adventures and letters-第25节

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ered　at　the　gate　through　which　the　deputies　pass。　　Compared　to　an　election　convention　in　Chicago；　it　is　most　interesting。　　How　lively　it　is　inside　of　the　chamber　where　the　thing　is　going　on　I　cannot　say。　　I　shall　not　wait　to　hear　the　result；　but　will　return　on　the　coach。

Nothing　could　be　more　curious　than　the　apparent　indifference　of　the　people　of　Paris　to　the　assassination　of　the　President。　　Two　days　after　he　died　there　was　not　a　single　flag　at　half　mast　among　the　private　residences。　　The　Government　buildings；　the　hotels　and　the　stores　were　all　that　advertised　their　grief。　　I　shall　have　an　interesting　story　to　write　of　it　for　the　Parisian　series。　　Dana　Gibson　and　I　will　wait　until　after　the　funeral　and　then　go　to　Andorra。　　If　he　does　not　go；　I　may　go　alone；　but　perhaps　I　shall　go　back　to　London　at　once。　　This　has　been　an　interesting　time　here；　but　only　because　it　is　so　different　from　what　one　would　expect。　　It　reads　like　a　burlesque　to　note　the　expressions　of　condolence　from　all　over　the　world；　and　to　mark　the　self…satisfaction　of　the　French　at　attracting　so　much　sympathy；　and　their　absolute　indifference　to　the　death　of　Carnot。　　It　is　most　curious。　　We　have　an　ideal　time。　　Never　before　have　I　had　such　jolly　dinners；　with　such　good　talk　and　such　amusing　companions。

DICK。


LONDON；　July　15；　1894。　DEAR　MOTHER：

Mr。　Irving　gave　a　supper　last　night　to　Mme。　Bernhardt　and　Mme。　Rejane。　　There　were　about　twenty　people；　and　we　ate　in　the　Beefsteak　Room　of　the　Lyceum　Theater；　which　is　so　called　after　the　old　Beefsteak　Club　which　formerly　met　there。　　I　had　a　most　delightful　time；　and　talked　to　all　the　French　women　and　to　Miss　Terry；　who　sent　her　love　to　Dad。　　She　said；　〃I　did　not　SEE　him　this　last　visit；　that　is；　I　saw　him　but　I　did　not　see　him。〃　　Her　daughter　is　a　very　sweet　girl；　and　the　picture　Miss　Terry　made　on　her　knees　looking　up　at　Bernhardt　and　Rejane　when　they　chattered　in　French　was　wonderful。　　Neither　she　nor　Irving　could　speak　a　word　of　French；　and　whenever　any　one　else　tried；　the　crowd　all　stood　in　a　circle　and　applauded　and　guyed　them。　　After　it　was　over；　at　about　three　in　the　morning；　Miss　Terry　offered　me　a　lift　home　in　her　open　carriage；　so　she　and　her　daughter　and　I　rode　through　the　empty　streets　in　the　gray　light　for　miles　and　miles；　as；　of　course；　I　did　not　get　out　of　such　company　any　sooner　than　I　had　to　do。　　They　had　taken　Irving's　robe　of　cardinal　red　and　made　it　into　cloaks；　and　they　looked　very　odd　and　eerie　with　their　yellow　hair　and　red　capes；　and　talking　as　fast　as　they　could。

DICK。



CHAPTER　VIII

CENTRAL　AND　SOUTH　AMERICA


About　January　1；　1895；　Richard　accompanied　by　his　friends　Somers　Somerset　and　Lloyd　C。　Griscom；　afterward　our　minister　to　Tokio　and　ambassador　to　Brazil　and　Italy；　started　out　on　a　leisurely　trip　of　South　and　Central　America。　　With　no　very　definite　itinerary；　they　sailed　from　New　Orleans；　bent　on　having　a　good　time；　and　as　many　adventures　as　possible；　which　Richard　was　to　describe　in　a　series　of　articles。　　These　appeared　later　on　in　a　volume　entitled　〃Three　Gringos　in　Venezuela。〃


January；　1895。　DEAR　FAM：

On　board　Breakwater　at　anchor。　　You　will　be　pleased　to　hear　that　I　am　writing　this　in　a　fine　state　of　perspiration　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　I　have　light　weight　flannels；　no　underclothes　and　all　the　windows　open。　　It　is　going　to　storm　and　then　it　will　be　cooler。　　We　have　had　a　bully　time　so　far　although　the　tough　time　is　still　to　come；　that　will　be　going　from　Puerto　Cortez　to　Tegucigalpa。　　At　Belize　the　Governor　treated　us　charmingly　and　gave　us　orderlies　and　launches　and　lunches　and　advice　and　me　a　fine　subject　for　a　short　story。　　For　nothing　has　struck　me　as　so　sad　lately　as　did　Sir　Anthony　Moloney　K。　C。　M。　G。　watching　us　go　off　laughing　and　joking　in　his　gilded　barge　to　wherever　we　pleased　and　leaving　him　standing　alone　on　his　lawn　with　some　papers　to　sign　and　then　a　dinner　tete…a…tete　with　his　Secretary　and　so　on　to　the　end　of　his　life。　　It　was　pathetic　to　hear　him　listen　to　all　the　gossip　from　the　outside　world　and　to　see　how　we　pleased　him　when　we　told　him　we　were　getting　more　bald　than　he　was　and　that　he　would　make　a　fine　appearance　in　the　Row　at　his　present　weight。　　He　had　not　heard　of　Trilby！！

We　struck　a　beautiful　place　today　called　Livingston　where　we　went　ashore　and　photographed　the　army　in　which　there　was　no　boy　older　than　eighteen　and　most　of　them　under　ten。　　It　was　quite　like　Africa；　the　homes　were　all　thatched　and　the　children　all　naked　and　the　women　mostly　so。　　We　took　lots　of　photographs　and　got　on　most　excellently　with　the　natives　who　thought　we　were　as　funny　as　we　thought　them。　　Almost　every　place　we　go　word　has　been　sent　ahead　and　agents　and　consuls　and　custom　house　chaps　come　out　to　meet　me　and　ask　what　they　can　do。　　This　is　very　good　and　keeps　Griscom　and　Somerset　in　a　proper　frame　of　awe。　　But　seriously　I　could　not　ask　for　better　companions；　they　are　both　enormously　well　informed　and　polite　and　full　of　fun。　　The　night　the　Governor　asked　Somers　to　dinner　and　did　not　ask　us　we　waited　up　for　him　and　then　hung　him　out　over　the　side　of　the　boat　above　the　sharks　until　he　swore　he　would　never　go　away　from　us　again。　　Griscom　is　more　aggravatingly　leisurely　but　he　has　a　most　audacious　humor　and　talks　to　the　natives　in　a　way　that　fills　them　with　pleasure　but　which　nearly　makes　Somers　and　I　expose　the　whole　party　by　laughing。　　Today　we　lie　here　taking　in　banannas　and　tomorrow　I　will　see　Conrad；　Conrad；　Conrad！！　　Send　this　to　the　Consul。　　Lots　of　love。　DICK。


SAN　PEDROSULAFebruary；　1895。　MY　DEAR　FAMILY：

The　afternoon　of　the　day　we　were　in　Puerto　Cortez　the　man　of　war　Atlanta　steamed　into　the　little　harbor　and　we　all　cheered　and　the　lottery　people　ran　up　the　American　flag。　　Then　I　and　the　others　went　out　to　her　as　fast　as　we　could　be　rowed　and　I　went　over　the　side　and　the　surprise　of　the　officers　was　very　great。　　They　called　Somers　and　Griscom　to　come　up　and　we　spent　the　day　there。　　They　were　a　much　younger　and　more　amusing　lot　of　fellows　than　those　on　the　Minneapolis　and　treated　us　most　kindly。　　It　was　a　beautiful　boat　and　each　of　us　confessed　to　feeling　quite　tempted　to　go　back　again　to　civilization　after　one　day　on　her。　　Their　boat　had　touched　at　Tangier　and　so　they　claimed　that　she　was　the　one　meant　in　the　Exiles。　　They　told　me　that　the　guide　Isaac　Cohen　whom　I　mentioned　in　Harper's　Weekly　carries　it　around　as　an　advertisement　and　wanted　to　ship　with　them　as　cabin　boy。　　We　left　the　next　day　on　the　railroad　and　the　boys　finding　that　two　negroes　sat　on　the　cowcatcher　to　throw　sand　on　the　rails　in　slippery　places　bribed　them　for　their　places　and　I　sat　on　the　sand　box。　　I　never　took　a　more　beautiful　drive。　　We　did　not　go　faster　than　an　ordinary　horse　car　but　still　it　was　exciting　and　the　views　and　vistas　wonderful。　　Sometimes　we　went　for　a　half　mile　under　arches　of　cocoanut　palms　and　a　straight　broad　leafed　palm　called　the　manaca　that　rises　in　separate　leaves　sixty　feet　from　the　ground。　　Imagine　a　palm　such　as　we　put　in　pots　at　weddings　and　teas　as　high　as　Holy　Trinity　Church　and　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　them。　　The　country　is　very　like　Cuba　but　more　luxuriant　in　every　way。　　There　are　some　trees　with　marble　like　trunks　and　great　branches　covered　with　oriole　nests　and　a　hundred　orioles　flying　in　and　out　of　them　or　else　plastered　with　orchids。　　If　Billy　Furness　were　to　see　in　what　abundance　they　grew　he　would　be　quite　mad。　　It　is　a　great　pity　he　did　not　come　with　us。　　This　little　town　is　the　terminus　of　the　railroad　and　we　have　been　here　four　days　while　Jeffs　the　American　Colonel　in　the　Hondurean　Army　is　getting　our　outfit。　　It　has　been　very　pleasant　and　we　are　in　no　hurry　which　is　a　good　thing　for　us。　　It　is　a　most　exciting　country　and　as　despotic　as　all　uncivilized　and　unstable　governments　must　be。　　But　we　have　called　on　the　Governor　of　the　district　with　Jeffs　and　he　gave　us　a　very　fine　letter　to　all　civil　and　unmilitary　authorities　in　the　district　calling　on　them　to　aid　and　protect　us　in　every　way。　　I　am　getting　awfully　good　material　for　my　novel　and　for　half　a　dozen　stories　to　boot　only　I　am　surprised　to　find　how　true　my　novel　was　to　what　really　exists　here。　　About　ten　years　ago　　disappeared；　having　as　I　thought　drunk　himself　to　death。　　He　came　up　to　me　here　on　my　arrival　with　a　lot　of　waybills　in　his　hand　and　I　learned　that　he　had　been　employed　in　this　hole　in　the　ground　by　a　railroad　for　two　years。　　I　remembered　meeting　him　at　Newport　when　I　was　still　at　Lehigh；　and　last　night　he　asked　me　to　dinner　and　told　me　what　he　had　been　doing　which　included　everything　from　acting　in　South　America　to　blacking　boots　in　Australia。　　His　boss　was　a　Pittsburgh　engineer　who　is　apparently　licking　him　into　shape　and　who　told　me　to　tell　his　father　that　he　had　stopped　drinking　absolutely。　　His　colored　〃missus〃　sat　with　us　at　the　table　and　played　with　a　beetle　during　the　three　hours　I　stayed　there　during　which　time　he　asked　me　about　　who　he　said　had　ruined　him。　　He　told　me　of　how　　had　done　and　said　this；　and　the　contrast　to　the　thatched　roof　and　the　mud　floor　and　the　Scotch　American　engineer　and　the　mulatto　girl　was　rather　striking。　　I　never　had　more　luck　in　any　trip　than　I　have　had　on　this　one　and　the　luck　of　R。　H。　D。　of　which　I　was　fond　of　boasting　seems　to　hold　g