandCleopatraandtherestwereintheair。Thatwasworththeentiretriptome。Thisplacepromisestobemostexciting，theNewYorkartistsareallhere，theyarethemostjauntilydullpeopleIevermet。DoyouknowwhatImean？Theyareverynicebutsostupid。Idon"tletthembotherme。WhowasthechapwhowroteaboutthebottleofMalvoisie？becauseI

gotabottleofitforBREAKFASTanditisNOGOOD。Itislikesweetport。ButonaccountofthepoemanditsbeingvindupaysIgotit。

DearMother，Iwishyouwereherenowandenjoyingallthesebeautifulthings。IgotyouapresentinCairothatwillamuseyou。HadIstayedoninCairoIshouldhavehadmuchandmanymarksofdistinctionfromtheEnglish。LadyGower-Browne，whofoundoutfromthemthatIhadcalledandthattheyhaddonenothingexcepttoberude，raisedagreathueandcryandeverythingchanged。WhatshesaidofmeI

don"tknowbutitmadeamostamusingdifference。GeneralWalkergallopedahalfmileacrossthedeserttogivemehisowncopyofthedirectionsfortheshambattle，andIwastohavemetCromeratdinnertete-a-tete，andGeneralKitchenersentapologiesbytwoothergeneralsandallthesubalternscalledonmeinabody。ThatwasthedaybeforeIleft。I

don"tknowwhatLadyGower-Brownesaid，butitmadeachangewhichIamsorryIcouldnotavailmyselfofasIwantpoliticsaswellasmemories。

ThenexttimeIcomeIshallgotoevenfewerplacesandseemorepeople。

IftheHarpersdon"tlookoutourinterestswillclash。I

lookatitlikethis。IcanalwaysseetheoldhistoricalthingsandtakemychildrenuptheNile，butIwantnowtomakefriendswiththeMammonofunrighteousnessandthemenofthehour。Imaywanttooccupyanhourortwomyselfsomedayandtheycanhelpme。IfAmericastartsinannexingislandsshewillneedpeopletotellherhowitisgenerallydoneanditisgenerallydone，Ifind，bytheEnglish。ImaygiveupliteratureandstartannexingthingslikeAlexanderandCaesarandNapoleon。TheysaytherewillbeanothercrisisinCairoinamonthorso。IfthatbetrueIamallrightandsolidwithbothparties。ButithasgottobeworthwhileofcourseorIwon"tgoback。Thereisakinglivinginafinepalaceacrossthesquarefrommywindow，oneofhisofficersisnowchangingtheguardintherain。IhopetocallonthekingbecauseIlikehisguard。Theywearpetticoatsandtoesturnedupinfront。Don"tyoumindwhatIsayaboutlikingpoliticsanddon"tthinkIamnotenjoyingtheshowthings。I

haveacapacityforboththatissofarunsatisfied，andIamnowgoingoutintheraintotryandfindthepost-office。

Lotsoflove。

DICK。

Iamwellandhavebeenwell(exceptseasick)sinceFebruaryP。S——Afuneralisjustpassingthewindowwiththecorpseexposedtoviewasisthequaintcustomhere，toaddtoitshorrortheyrougethefaceofthecorpseandeverybodykissesit。IntheGreekchurchtheyburncandlesforpeopleandthenumberofcandlesIhaveburntforyouwouldlightSt。Paul"s，andyououghttobegoodwithsomuchwarbeingexpendedalloverAthensforyou。Youbuycandlesinsteadoftippingthevergerorputtingitinthepoorbox，orbecauseyouaresuperstitiousandthinkitwilldosomegood，asIdo。

OrientExpress。SomewhereinBulgariaonthewaytoLondon。

April14th，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

TuesdayIwroteyoualetterintheclubatConstantinopletellingyouhowgladIwouldbetogetoutofthatCityonApril17thontheOrientExpresswhichonlyleavestwiceaweekonThursdaysandMondays。SoanyonewhotravelsbytheOrientislookeduponfirstasamillionaireandsecond，ifhedoesnotbreakthejourneyatVienna，asagreatertravellerthanCol。BurnabyonhiswaytoKhiva。ImagineaKansasCitymanbreakingthejourneytoNewYork。AfterIwroteyouthatletterIwentinthenextroomandreadoftheNileExpeditioninsearchofGordon——thiswentthroughthreevolumesofTheGraphicandtooksometime，sothatwhenIhadreachedthepicturewhichannouncedthedeathofGordonitwashalfpastfiveandIhadnothingmoretodoforfourdays——ItwasrainingandcoldandmuddyandsoIjustmadeupmymindI

wouldgetupandgetoutandIjumpedaboutforonehourlikeakangarooandbysevenIwasontheOrientwithtwoCookmentohelpmeandhadshakenmyfistatthelastminaretlightofthatawfulcity。So，nowitisalloveranditisdone——I

havelearnedagreatdealinanimperfectwayofthejuxtapositionofcertaincountriesandoftheeasewithwhichonecantravelwithoutspeakinganyknownlanguagesandoftheabsolutenecessityforspeakingone，French。IamstilldisappointedaboutthearticlesbutselfishlyIhavemadealotoutofthetrip。Youhavenoideahowharditisnottotellaboutstrangethingsandyetyouknowpeopledonotcarehalfasmuchforthemasthingstheyknowallabout——Nomatter，itisdoneandwiththeexceptionofthelastweekitwasFINE。

"I"mgoingbacktoLondon，to`tea"andlongfrockcoatsI"mdonewithCookandseeingsightsI"mdonewithtabled"hotesSoclearthetrackyousignalmanFromSofiatoPless，I"mgoingstraightforLondonOntheOrientExpress。

I"mgoingstraightforLondonO"erBulgaria"sheavysandsToRottenRowandmuffins，soles，ChevalierandBrassBandsHo"getawayyoubullockmanYou"veheardthewhistleblowedalocomotivecomingdowntheGrandTrunkRoad。"

ThisisagreatcountryandIwanttoaskallthenativesiftheyknow"Stenie"Bonsal。Theyareallhisfriendsandsoarethe"Balkans，"andallthelittleBalkans。NobodywearsEuropeanclotheshere。Theyareallasforeignandnativeandpicturesqueastheycanbe，thewomenwithbigsilverplatesovertheirstomachsandthemeninsheepskinandtightsandthesoldiersaregrand。Wehavebeenpassingalldaybetweensnowcoveredmountainsandbetweenherdsofcattleandredroofed，mudvillagesandlonglakesoficeandsnow——ItisabeautifuldayandIamveryhappy。(Seconddayout)15th——WearenowinHungaryandjustoutsideofBudaPesth"thewickedestcityintheworld，"stillinspiteofthatfactIamgoingon。IamverygladIcamethisway——ThepeasantsandsoldiersaremostamusingandlikeGermanpicture-paperswithblacklettertype——IshallstopadayinParisnowthatIhavefourextradays。

DICK。

InsightofParis——April16——1893。

DEARESTMOTHER:

hasbeenthemostbeautifuldaysinceFebruary4th。

ItisthefirstdayinwhichIhavebeenwarm。AllthroughI

havehadavarnishofwarmtheverynowandagainbutnorealactualinternalwarmth——IamnowinsightofParisanditisthe16thofApril，intheelevenweekswhichhaveelapsedsincethe4thofFebruaryIhavebeeninSpain，France，Italy，Germany，Austria，Hungary，Serbia，Bulgaria，Turkey，Greece，EgyptandMorocco。IhavesatontheRockofGibraltar，sailedontheNileandtheSuezCanalandcrossedthroughtheDardanelles，overtheBalkans，thesteppesofHungaryandtheDanubeandRhine。Ihaveseenthesphinxbymoonlight，theParthenonandtheEiffelTowerandintwodaysmoreIshallhaveseenSt。Paul"s。WhatdoyouthinkIshouldliketoseebestnow？YOU。IhavebeenworryingoflateastowhetherornotIshouldnotcomehomenowandleaveParisforanothertimebecauseitseemssoroughonyoutoleaveyouwithouteitherofyouryoungersonsforsolong。ButIhavethoughtitoveragreatdealandIthinkitbetterthatIshoulddoParisnowandleavemyselfclearfortherestoftheyear。I

promiseyouonethinghoweverthatIshallnotundertaketostayawaysolongagain；itistoolongandonegrowsoutofthings。ButnothingIfeel，willbesoeasyorsoamusingasParisandIintendtogetthroughwithitsoonandtrothometoyoubythemiddleofAugustATTHEVERYLATEST。So，pleasewritemeadeceitfulletterandsayyoudonotmissmeatallandthatmybeingsonearasParismakesagreatdifferenceandthatIambetteroutofthewayandifChasgoestoLondonIshallbenearhimincaseheforgetstoputonhisovershoesorinvolvesusinawarwithG。B。Now，motherdear，dowritemeacheerfulletterandsaythatyoudonotmindwaitinguntilthemiddleofAugustformeandwhenI

comebackthistimeIshallmakealongstaywithyouatMarionandtellyoulotsofthingsIhavenotwrittenyouandIshallnotgoawayagainforeversolongandifIdogoI

shallonlystayalittlewhile。Youhavenoideahowinterestingthisrushacrossthecontinenthasbeen。I

startedinsnowandthroughmarshescoveredwithiceandlonghornedcattleandnowweareinsuchabeautifulcleangreenlandwithgreenfieldsandgreentreesandfloweringbusheswhichyoucansmellasthetraingoesby。Inowthinkthatinsteadofbeingacafe-chantantsingerIshouldratherbeanAustrianbaronandownacastleonahillwitharedroofedvillagearoundit。Ihavespentalmostallofthetripsittingontheplatformandenjoyingthesightofthequeerpeasantsandthesoldiersandoldvillages。TonightIshallbein"Paris，France"asMortonusedtosayandIshallgetcleanandputonmydressclothesbutwhetherIshallgoseeYvetteGuilbertorRusticanaagainIdonotknow。PerhapsIshalljustpaddlearoundthefountaininthePlacedelaConcordeandmakemyselfthoroughlyathome。WithagreatdealoflovetoDadandNoraandChasandall。

DICK。

AtthetimethatRichard"sfirsttravelarticlesappearedsomeofhiscriticstookumbrageatthefactthathewasevidentlyunderthedelusionthathehaddiscoveredLondon，Gibraltar，Athens，Paris，andtheothercitieshehadvisited，andthatnooneelsehadeverwrittenaboutthem。Asamatteroffactnoonecouldhavebeenmorekeenlyconsciousofwhatanoft-toldtaleweretheplacesthathehadchosentodescribe。

IfRichardtookitforgrantedthatthereaderwastotallyunacquaintedwiththepeoplesofthesecitiesandtheirways，itwasbecausehebelievedthatthatwasthebestwaytowriteadescriptivearticle，alwayshadbelievedit，andbelieveditsolongashewrote。AndwhateverdifferenceofopinionmayhaveexistedamongthecriticsandthepublicastoRichard"sfiction，Ithinkitissafetosaythatasareporterhisworkofnearlythirtyyearsstoodatleastashighasthatofanyofhiscontemporariesorperhapsasthatofthereportersofalltime。Asaneditor，whenhegaveoutanassignmenttoareportertowriteanarticleonsomewell-wornsubjectandthereporterprotested，Richard"sanswerwasthesame:"Youmustalwaysrememberthatthatstoryhasn"tbeenwrittenuntilYOUwriteit。"AndwhenhesuggestedtoaneditorthathewouldliketowriteanarticleonBroadway，orthePanamaCanal，ortheruinsofRomeandtheeditordisapproved，Richard"sargumentwas:"Ithasn"tbeendoneuntil_I_doit。"Anditwasnotbecausehebelievedforamomentthathecoulddoitbetteroraswellasithadbeendone。Itwassimplybecauseheknewtheoldstorywasalwaysagoodstory，thatis，ifitwasseenwithneweyesandfromanewstandpoint。Attwenty-eighthehadwrittenabookaboutEnglandandherpeople，andthebookhadmetwithmuchsuccessbothinAmericaandEngland。Attwenty-nine，equallyunafraid，hehad"covered"theancientcitiesthatbordertheMediterranean，andnowParislaybeforehim!Thisthought——indeedfewthoughts——troubledRichardverymuchinthosedaysofhisearlysuccesses。Hehadyouth，friends，amarvellousspiritofadventure，andbesidestherearemanyworsefatesthanbeingconsignedtospendingafewmonthsinParis，havingathoroughlyjoyoustime，takingafewmentalnotes，andalittlelaterontransferringthemtopaperinthequietofapeacefulsummerhomeatMarion。

ChiefamonghisfriendsinParisatthistimewasCharlesDanaGibson，whowaslivinginacharmingoldhouseintheLatinQuarter，andwheretheartistdidsomeofhisbestworkandmadehimselfextremelypopularwithboththeParisiansandtheAmericancolony。InadditiontoGibsontherewereKennethFrazier，theportrait-painter，andTina，Newton，andJamesEustis，thedaughterandsonsofJamesB。Eustis，whoatthattimewasourambassadortoFrance，amostgenialandkindlyhost，whomademuchofRichardandhisyoungfriends。

PARIS，May5，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

Itisanarrowstreetwithapartmenthousesofgraystoneandironbalconiesalongeithersideofit。Thesunsetsatoneendofthestreetatdifferenttimesduringthedayandweallleanoutonthebalconiestolook。Onthehouse，onebelowmine，ontheothersideofourstreet，isasquaresignthatsays:

ALFREDDEMUSSET

ESTMORTDANSCETTEMAISON

Agreatmanybeautifulladieswiththefashionableredshadeofhairstillcallthere，astheyusedtodowhenthepropercolorwasblackanditwasworninachignonandtheSecondEmpirehadbutjustbegun。Whiletheywaittheystretchoutintheircarriagesandgazeupatthebalconiesuntiltheyseeme，andasIwearagoldandpinksilkwrapperandnotmuchelse，theyconcentratealltheirattentiononthewrapperandforgettodropasighforthepoet。Therearetwoyoungpeopleonthesixthflooropposite，whocomeoutonthebalconyafterdinnerandholdontoeachotherandhetellsherallabouttheworkoftheday。Belowthereisawomanwhosewsnothingbutblackdresses，andwhodoesthatalldayandallnightbythelightofalamp。Andbelowtheconciergestandsalldayinalacecapandblackgownandblue，andlooksupthestreetanddownthestreetlikethewomaninfrontofHockley"s。BUTontheflooroppositeminethereisabeautifulladyinapinkandwhitewrapperwithlongblackhairandsleepyblackeyes。Shedoesnottakeanyinterestinmypinkwrapper，butcontentsherselfwithpassingcabsandstraydogsandwomenwithloavesofbreadandbottlesintheirhandswhooccasionallystrayintoourstreet。Atsixsheappearsinanothergownandlittleslippersandabutterflyforahatandsays"Good-by"totheoldconciergeandtripsofftodinner。Lotsoflovetoall。

DICK。

PARIS，Mayllth，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

Iamstillsomewhattentativeasregardsmyopinionoftheplace，whatitwillbringmeinthewayofmaterialIcannottell。Sofar，"ParisDecadent"wouldbeagoodtitleforanythingIshouldwriteofit。ItisnotthatIhaveseenonlytheworstsideofitbutthatthatseemstobesomuchthemostprominent。TheyworshipthehideousEiffelTowerandtheyareauseless，flippantpeoplewhoneversleepandyetdonothingwhileawake。To-morrowIamgoingtoaprettyinnsurroundedbyvinesandtreestoseeaprizefightwithallthesillyyoungFrenchmenandtheiryoungfriendsinblackandwhitewhoapetheEnglishmannersandcustomsevento"labox。"TonightattheAmbassadeurstherejectedloverofsomeactresstookagangofbulliesfromMontmartrethereandhissedandstonedher。IturnedupmostinnocentlyandgreatlyboredinthemidstofitbutIwastoofarawaytopoundanybody——IcollectedtwoEnglishmenandwewentinfronttoawaitherre-appearancebutshehadhystericsandwentoffinacabandsowewerenotgivenasecondopportunityofshowingthemtheyshouldplayfair。ItisatypicalincidentoftheFrenchmanandhasmademewrathy。Thewomenwatchingtheprizefightwillmakeagoodstoryandsowillthearmsoftheredmill，"TheMoulinRouge"theykeepturningandturningandgrindingouthealthandvirtueandsouls。

IdinedtonightwiththeC——sandP——s，theEx-Ministeranddisagreedwitheverybodyandfoundthemallverymiddleclassastointellect。AnoldEnglishladynexttomesaidaproposofsomething"thatisbecauseyouarenotcleverlikeMr——anddonothavetoworkwithyourbrains。"TowhichI

said，Ididnotmindnotbeingcleverasmyfatherwasamanytimesmillionaire，"atwhichshebecameabjectlypolite。YoungRothensteinisgoingtodoapictureofmeto-morrowmorning。

ThereisnothingmuchmoretotellexceptthatahorsestoodonhisforelegsintheBoistheotherdayandchuckedmeintospace。IwasverysorebutIwentongoingaboutasitwastheVarnishingdayatthenewsalonandIwishedtoseeit。I

amovermystiffnessnowandif"anybodywantstobuyabloomingbus"Ihaveoneforsaleandfivepairsofridingbreechesandtwoofdittoboots。Nomoreridingforme——TheboxingbagisingoodordernowandIdonotneedforexercise。Theladyacrossthestreethasanewwrapperinwhichsheisevenmorecoldandhaughtythanbefore。"IsingTarraraboomdeayandshekeepsfromlikingme。"

DICK。

PARIS，May14th，1893。

DEARNORA:

ThingsaregettingmoreinterestinghereandIshallprobablyhavesomethingtowriteaboutafterall，althoughIshallnotknowtheplaceasIdidLondon。WillRothensteinhasdrawnapictureofmethatIlikeverymuchandifmotherlikesitVERY，VERYmuchshemayhaveitasaloanbutshemaynotlikeit。IdidnotliketotakeitsoIboughtanotherpictureofhim，oneofCoquelincadetandnowIhavetwo。

Coquelingavehimhisfirstcommissionwhenhewasnineteen，twoyearsago，andthenaskedhimtodotwosketches。AftertheseweredoneCoquelintoldhimbyletterthathewouldgivehimhalfwhattheyhadagreeduponforthebigpictureforthetwosketchesandbeggedthebigpictureasagift。SoRothensteincuttheheadandshouldersoutofthebigoneandsenthimthearmsandlegs。ItistheheadhecutoutthatI

have。WhenRothensteinandIandCoquelinbecomefamous，thatwillmakeagoodstory。IhavealsoindulgedmyselfinthepurchaseofseveralofCheretsworksofart。Theycostthreefrancsapiece。WehavehadsomedelightfullunchesattheAmbassadeurswithCushingandotherartistsandlastnightI

wentoutintotheGrandeMondetoabalmasqueforcharityatthepalaceoftheComtessedelaFerrondeux。Itwasverystupidandthemenoutnumberedthewomen30to1，whichareinterestingodds。To-daywewenttoWhistler"sandsatoutinagardenwithhighwallsaboutitanddrankteaandlaughedatRothenstein。ThelastthinghesaidwasattheAmbassadeurswhenoneofthestudentspickingupaforksaid，"ThesearethesamesortofforksIhave。"Rothensteinsaid"yes，Ididnotknowyoudinedherethatoften。"Someoneaskedhimwhyheworehishairlong，"Totestyourmanners"heanswered。HeisadiscipleofWhistler"sandWilde"sandsaid"yes，I

defendthemattheriskoftheirlives。"DidItellyouofhissaying"Itismucheasiertoloveone"sfamilythantolikethem。"Andwhensomeonesaid"DidyouhearhowMrs。B。

treatedMr。C。，(amanhedislikes)hesaid，"no，butI"mgladshedid。"ItwaslovelyatWhistler"sandsuchacontrasttotheotherAmericansalonIwenttolastSunday。Itwassoquiet，andgreenandprettyandeverybodywassounobtrusivelypolite。

RothensteinworemyrosetteandmadeagreatsensationandI

wascongratulatedbyWhistlerandAbbeyandPennell。

Rothensteinsaidhewasgoingtohaveadoublebreastedwaistcoatmadewithrosettesofdecorationsforbuttons。TomorrowLordDufferinhasaskedmetobreakfastattheEmbassy。Hewasatthemaskedballlastnightandwasverynice。HeremindsmeexactlyofDisraeliinappearance。ItisawfullyhothereandaFairforcharityhasaskedmetoputmynamein"Gallegher"tohaveitraffledfor。"Dear"BonsalarrivesherenextSunday，soIamingreatanticipation。Iamverywell，tellmother，andamused。

Lotsoflove。

DICK。

PARIS，June13，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

Thereisnothingmuchtosayexceptthatthingsstillgoon。

IfeellikeoneofthoselittleIndiarubberballsinthejetofafountainbeingturnedandtwistedandnotallowedtorest。TodayIhavebeentohearYvetteGuilbertrehearseandthoughtherallChasthinksheronlyhersongsthisseasonarebeneaththemoralsofamedicalstudent。Itisveryhotanditisgettinghotter。IhadanamusingtimeattheGrandPrixwhereTinawonalotofmoneyonatipIgaveherwhichIdidnotbackmyself。IntheeveningNewtontookmetodinnerandtotheJardindePariswheretheyhad10francadmittanceandwhereeverythingwentthatwasn"tnailed。Thedudesputcandlesontheirhighhatsandthegirlssnuffedthemoutwithkicksandatonetimethecrowdmobbedthebandstandandthenthestageandplayedonalltheinstruments。Themenwereallswellsineveningdressandthewomeninbeautifulballdressesanditwasawonderfulsight。ItonlyhappensonceayearliketheYale-PrincetonnightatKosterandBialsexceptthatthewomenareallveryfineindeed。Theyrodepig-a-backracesandsangallthesongs。IhaddinnerwithJohnDrewlastnight。IoccasionallysleepandifNoradoesn"tcomeontimeIshallbeaskeletonandhavenomoneyleft。AsamatteroffactIamfatterthaneverandcaneatallsortsofimpossiblethingsherethatIcouldnevereatathome。IluncheverydaywiththeEustisesandwedineoutalmosteverynight。Iconsortentirelywiththepoorestofartstudentsorthenoblestofprincessesandsofarhavekeptoutofmischief，butyoucannevertellforthisisawickedcitytheysay，oritstrikesmeasmostamusingatpresentonlyIcannotseewhatHarperandBros。aregoingtogetoutofit。IsaidthatofLondonsoIsupposeitwillallstraightenoutbythetimeIgetback。

DICK。

CHAPTERVII

FIRSTPLAYS

WhentheseasoninParishadreacheditsend，RichardreturnedtoLondonandlaterontoMarion，wherehespentthelatesummerandearlyfall，workingonhisMediterraneanandParisarticles，andcompletinghisnovel"SoldiersofFortune。"InOctoberhereturnedtoNewYorkandoncemoreassumedhiseditorialdutiesandtookhisusualactiveinterestinthewinter"sgayeties。

ThefirstoftheselettersreferstoadinnerofwelcomegiventoSirHenryIrving。ThelasttwotobooksbymymotherandRichard，andwhichwerepublishedsimultaneously。

NEWYORK，November27，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

Thedinnerwasveryfine。IwasverygladIwent。WhitelawReidsatononesideofSirHenryIrvingandHoracePorterontheother。HowellsandWarnercamenext。JohnRussellYoungandMarkTwain，Millet，Palmer，Hutton，Gilderandalotmorewerethere。Therewerenonewspapermen，notevencriticsnoractorsthere，whichstruckmeasinteresting。Themenwereverynicetome。EspeciallyYoung，Reid，IrvingandHowells。

EverybodysaidwhenIcamein，"Iusedtoknowyouwhenyouwerealittleboy，"sothatsomeonesaidfinally，"WhatadisagreeablelittleboyyouMUSThavebeen。"IsatnextachapfromBrazilwhotoldmelotsofamusingthings。Onestoryifitisgoodsavesawholedayforme。OnehetoldwasofaGermanexplorertowhomDonPedrogaveanaudience。TheEmperoraskedhim，withsometouchofpatronage，ifhehadevermetakingbefore。"Yes，"theGermansaidthoughtfully；

"five，threewildandtwotame。"

MarkTwaintoldsomeveryfunnystories，andcapturedmebecauseIneverthoughthimfunnybefore，andIrvingtoldsomeaboutStanley，andeverybodytalkedinterestingly。IrvingsaidhewaslookingforwardtoseeingDadwhenhereachedPhiladelphia。"Itisnicetohaveseenyou，"hesaid，"butI

havestilltoseeyourfather，"asthoughIwasnotenough。

DICK。

NEWYORK，1893。

DEARESTMOTHER:

IcannottellyouhowtouchedandmovedIwasbythethreeinitialsinthebook。ItwasagenuineandcompletesurpriseandwhenIcameacrossitwhileIwasexaminingtheletterpresswithcriticalapprobationandwithnoideaofwhatwastocome，itleftmequitebreathless——Itwassosweetofyou——YouunderstandmeandIunderstandyouandyouknowhowmuchthatcountstome——Ithinkthebookisawfullyprettyandinsuchgoodtaste——ItisquiteadelighttotheeyeandIammuchmorekeenaboutitthanoveranyofmyown——IhavesentittosomeofmyfriendsbutIhavenotreadityetmyself，asIamwaitinguntilIgetontheboatwhereIshallnotbedisturbed——ThenIshallwriteyouagain——Itwasawfullygoodofyou，andIamsopleasedtohaveittogiveaway。Ineverhadanythingtoshowpeoplewhentheyaskedforoneofyourotherbooksandthiscomesinsuchanunquestionableform——Withlotsoflove。

DICK。

NEWYORK，1893。

DEARMOTHER:

IgotyourniceletterandonefromDad。Bothcallingmemanyadjectivespleasingtohearalthoughtheydonothappentofit。Soyouareinathirdeditionareyou？TheseYOUNG

writersarecrowdingmetothewall。IfeelthrillsofpridewhenIseeussittingcheekbyjowlonthenews-stands。

Lotsoflove。

InFebruary，1894，RichardwasforcedbyasevereattackofsciaticatogiveuptemporarilythegayetiesofNewYorkandforacurehenaturallychoseourhomeinPhiladelphia，whereheremainedformanyweeks。Althoughunabletoleavehisbed，hecontinuedtodoaconsiderableamountofwork，includingthenovelette"ThePrincessAline，"inthewritingofwhichI

believemybrothertookmorepleasurethaninthatofanystoryornovelheeverwrote。ThefutureEmpressofRussiawastheheroineofthetale，andthatsheeventuallyreadthestoryandwasapparentlydelightedwithitcausedRichardmuchhumanhappiness。

PHILADELPHIA。

March5th。

DEARCHAS:

Iamgettingrapidlybetterowingtoregularhoursandlightliteratureandhomecomforts。IamnotblueasIwasandmymorbidnesshasgoneandIonlygetdepressedattimes。IamstillhoweverfeelingtiredandIthinkIwilltakequitearestbeforeIventureacrosstheseas。ButacrossthemIwillcomenomatterifallthenervesonearthjumpandpull。Still，IthinkitwiserforallconcernedthatIgetthoroughlywellsothatwhenIdocomeIwon"thavetobecuttingbackhomeagainasI

didlasttime。Weareyoungyetandtheworld"swideandthere"sanewfarcecomedywritteneveryminuteandIhaveagreatmanythingstodomyselfsoIintendtogetstrongandthendothem。Ienclosetwopoems。Iamgoingtohavethemprintedformyparticularpalslater。Iamwritingonetoallofyoufolksoverthere。

DICK。

TAKEMEBACKTOBROADWAY，WHERE

THEORCHIDSGROW

WITHAPOLOGIESTOTHEWESTERNDIALECTPOETS

"IhavewanderedupanddownsomewhatinmanydifferentlandsIhavebeentoFortWorth，Texas，andI"vetrampedthroughJerseysands，IhaveseenPike"sPeakbyMoonlight，andI"vevisitedtheFairAndtosaveenumerationI"vebeennearlyeverywhere。

ButnomatterwhereIrestedandnomatterwhereI"dgo，IhavelongedtobeonBroadwayWheretheOrchidsGrow。

SomepeoplelovetheliliesfairthathideinmossydellsSomefolksarefondofnewmownhay，beforetherainyspellsButgivetometheorchidsrarethathanginThorley"sstore，AndinFleischman"sattheHoffman，andinhalfadozenmoreAndwhenIseethemfarfromhometheymakemyheart"sbloodglowFortheytakemebacktoBroadwayWheretheOrchidsGrow。

LetParisboastofboulevardswhereonecansitanddrinkThereisnosuchchanceonBroadway，attheBrowerHouse，`Idon"tthink。"

Andwhereelsearetherefairsoubrettesinpipeclayedtennisshoes，AndboysinsilkensashespromenadingbyintwosOhyoucanboastofanystreetofwhichyou"reproudtoknowButgivemesleepyBroadwayWheretheOrchidsGrow。

LetpoetssingofchimingbellsandgentlylowingkineIliketheclangingcablecarslikefireenginesinlineAndInevermissthesunsetandformoonlightneversighWhen`SweptbyOceanBreezes。"flashesoutagainstthesky。

AndwhentheTenderloinawakes，andopentheatresglowIwanttobeonBroadwayWheretheOrchidsGrow。"

AVOUS，JOHNDREW

"JohnDrew，IamyourdebtorForaverypleasantletterAndalotofcabinetphotosOfthe`Butterflies"andyouAndIthinkitverykindThatyoukeptmesoinmindAndpitiedmeinexileSoIdo，JohnDrew。

2

JohnDrew，"twixtyouandmePreciouslittleIcanseeOfthatgoodthereisinSolitudeThatpoetssaytheyview。

For_I_hatetobeinbedWithacandleatmyheadSittingvisaviswithConscience。

Sowouldyou，JohnDrew。

3

JohnDrew，thenpromisemeThatassoonasIamfreeImaysitinthefirstentranceAsLambalwaysletsmedo。

AndwatchyoufumeandfretWhiletheinnocentsoubretteTakesthecentreofthestagea——

Wayfromyou，JohnDrew。"

R。H。D。

Inthesummerof1894RichardwenttoLondonforapurelysocialvisit，butwhilehewastherePresidentCarnotwasassassinated，andhewenttoParistowritethe"story"ofthefuneralandoftheelectionofthenewPresident。

VERSAILLES，June24，1894。

IamoutheretoseetheelectionofthenewPresident。I

jumpedonthemailcoachandcameoffinahurrywithoutanybreakfast，butIhadaprettydriveout，andtheguardandI

talkedofLondon。Thepalaceisclosedandnooneisadmittedexceptbycard，soIhaveseenonlytheoutsideofit。Itismostinteresting。Thereisnotaribbonorabadge；notabanneroraband。Thetownisasquietasalways，andtherearenot200peoplegatheredatthegatethroughwhichthedeputiespass。ComparedtoanelectionconventioninChicago，itismostinteresting。HowlivelyitisinsideofthechamberwherethethingisgoingonIcannotsay。I

shallnotwaittoheartheresult，butwillreturnonthecoach。

NothingcouldbemorecuriousthantheapparentindifferenceofthepeopleofParistotheassassinationofthePresident。

Twodaysafterhediedtherewasnotasingleflagathalfmastamongtheprivateresidences。TheGovernmentbuildings，thehotelsandthestoreswereallthatadvertisedtheirgrief。IshallhaveaninterestingstorytowriteofitfortheParisianseries。DanaGibsonandIwillwaituntilafterthefuneralandthengotoAndorra。Ifhedoesnotgo，Imaygoalone，butperhapsIshallgobacktoLondonatonce。Thishasbeenaninterestingtimehere，butonlybecauseitissodifferentfromwhatonewouldexpect。Itreadslikeaburlesquetonotetheexpressionsofcondolencefromallovertheworld，andtomarktheself-satisfactionoftheFrenchatattractingsomuchsympathy，andtheirabsoluteindifferencetothedeathofCarnot。Itismostcurious。Wehaveanidealtime。NeverbeforehaveIhadsuchjollydinners，withsuchgoodtalkandsuchamusingcompanions。

DICK。

LONDON，July15，1894。

DEARMOTHER:

Mr。IrvinggaveasupperlastnighttoMme。BernhardtandMme。

Rejane。Therewereabouttwentypeople，andweateintheBeefsteakRoomoftheLyceumTheater，whichissocalledaftertheoldBeefsteakClubwhichformerlymetthere。Ihadamostdelightfultime，andtalkedtoalltheFrenchwomenandtoMissTerry，whosentherlovetoDad。Shesaid，"IdidnotSEEhimthislastvisit；thatis，IsawhimbutIdidnotseehim。"Herdaughterisaverysweetgirl，andthepictureMissTerrymadeonherkneeslookingupatBernhardtandRejanewhentheychatteredinFrenchwaswonderful。NeithershenorIrvingcouldspeakawordofFrench，andwheneveranyoneelsetried，thecrowdallstoodinacircleandapplaudedandguyedthem。Afteritwasover，ataboutthreeinthemorning，MissTerryofferedmealifthomeinheropencarriage，sosheandherdaughterandIrodethroughtheemptystreetsinthegraylightformilesandmiles，as，ofcourse，IdidnotgetoutofsuchcompanyanysoonerthanIhadtodo。

TheyhadtakenIrving"srobeofcardinalredandmadeitintocloaks，andtheylookedveryoddandeeriewiththeiryellowhairandredcapes，andtalkingasfastastheycould。

DICK。

CHAPTERVIII

CENTRALANDSOUTHAMERICA

AboutJanuary1，1895，RichardaccompaniedbyhisfriendsSomersSomersetandLloydC。Griscom，afterwardourministertoTokioandambassadortoBrazilandItaly，startedoutonaleisurelytripofSouthandCentralAmerica。Withnoverydefiniteitinerary，theysailedfromNewOrleans，bentonhavingagoodtime，andasmanyadventuresaspossible，whichRichardwastodescribeinaseriesofarticles。Theseappearedlateroninavolumeentitled"ThreeGringosinVenezuela。"

January，1895。

DEARFAM:

OnboardBreakwateratanchor。YouwillbepleasedtohearthatIamwritingthisinafinestateofperspirationinspiteofthefactthatIhavelightweightflannels，nounderclothesandallthewindowsopen。Itisgoingtostormandthenitwillbecooler。Wehavehadabullytimesofaralthoughthetoughtimeisstilltocome，thatwillbegoingfromPuertoCorteztoTegucigalpa。AtBelizetheGovernortreateduscharminglyandgaveusorderliesandlaunchesandlunchesandadviceandmeafinesubjectforashortstory。

FornothinghasstruckmeassosadlatelyasdidSirAnthonyMoloneyK。C。M。G。watchingusgoofflaughingandjokinginhisgildedbargetowhereverwepleasedandleavinghimstandingaloneonhislawnwithsomepaperstosignandthenadinnertete-a-tetewithhisSecretaryandsoontotheendofhislife。ItwaspathetictohearhimlistentoallthegossipfromtheoutsideworldandtoseehowwepleasedhimwhenwetoldhimweweregettingmorebaldthanhewasandthathewouldmakeafineappearanceintheRowathispresentweight。

HehadnotheardofTrilby!!

WestruckabeautifulplacetodaycalledLivingstonwherewewentashoreandphotographedthearmyinwhichtherewasnoboyolderthaneighteenandmostofthemunderten。ItwasquitelikeAfrica，thehomeswereallthatchedandthechildrenallnakedandthewomenmostlyso。Wetooklotsofphotographsandgotonmostexcellentlywiththenativeswhothoughtwewereasfunnyaswethoughtthem。Almosteveryplacewegowordhasbeensentaheadandagentsandconsulsandcustomhousechapscomeouttomeetmeandaskwhattheycando。ThisisverygoodandkeepsGriscomandSomersetinaproperframeofawe。ButseriouslyIcouldnotaskforbettercompanions，theyarebothenormouslywellinformedandpoliteandfulloffun。ThenighttheGovernoraskedSomerstodinneranddidnotaskuswewaitedupforhimandthenhunghimoutoverthesideoftheboatabovethesharksuntilhesworehewouldnevergoawayfromusagain。GriscomismoreaggravatinglyleisurelybuthehasamostaudacioushumorandtalkstothenativesinawaythatfillsthemwithpleasurebutwhichnearlymakesSomersandIexposethewholepartybylaughing。TodaywelieheretakinginbanannasandtomorrowI

willseeConrad，Conrad，Conrad!!SendthistotheConsul。

Lotsoflove。

DICK。

SANPEDRO——SULA——February，1895。

MYDEARFAMILY:

TheafternoonofthedaywewereinPuertoCortezthemanofwarAtlantasteamedintothelittleharborandweallcheeredandthelotterypeopleranuptheAmericanflag。ThenIandtheotherswentouttoherasfastaswecouldberowedandIwentoverthesideandthesurpriseoftheofficerswasverygreat。TheycalledSomersandGriscomtocomeupandwespentthedaythere。TheywereamuchyoungerandmoreamusinglotoffellowsthanthoseontheMinneapolisandtreatedusmostkindly。Itwasabeautifulboatandeachofusconfessedtofeelingquitetemptedtogobackagaintocivilizationafteronedayonher。TheirboathadtouchedatTangierandsotheyclaimedthatshewastheonemeantintheExiles。TheytoldmethattheguideIsaacCohenwhomI

mentionedinHarper"sWeeklycarriesitaroundasanadvertisementandwantedtoshipwiththemascabinboy。WeleftthenextdayontherailroadandtheboysfindingthattwonegroessatonthecowcatchertothrowsandontherailsinslipperyplacesbribedthemfortheirplacesandIsatonthesandbox。Inevertookamorebeautifuldrive。Wedidnotgofasterthananordinaryhorsecarbutstillitwasexcitingandtheviewsandvistaswonderful。

Sometimeswewentforahalfmileunderarchesofcocoanutpalmsandastraightbroadleafedpalmcalledthemanacathatrisesinseparateleavessixtyfeetfromtheground。ImagineapalmsuchasweputinpotsatweddingsandteasashighasHolyTrinityChurchandhundredsandhundredsofthem。ThecountryisverylikeCubabutmoreluxuriantineveryway。Therearesometreeswithmarbleliketrunksandgreatbranchescoveredwithoriolenestsandahundredoriolesflyinginandoutofthemorelseplasteredwithorchids。IfBillyFurnessweretoseeinwhatabundancetheygrewhewouldbequitemad。Itisagreatpityhedidnotcomewithus。ThislittletownistheterminusoftherailroadandwehavebeenherefourdayswhileJeffstheAmericanColonelintheHondureanArmyisgettingouroutfit。

Ithasbeenverypleasantandweareinnohurrywhichisagoodthingforus。Itisamostexcitingcountryandasdespoticasalluncivilizedandunstablegovernmentsmustbe。

ButwehavecalledontheGovernorofthedistrictwithJeffsandhegaveusaveryfinelettertoallcivilandunmilitaryauthoritiesinthedistrictcallingonthemtoaidandprotectusineveryway。IamgettingawfullygoodmaterialformynovelandforhalfadozenstoriestobootonlyIamsurprisedtofindhowtruemynovelwastowhatreallyexistshere。

Abouttenyearsago——disappeared，havingasIthoughtdrunkhimselftodeath。HecameuptomehereonmyarrivalwithalotofwaybillsinhishandandIlearnedthathehadbeenemployedinthisholeinthegroundbyarailroadfortwoyears。IrememberedmeetinghimatNewportwhenIwasstillatLehigh，andlastnightheaskedmetodinnerandtoldmewhathehadbeendoingwhichincludedeverythingfromactinginSouthAmericatoblackingbootsinAustralia。HisbosswasaPittsburghengineerwhoisapparentlylickinghimintoshapeandwhotoldmetotellhisfatherthathehadstoppeddrinkingabsolutely。Hiscolored"missus"satwithusatthetableandplayedwithabeetleduringthethreehoursIstayedthereduringwhichtimeheaskedmeabout——whohesaidhadruinedhim。Hetoldmeofhow——haddoneandsaidthis，andthecontrasttothethatchedroofandthemudfloorandtheScotchAmericanengineerandthemulattogirlwasratherstriking。IneverhadmoreluckinanytripthanIhavehadonthisoneandtheluckofR。H。D。ofwhichIwasfondofboastingseemstoholdgood。Thatmanofwar，forinstance，wastheonlyAmericanonethathadtouchedatPuertoCortezinTENyearsanditcamethedaywedidandleftthedaywedid。WesawabiglithographofEddieSotherninapalmhutheresowewentbeforeanotaryandsworetoitandhadthreesealsputonthepaperandsentithimasajoke。Westarttomorrowthe22ndsoyouseewearebehindourscheduleandIsupposeyoupeopleareallworriedtodeathaboutus。WewillbemuchlongerthansixdaysonourwaytoTegucigalpaaswearegoingshootingandalsotopayourrespectstoBograntheex-presidentandthemanwhoisgettingupthenextrevolution。ButwetakecaretotelleveryonewearetravellingforpleasureandaregreatadmirersofBonillathepresentpresident。SomersandIaregettingonfamously。Heisaveryfineboywithagreatsenseofhumorandapparentlyveryfondofme。WehadfivemencountingJeffswhowecallourmilitaryattacheandCharwoodandfourdriversandelevenmulessoitisquiteanoutfit。InEcuadorwithonemoremanitwouldconstitutearevolution。

DICK。

DEARFAM:SANTABARBARA——January25，1895。

WearenotatTegucigalpaasyouobservebuttravellinginthiscountry。"AsyouseeitonBroadway"andasyouseeitherearetwodifferentthings。WehavehadfivedaysofitsofarandrestedheretodayinordertopayourrespectstoGeneralBograntheex-presidentoftheRepublic。ItisstillsixdaystoTegucigalpa。ThetripacrossCentralAmericawillcertainlybeoneofthemostinterestingexperiencesofmylife。ItisthemostbeautifulcountryIhaveseenandthemostbarbarous。

Itisalsothehottestandthemostinsect-iousandthedirtiest。Thislatterseemsalittleviewtotakeofitbutitmeansagreatdealastheinsectspreventyourdoinganythinginanaturalway；asforinstancesittingonthegrassorsleepingonthegroundorhuntingthroughthebushes。

Itisprettymuchasyouimagineitisfromwhatyouhaveread，thatcoversit，andIhavediscoverednothingnewbycomingtoseeit。Ionlyverifywhatothershaveseen。ThepeoplearemostuninterestingchieflybecausetheyaresurlytoAmericansanddonotmakeyoufeelwelcome。IdonotmeanthatIdidnotdowelltocomeforIammoregladthatIdidthanIcansayonlyIhavenot，asIhavebeenabletodobefore，foundsomethingthatothershavenotseen。IneverexpecttoseesuchacountryagainunlessinAfrica。Ifyouleavethepathfortenyardsyouwouldnevergetbacktoitexceptbyaccidentandyoucouldnotgetthatfarawayunlessyoucutyourselfatrail。InsomeplacesthemailroutewhichwefollowandoverwhichthemailiscarriedonthebacksofrunnersiscutintherockandwegodownstepsasevenasthoseoftheCityHallandforhourswetraveloverroughrocksandstonesandapathsonarrowthatyourkneescatchinthevinesattheside。Themulesarewonderfullysurefootedandneverslipalthoughtheyareverylittle，andIamprettyheavy。Theheatissomethingawful。Itbakesyouandwilldryyourpithhelmetintenminutesafteryouhavesoakeditinwater。Butthesceneryismagnificent，sometimeswerideabovethecloudsandlookdownintovalleysstretchingfiftymilesawayandseethebuzzardshalfamilebelowus。Thenwegothroughforestsofmanacapalmsthatspreadoutonasinglestemsidewaysandformarchesoverourheadswiththeleaveshanginginfrontofuslikeportiersorwecrossgreatplainsofgrassandcactusandrock。Thebestfunisthebathswetakeinthemountainstreams。Theyarealmostascoolasonecouldwishandweshoottherapidsandlieunderthewaterfallsandcomeoutwithallthesorenessrubbedoutofusasthoughwehadbeenmassaged。Wewentshootingfortwodaysbutastheyhadnodogswedidnotdomuch。Igotthebestshotofthetripandmissedit。ItwasalargewildcatandheturnedhissidefullonbutIfiredoverhim。SomersandIspentmostofthetimefiringchanceshotsatalligators，buttheynevergaveusagoodchanceasthebirdswarnthemwhentheyareindanger。

OneoldfellowfifteenfeetlongbeatusforsometimeandthenSomersandIstartedacrosstherivertocatchhimasleep。ItwaslikethetakingofLungtepen。Wehadourmoneybeltsaroundournecksandourshoesinonehandandriflesintheother。TherapidsranveryfastandthelastI

sawofSomersethewassittingonthebankhehadstartedfromcountingoutwetbanknotesandblowingthewateroutofhisgunbarrel。IgotacrossallrightbystickingmyfeetbetweenrocksandputonmyshoesandcrawledupontheoldJohnnie。Hesmeltofmusksostrongthatyoucouldhavefoundhiminthedark。Ihad，abeautifulshotathimatfiftyyardsbutIwastoogreedyandranaroundsomerockstogetnearerandheheardmeanddived。Ishotamacaw，oneofthoseovergrownparrotswithtailfeathersthreefeetfromtiptotip。

IgothimwitharifleandasGriscomhadgothiswithashotgunIcameoutallrightasamarksmanalthoughIwasverysoreatmissingthewildcat。WesleepinhatsandwesleeppreciouslittleforthedogsandpigsandinsectsallhelptokeepusawakeandIcannotgetusedtoahammock。Thenativebedsaremadeofmattingsuchastheyputoverteachests，orbull"shidestretched。LastnightIsleptinahutwithawomanandherthreedaughtersalloverfifteenandtheysatupandwatchedmeprepareforbedwithgreatinterest。IwouldnothavemissedthistripforanyotherIknow。Iwantedtoroughitandwe"verougheditandwewillhaveanotherweekofittoo。

Wehavesomeremarkablephotographsandthearticleoughttobemostinteresting。Bogranprovedtobeaveryhandsomeandremarkablemanandwehadaveryinterestingtalkwithhim。

FromTegucigalpawewillprobablygodirectlytoVenezuelaacrosstheIsthmusofPanamaandnotvisitanotherRepublic。

Wehavealltravelledtoomuchtocaretoduplicate，andthatiswhatwewouldbedoingbyremaininglongerinCentralAmerica。AmonthofitwillbeenoughofitandwewillnotgetawayfromAmapalabeforethefirstofFebruary。WeareallwellandhappyanddirtyandsingandlaughandtellstoriesandlistentoGriscom"sanecdotesofthearistocracyaswepickourwayalong。SogoodbyeandGodblessyouall。

DICK。

TEGUCIGALPA，CENTRALAMERICA。

Februarylst，1895。

4th，1895。

DEARFAMILY