Sketches of travel: or, Twelve months in Europe

Front matter

cS> * on.0 n*

A c>

1 o o t o

Preface

Weiting a book is one of the last things I ever contemplated; and it was not until nearly a year after our return from Europe that I even thought of penning, for weekly publication, this running account of our pleasant trip. Otherwise I should have taken much fuller notes and have had to depend less upon my memory and books of reference. In all essential particulars, what I have taken from other writers is indicated by quotation marks. I have never set up any claim to literary merit. I make no such claim now. I have not strained after originality, but have only sought to give a plain, unpretending sketch of our travels. It takes now the form of a book on the advice and expressed desire of many friends. I hope it may prove fortunate.

H. K.

Chapter I. Page

Departure from New York — Sensations of a First Ocean Trip — Welcome to a Land Bird — Original Ocean Hymn — Ode to an Iceberg — Warning Signals — Hour Bells — Literary Reunion — Arrival at Queenstown . - - . . I

Chapter II

Incidents on Landing — Appearance of Queenstown — Cork — Blarney Castle and the " Blarney Stone" . . . .7

CHAPTER III. Lakes of Killarney — Dunloe Gap — Muckross Abbey — Meeting of

the Waters — "Sweet Innisfallen" — Old Castle at Mallow . 10

Chapter IV

Dublin — Trinity College — Burke and Goldsmith — Dublin Castle — Bank of Ireland — Houses of the Irish Parliament — St. Patrick's Cathedral — Park and Botanical Gardens — Belfast — Port Rush — Ride in a Jaunting Car — Giant's Causeway . . 1 3

Chapter V

Glasgow — St. George's Square — The Cathedral — Necropolis — Kelvin Grove Park — Museum — Birth-place and Tomb of Burns — Alloway Kirk — Tarn O'Shanter and Souter Johnny — Brig o' Doon — Eglinton Castle . _ . . . .20

Chapter VI

Lochs Lomond and Katrine — The Trosachs — Stirling Castle — Mary, Queen of Scots- — John Knox — Cemetery — Wallace Monument— Edinburgh Castle — Heart of Mid Lothian — The old Tolbooth — John Knox's House — The Canongate — Lady Stair's Close . . . , . . . 24

Vlll

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

Chapter VII

Edinburgh — Roslin Castle — Caiton Hill — Sir Walter Scott's Monument— Canongate Churchyard — White House Inn — Dr. Johnson — Gallery of Paintings — Museum — Horatius Bonar — Holyrood Palace — Queen Mary and Lord Darnley — The Assassination of Rizzio — Arthur's Seat — St. Anthony's Well and Chapel — Jennie Deans — Antiquarian Museum . . 31

Chapter VIII

Melrose and Dryburgh Abbeys — Abbottsford — Leamington — Kenilworth Castle — Warwick Castle — Stratford-on- Avon — Shakspeare's House — His Place of Burial — Interesting Particulars — Oxford University and Museum . . . _ - 37

Chapter IX

London — Westminster Abbey — Poets' Corner — Monuments and Inscriptions — Shakspeare — Addison — Milton — Livingstone — Sir John Franklin — Many others, including Major Andre — His Letter to General Washington . . . . - 34

Chapter X

London — Hyde Park — 'Wellington and Albert Monuments — The Thames Embankment — Richmond — Kew Gardens — Albert Hall Concert — Mansion House — Zoological Gardens — Kensal Green Cemetery — Madame Tussaud's — British Museum — Hampton Court ....

CHAPTER XL

London — State Dinner of the Clothworker's Company — The Loving

Cup 58

Chapter XII

London — South Kensington Museum — National Picture Gallery — East India Museum — Trafalgar Square — Charing Cross — Tower of London — Windsor Castle — Eton College — Gray's Elegy . 63

Chapter XIII

London — St. Paul's — Temple Church and Temple Bar — Dean Stanley in Westminster Abbey and at his House — Rev. Mr. Spurgeon . . . . . . . - 7°

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL. IX

Chapter XIV

London — House of Commons — House of Lords — Parliament Buildings— Guy Fawkes — Westminster Hall — United States Legation — Newgate Prison — Bonhill-field Burying-ground — Cheapside to Queen's Road — Wat Tyler — Jack Cade . . 76

Chapter XV

Crossing the Channel — Rotterdam — The Hague — Queen's House in the Woods — Houses of Lords and Commons — National Museum — Amsterdam — Royal Palace — Museum — Zoological Gardens— Antwerp — Its fine Churches — Rubens . . - &3

Chapter XVI

Brussels — Royal Celebration at the Cathedral of St. Gudule — National and Wurtz Galleries of Fine Arts — Grand' Military Review — Cologne — Its great Cathedral — Up the Rhine — Old Castles — Ehrenbreitstein — Mouse Tower — Bingen . 9 1

Chapter XVII

Frankfort — Dannecker's Ariadne — Goethe and Schiller Monuments — Palmer Gardens — The Romer — Jewish Quarter — House of the Rothschilds — Homburg — Nuremberg — Chamber of Inquisition— Houses of Albert Diirer and Hans Sachs — Cemetery — Churches of St. Lawrence and St. Sebald — Gallery of Paintings . 99

Chapter XVIII

Ratisbon — Walhaila — Eger — A Pleasant Traveling Companion — Leipsic — Women and Cows at Work in the Fields — Battle of Leipsic ■ . . . . . . . 107

Chapter XIX

Berlin — King's Palace — Unter den Linden Strasse — Brandenburg- Gate — National Monument — Statue of Frederick the Great — Musenm — Beer Garden — Charlottenburg — Potsdam — Its Palaces, Gardens, etc.. . . . . . .112

Chapter XX

1 )resden — Picture Galleries — Military Museum — Museum of Natural History — Green Vaults — German Social Life . . 120

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

CHAPTER XXL

Vienna — Scenes and Incidents on the Way — Imperial Painting Gallery — Armor Historical Gallery — Schonbrunn — Cathedrals — Laxenburg — Modling . . . . . . 128

Florence — San Lorenzo — Medicean Chapel — Sagrestia Nuovo — Assassination — The Duomo — Baptistery and Bronze Doors — Fiesole . . . . . . . . 248

CHAPTER XL. Florence — Uffizi and Pitti Galleries — Michael Angelo's House

Xll SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

CHAPTER XLL

Florence - — Story of Genevra — Thanksgiving Day — Singular Superstition — Freedom of Worship — Santa Croce — Piazza della Signoria, etc. . . - - - . - 259

Rome — Vespers at St. Peter's and Trmita de' Monti — Mr. Van Meter's Schools — Borghese Picture Gallery — Tomb of Augustus— Fountain of Trevi — Church of the Capuchins . .278

Chapter XLV

Rome — Farnese Palace — San Pietro in Montorio — Trajan and Roman Forums — Appian Way — Footprints of our Saviour — Temple of Bacchus — Ancient Relics — Sculptors' Studios — Barberini Palace — Beatrice Cenci . 284

Rome — Palace of the Caesars — Tarpeian Rock — Coliseum — Roman Forum -..___. 303

Chapter XLIX

Rome — Christmas at St. Peter's — Church of St. Paul — Arch of Janus — Tomb of Caius Cestius — Graves of Shelley and Keats

— Marmetine Prisons — St. Pietro in Vincoli — St. Giovanni Laterano — The Santa Scala . . . . . 311

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL. Xlll

Geneva — Coppet — Madame de Stael — Geneva to Paris — Strange Sight — Nice — Toulon — Marseilles — Aries — Nismes — Avignon — Lyons — Dijon — Fontainebleau . . . 359

Chapter LVII

Paris — Versailles — Palace — St. Cloud — Sevres — Garden of the Tuileries — Churches of St. iCtienne du Mont, Notre Dame, and the Madeleine — The Louvre — Tomb of Napoleon — Hotel des Invalides ....... ^66

XIV SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

Chapter LVIII

Paris — Place de la Concorde — Place du Carousal — Place Napoleon Place and Column of Venddme — Column of July — Place de la Bastile — Place du Trone — Champs filysees — Siege of Paris — Arc de Triomphe — Portes St. Martin and St. Denis — Tour St. Jacques — Palais Royal . . . . - W

Chapter LIX

Paris — Destruction from the War — Reception of the Emperors of Russia and Austria and King of Prussia in 1867 — Emperor and Empress of France — Pere La Chaise — Abelard and Helo'ise — Jardin des Plantes — Pantheon — St. Roche — Palace and Garden of the Luxembourg — Hotel Cluny . . . 383

CHAPTER LX. Paris to London — The Thames — London to Liverpool — Ocean

Passage — Home Again . . . . . - 391

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Paris — Garden of the Tuileries.

Edinburgh — Edinburgh Castle and Scott Monument. 3 O London — Westminster Abbey.

Amsterdam.

Potsdam — Sans Souci. i / b

Munich — Bavarian Statue and Hall of Fame. / y L i Venice — Court of the Palace of the Doges. Florence. ij

! Rome — Coliseum of Vespasian.

FONTAINEBLEAU — GARDEN AND PALACE.

Versailles — Palace.

Paris — Hotel des Invalides. f- Paris — Place Vendome.

t Paris — Tour de St. Jacques de la Boucherie. >\ Paris — Luxembourg Palace. 3 (

TWELVE MONTHS IN EUROPE.

Chapter I

tN" undertaking to give some sketches of travel in Europe, it may be as well to start from New York, although there is hardly anything more monotonous than an ocean trip on a smooth sea; and as we (myself and wife,) had fine weather the most of the way, our passage over was without any remarkable incident. We sailed the 12th of May, 1875, a good time to start, on the Cunard steamship "Scotia," commanded by Captain Leitch, a first-rate officer. We chose this ship because she has side wheels. The number of passengers did not exceed eighty — all strangers to us except Horatio Stone, the sculptor, who was on his way to Rome never to return. He had formerly resided there a considerable length of time, and in reference to our apprehensions of danger in visiting that city, he ridiculed the idea of its being any more sickly there than in any other city. Whether or no he contracted there the disease which carried him off, we are not advised; but, on reaching Geneva, in September, we heard with sorrow that he had died sometime in July or August, at Carrara, the place of fine Italian marble quarries.

Our departure from New York was marked by the

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

usual crowd and excitement — friends come to bid farewell — the hurrying to and fro between ship and shore — and finally, as our great vessel moved slowly from her moorings, the casting of pennies into the water as a means of appeasing the evil spirits of the deep — the waving of handkerchiefs and other demonstrations of affection — the earnest looking to catch the last view of friends — any one who has ever started on such a voyage knows' all about this. Byron has truly said:

"It is an awkward sight To see one's native land receding through The growing waters; it unmans one quite, Especially when life is rather new."

He means, we imagine, when "life is rather new" in such experiences. A first ocean trip, surely, gives rise to sensations never before felt; but the effect on all persons is not always the same. For ourselves, we are free to admit that we were keenly sensible to the truth of the remarks of Madame de Stael, that "it becomes a much more -serious matter to quit one's country, when in going away it is necessary to cross the sea. Everything," she says, "is solemn in a voyage of which the ocean marks the first steps: it seems that an abyss opens behind you, and that the return may be forever impossible. Moreover, the sight of the sea always makes a profound impression; it is the image of the Infinite which attracts the soul incessantly, and in which, without cessation, the soul appears to lose itself."

If not deadened by nausea, on finding one's self on the broad bosom, of the ocean in a fair day, one experiences a feeling of exhilaration not easy to describe ; but nausea "unmans one quite," and any intellectual effort while in that state should be regarded with

NEW YORK TO QUEENSTOWN. 3

lenity, as it no doubt generally is, at least on shipboard. Hence, any little squib or original poetical effusion, after the dull monotony of a few days at sea, is quite likely to be received and passed around kindly; and it often serves, too, to open the way to acquaintanceship among the passengers. We secured some of these trifles which were perpetrated on our ship, and we will venture to reproduce them. In the afternoon of the day of embarkation the sea became rather rough, and it was less agreeable on the following day, which was raw, drizzly, and cold. We were now far out of sight of land, and the onty cheerful sight during the day was a little land bird which alighted on one of the yard-arms of the vessel. With somewhat of homesickness and disagreeable premonitions of another kind of malady not more pleasant, it was not surprising that the passengers were touched by the following impromptu lines to our sweet visitor:

Welcome, dear birdie! welcome, I say! Tell me, dear birdie, com'st thou to stay? Tidings, what tidings bring' st thou to me, Of friends, our dear friends, far over the sea? Backward, fly quickly to where they all dwell, And tell them you saw us all sailing on well.

The next was the following hymn, composed near the end of the week — our sailing day was Wednesday— and it was sung to the tune of "God save the Queen," as a part of the religious services on Sunday:

Father of Light and Love, High on Thy throne above,

Give us Thine ear.

All weak and powerless, we, Thy children on the sea, Would turn our thoughts to Thee,

And nothing fear.

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

O, God, in Thee we trust, In Jesus' bosom must

Our safety be; Then would we ever rest Our heads upon His breast — The haven e'er the best,

On land or sea.

O, take us safe to shore, Thy guidance we implore

From day to day; To Thee our thanks we bring, Give us all hearts to sing The praises of our King,

His will obey.

One day, when the ocean was perfectly smooth, we were gratified with the sight of an iceberg of respectable dimensions, covering, say, four or five acres in extent, not over a mile off; and we could just discern several others, not probably as large, in the distance. Whereupon was produced this impromptu

ODE TO AN ICEBERG.

Cold, silent sentinel of the vasty deep, Self-anchored on the great highway of life — " Life on the ocean wave " — what mean'st thou By thy stern, stolid look? and in thy rear Yet other glaciers, as if in reserve To serve the purpose of thine own intent. Cam'st thou in threatening guise and day serene To warn of dangers still ahead at night, O'ercast by cloud and storm? or standest thou As mark expressive of all danger past? Silent and cold thou art, and yet methinks I do discern in thy more softened air, As in review we take our leave of thee, That thou art really a sentinel of love.

There was something in this which seemed to interest the first officer of the ship, for we observed' that he procured a copy of it. Such "silent sentinels "

NEW YORK TO QUEENSTOWN.

may well be the terror of "all that go down to the sea in ships;" and the wonder is that more vessels are not lost by coming in contact with them in the darkness of night and dense fogs such as one seldom fails to encounter in crossing the Atlantic, There is no doubt that many a ship with all on board is thus suddenly sent to the bottom of the ocean, while the cause of its loss remains forever unknown. It is during such nights when one feels that at any moment he may be engulfed, that he hears at short intervals, in almost breathless silence, the fearful screeching of the steam-whistle and the sound of the bells which are kept ringing as an additional warning to other vessels to keep out of the way. On the other hand, there is a sensation of relief when, late in the night, the sound of the hour-bell strikes the ear, with the cheerful cry of the watchmen, "All 's well." It was in response to this feeling, doubtless, that the following lines were penned, likewise by one of our passengers :

"ALL'S WELL."

List to the sound of bells, As on the air it swells, And in the darkness tells

The hour of night; Then hear the watchmen's cry — On lookout to espy All dangers far and nigh —

That all is right.

The cheering words, "All 's well," All nervous fears dispel, And to our senses tell

That safety reigns.

Then sink we into rest, Lulled by the foamy crest Upon the ocean's breast,

In somnous strains.

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

Now, when life's end is near, And all seems dark and drear, We breathless list to hear

The last hour-bell; O, may the joyful word In silver tones be heard —

" All's well."

Well, it must be admitted that this is dealingpretty extensively in rhymes, not to call them poetry; but how is one better to indite an ocean epistle than to present a view of such small things as transpire in the monotony of the voyage? True, all this would be omitted in an account of a stormy and dangerous trip, where fearful exposure and hairbreadth escapes were the order of the day as well as night; but, happily, we were spared this experience. Toward the end of the trip, when the passengers began to get acquainted with one another, we had a sort of literary reunion, two or three evenings, in the dining saloon, where, we remember, we listened to pleasant speeches from Horatio Stone, Mr. Wanamaker, the celebrated Sunday School teacher from Philadelphia, and others; and we had charming singing, also, by a Spanish Countess, as well as by Miss Edith Abell, who, with her mother, was on her way to Italy to study music, and of whose achievements in singing we have since heard very favorable accounts. Then, again, there were some quoit and other active games on deck during the day, and some card-playing among a few in the evening.

All were delighted, when, on the early morning of the 21st of May, land was espied on the coast of Ireland, and by five o'clock of the same day we ourselves and a few other passengers were safely landed at Queenstown, rejoiced to be once more on terra fir ma. The mails and some freight having also been

QUEENSTOWN.

transferred to the tender, bearing the British and American flags, our good ship, with most of our compagnons de voyage, immediately proceeded on her way to her destined port of Liverpool — a sail of some eighteen hours.

Chapter II

/J\UEENSTOWN? May 21.— What a rest to be . ^s^ on land again! and what a pleasant sight was the little village of Queenstown and its adjacent fields as we sailed into her snug harbor and waited for the tender to come and take us on shore. The land rises abruptly from near shore, and the village is situated on the sides of the hills facing the harbor. Much of the land seems fitted only for pasturage, covered here and there with patches of gorse, or furze, a thick, prickly shrub, now in full bloom, its flowers being of a bright yellow color. From a distance the contrast between the deep green of the early grass and the yellow of these flowers was very striking, and with the white-painted houses of the scattered villages on the one hand and the strong fortification on the other, presented a landscape which has doubtless commanded the pencil of more than one artist.

The custom-house officers were on the tender, and the luggage of the passengers was passed with little ceremony, so that soon after our arrival at the wharf we were ready to proceed directly to the railroad station, a distance of some thirty rods, where the train was shortly ready to take us to Cork. A num-

SKETCHES OF TRAVEL.

ber of Irish beggars, old and young, of both sexes, were ready on the wharf with their pressing appeals for alms, which, judging from their appearance, they were sadly in need of, for they were without shoes or stockings, and the few clothes they had on were extremely mean.

We hurried on to the station, where we settled with the porters for bringing our luggage, and although we thought their charge rather high, we supposed it to be all right until one of our ship companions from New Orleans, a native or former resident of Dublin, made his appearance, and knowing the legal rates for this service, informed us that we and all the passengers with us who had preceded him had been overcharged. He at once denounced the porters as rascals, when a police officer took the matter up and they made no hesitation in returning what they knew they had no right to charge.

We were told that far the pleasantest way to Cork was by the steamboat on the river Lee, along which the scenery is said to be very beautiful; but there was to be no boat this evening, and we, therefore, took the cars, which, in a half hour's time, brought us to the city. Fine as the scenery may be on the river, it can hardly be more charming than on some parts of the route by rail. The country through which we passed is very fertile, and appeared to be in the highest state of cultivation. We saw several beautiful residences, the grounds of which were laid out in the most elegant manner.

Cork, May 22. — Cork is situated on the north and south branches of the river Lee, which is spanned by many fine bridges. It presented a more cheerful aspect in every point of view than we expected to see. We anticipated seeing here large numbers of

CORK. 9

that poverty-stricken class of Irish people, so many of whom emigrate from Southern Ireland to the United States, but of such we saw comparatively few (there might have been many in the suburbs,) while the great mass of citizens appeared to be well off and to enjoy life without complaint. Judging from what we saw in the short time we remained in the city, we came to the conclusion that every branch of trade was active and prosperous, as much so as in other seaport towns. We visited some of the churches, in one of which we saw a remarkable statue of Christ. One was the church of the Holy Trinity, a handsome Gothic building, founded by Father Mathew, to whose memory a monument has been erected here, being a statue of himself upon a raised pedestal, and presenting an excellent likeness of him as we remember him on the occasion of his visit to Washington.

In company with six of our fellow passengers we made a visit to Blarney Castle by private carriages, going by one road and returning by another, the distance being about six miles — a most pleasant trip, affording charming views of Queen's College, Black Rock, the Heights of Glenmire and the Groves of Blarney. The ruins of the famous Blarney Castle consist mainly of a large square structure or tower one hundred and twenty feet in height, completely covered with ivy. The "Blarney Stone" is situated twenty feet below the summit in a detached position not easily reached, yet all visitors, ambitious to do a foolish thing, usually try to kiss it. If there is any merit in the act. it is perhaps in the courage shown to accomplish it; for without some person to assist you in maintaining your balance as you lie stretched at full length to reach the stone, you would be in danger of falling and breaking your neck. However, the feat is attempted, oftener than otherwise, no doubt, "for the fun of the thing;" and for the timid there is on the ground floor another stone, easy of access, and said to possess all the wonderful qualities of the more noted block.

Chapter III

gI^AKES OF KILLARNEY, May 24.— We came i^^ here in three hours, by rail, from Cork, on Saturday evening, the 22d. Our hotel is beyond the village of Killarney, on the margin of the principal lake. The situation is charming, but we have found the weather a little too cool to make the tour of the lakes. Sunday was to us a welcome day of rest, following so soon after our ten days on the ocean; but on Monday forenoon we rode eight miles, to Dunloe Gap and back, passing the ruins of Aghadoe and Dunloe Castle, which is in good repair. We rode into the Gap to the end of the carriage road, followed by horsemen with their horses and saddles for hire through the Gap. Near the end of our journey, too, several brawny girls, barefoot and in short clothes, ran with the speed of a deer to keep up with our carriage, urging us in the most persistent manner to buy their bunches of wild flowers. Here, also, we were proffered "mountain dew" and goat's milk by the granddaughter of a celebrated character named Kate Kearney, who used to ply the same trade, and lived in a stone and mud house, which still serves as a shelter for her worthy descendant. Sufficiently toned up by

KILLARNEY. 11 the sharp mountain air which came dovm powerfully through the Gap, we were constrained to decline indulging in any of her " poteen;" nor did we patronize the two or three native artillerymen who were stationed here, with small cannon, which, for a trifling fee, they fire with remarkable effect in respect to the echoes of the report in the mountains.

In the afternoon we rode eight or ten miles through the beautiful grounds of Lord Kenmare and the Hon. Mr. Herbert, M. P., to the "Meeting of the Waters,;' where "the picturesque Dinish Island divides the stream. This spot is said to have been warmly admired by Sir Walter Scott when he visited the lakes.'' There is a small inn or half-way house on the island, where refreshments can be obtained, and where fishing implements are kept for the use of visitors. On our way back we visited Muckross Abbey, a photograph of which is among our collection, and from the back of which we copy: "The well-known ruins of Muckross Abbey are situated in the beautiful demesne of Muckross, the property of Colonel Herbert, about two miles from the town of Killarney, and to the antiquary, as well as the general visitor, present considerable attractions. The Abbey was erected by the McCarthys, Princes of Desmond, for Franciscan friars, a. d. 1340. In 1602 it was reedified, and though ruin has resumed its sway, is still in a good state of preservation. The cloisters are the most perfect portion of the ruins, and consist of semi-circular and twelve-pointed arches, overshadowed by the foliage of an immense yew tree, planted at the time of the erection of the Abbey, and whose trunk measures upward of ten feet in circumference. The chancel contains a fine east window, the tracery of which is still perfect. Here were also interred the remains of the O'Sullivans, the G'Donoughues, and the MacCarthy More, founder of the Abbey." We brought away with us, as keepsakes, some of the leaves of this famous old yew tree, which we regarded with special interest, not unmixed with a sort of reverence inspired by age.

Killarney, with its lake and mountain scenery, and the highly-adorned estates of Lord Kenmare, Hon. Mr. Herbert, and other wealthy landlords, must be a charming summer resort. The lake — there is really only one — is in three parts; the lower and largest being six miles long and three wide. The upper lake is four miles long and two broad. On the side of one of the mountains is O'Sullivan's cascade, which has a fall of seventy feet, and opposite to this is Innisfallen Island, immortalized by Moore:

"Sweet Innisfallen, fare thee well — •

May calm and sunshine long be thine; How fair thou art let others tell, While but to feel how fair be mine.

"Sweet Innisfallen, long shall dwell

In memory's dream that sunny smile Which o'er thee on that evening fell When first I saw thy lairy isle."

Dublin, May 25. — Leaving Killarney at 7 a. m., we have made good time to reach Dublin, one hundred and eighty -six miles, at 5-J- p. m., considering that we stopped two hours at Mallow for the connecting train from Cork. These two hours were agreeably passed in a walk through the town and a visit to the ruins of an old castle in the vicinity, the history of which we did not learn. It was once the stronghold, no doubt, of some lord of the manor; but its crumbling walls are now covered with ivy, and the crows and other birds seemed to hold possession

DUBLIN. 13

The crows especially appear to be quite at home all along the route, and are very tame compared with their American cousins. Evidently they are ignorant of the smell of gunpowder, or they would be more shy. It was a satisfaction to observe how freely and contentedly they appeared to enjoy life. The buoyant opening of spring, looking from a human point of view, may have conduced somewhat toward this happy state of feeling; for in the words of Shelley —

" 'T is now the season when the earth upsprings From slumber; as a shepherd angel's child, Shadowing its eyes with green and golden wings."