Agness Greene Foster - By the Way: Travel Letters Written During Several Journeys Abroad, Describing Sojourns in England, S

By the Way: Travel Letters Written During Several Journeys Abroad, Describing Sojourns in England, S — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "By the Way: Travel Letters Written During Several Journeys Abroad, Describing Sojourns in England, S" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

1234567...26

Transcriber's Note:

Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

CASTELLO MEZZATORRE

BY THE WAY

Travel Letters Written
During Several Journeys Abroad
Describing Sojourns in England, Scotland, Ireland
France, Germany, Austria-Hungary
Italy, Greece, and European
and Asiatic Turkey

BY
AGNESS GREENE FOSTER

Author of
"You & Some Others"
"A Royal Road"
"Blessings"
Etc.

Illustrated

PAUL ELDER & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS SAN FRANCISCO

REVISED AND ENLARGED
EDITION

New material has been added in this edition including sojourns in Turkey, Greece, Austria-Hungary and Germany. While not intended in any way as a guide-book, this volume will be found especially helpful to those contemplating a first journey across the Atlantic. Attention is called to the list of pensions and to the bibliography.

Copyright, 1903
by Agness Greene Foster

Copyright, 1910
by Paul Elder and Company

The Author's Apology

---

MY DEAR:

" When at the first I took my pen in hand

Thus for to write, I did not understand

That I at all should make a little book

In such a mode; nay, I had undertook

To make another, which, when almost done,

Before I was aware I this begun.

... But yet I did not think

To show to all the world my pen and ink

In such a mode; I only thought to make

I knew not what: nor did I undertake

Thereby to please my neighbor; no, not I,

I did it mine own self to gratify. "

* * * * * * * *

And thus it was, one bright September day,

Full suddenly I finished "By The Way."

CONTENTS

Page
iii
ix
Part I
3
28
34
51
93
105
Part II
115
120
129
132
134
137
162
171
177

ILLUSTRATIONS

Facing Page
Title
10
16
}
}	20
}
}	22
24
30
32
36
48
54
56
58
60
68
74
82
84
86
92
106
116
}
}	118
120
122
126
}
}	136
140
}
}	150
156
}
}	158
}
}	160

BY WAY
OF PREAMBLE

Ah me, ah me, that I should be

So torn by my inconstancy;

I fain would goI tarry so,

But see the world, I mustheigh-ho.

WASHINGTON:

I ndeed , and in truth, one is rarely natural save under deep emotions. After all my resolutions and determinations, I found I was not able to part from those I love with any degree of composure.

I assure you that I did not stay composed very long, for as the cruel train pulled out, and I saw, through a mist of tears, that dear form fade from sight, I broke down, and remained "down" all the afternoon and evening. With this morning's bright sunshine, however, I am a man (?) again.

The first sound I heard this morning was, "Here's a message for you, Miss" and straightway that porter's name goes rattling down the rocky road of history as a discerning and right-minded person. What married woman of, well, let's say thirty, does not enjoy being called "Miss"? But to go back to my telegram,it served as my djeuner la flicit . From that moment I was happy, and peace has taken possession of me since the coming of that dear message.

PHILADELPHIA:

The ship was so white and clean, and I was so pleased over our stateroom, that I forgot for a moment the big lump in my throat; but I do not understand why people allow those near and dear to them to come to see them off. Nothing could have kept me on that boat had my nearest and dearest been standing on the dock.

Ruth and Suzanne are here at last.

I am sending these lines back with the pilot.

I wish he were to take me instead of the letter.

How I envy it!

ON BOARD SHIP:

There has been no writing on board this ship for the past four days, and very little sleeping, and less eating. Every one seemed sick except Ruth, a few of the men and myself. Those of us who were able to crawl up on deck were lashed to our steamer chairs and the chairs lashed to the deck.

The pilot left at six in the evening. Every one on board rushed to the side to see the sailors lower him into his little boat, and I watched him as far as the eye could see, for he carried with him my last message to you.

We no sooner struck the breakwater than the ship began to roll, and the tossing has continued for four days without cessation, for we are following in the wake of a storm.

You asked me to tell you every little detail of life on board ship. You little know the task you set me; and right here I desire to put myself on record as begging the pardon of all writers on this subject for my unkind thoughts of them. I see now, after only five days on shipboard, why all descriptions are so unsatisfactory to those who have never experienced a voyage.

In the first place, the word "deck" is most inadequate. One naturally thinks that a deck is an open space on the top of a ship, similar to that of a river steamboat. The decks are in reality wide piazzaswhen the sea is quiet. On them the passengers congregatewhen all is well with them and with the elements. I say "up on deck," when it is only "out on the veranda." Flights of easy stairs connect the various floors. These stairs are dancing continually, but one soon gets used to it if one has his "sea legs," and usually arrives safely. This ship is similar to an oval house of several stories, with galleries or verandas running completely around each story, and any number of basements and sub-basements; but with these we have nothing to do.

As I crossed the gangplank I landed on the saloon deck and entered the only door on that side. I found myself in a small hallway, out of which opened the ladies' saloon and the writing-rooms, and from which the stairs descend to the floor where the dining-room and most of the berths are situated. My stateroom is on the top story, so I have only to step from our hallway on to the main deck.

I read the description which I have just written to the captain, and I wish you could have heard him shout. He begged me to permit his "tiger" to make a copy of it for him, and I did, but I was sorry the moment it left my hands, for I know it is most absurd, and it was intended for you only. Nevertheless, I'll venture the assertion that those who know will readily see the picture, and those who do not know will get a pretty good idea of how a ship looks.

Next page

1234567...26

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «By the Way: Travel Letters Written During Several Journeys Abroad, Describing Sojourns in England, S»

Look at similar books to By the Way: Travel Letters Written During Several Journeys Abroad, Describing Sojourns in England, S. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.

Emma J. Gray

Fun For The Household

G. Woolliscroft Rhead

History of the Fan - Scholars Choice Edition

Unknown

Motherhood and the Relationships of the Sexes

Walter Lippmann

A Preface to Politics

Julian Hawthorne

The Subterranean Brotherhood

Frances W. Graham

Two Decades

Richard Briscoe Cook

The Grand Old Man

Lt Col Melvin B. Voorhees

Korean Tales

Minnie Martin

Basutoland

Unknown

New Tabernacle Sermons

Epiphanius Wilson

Sacred Books of the East

Robert Schumann

Letters of Robert Schumann

Discussion, reviews of the book By the Way: Travel Letters Written During Several Journeys Abroad, Describing Sojourns in England, S and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.