Europe, through a woman's eye

Introduction

REV. PROF. W. H. WYNN, PH. D.

PUBLISHED FOR TUB AUTHOR.

PHILADELPHIA:

LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY,

Copyright, 1883.

cA 11 q d

DEDICATED TO

MY BELOVED HUSBAND, Rev. J. H. Culler.

INTRODUCTION.

Bacon's Essay on travel, written when the great age of discovery and travel was just opening upon the world, is still the wisest summary of good counsel on the subject that can anywhere be found. The benefit of travel, the objects the traveller should look after and the places he should visit ; the aids he should seek and the company he should keep ; and, finally, the beneficent uses to which his knowledge and experiences should be applied — all this is condensed in that brief essay not two spans long.

In the closing parapraph ample justification is found for the little book that is herewith sent forth upon the world. " When a traveller returneth home, let him not leave the countries where he hath travelled, altogether behind him, but maintain a correspondence by letters with those of his acquaintance which are of most worth." The same end, however, — that of keeping up the interest of travel among the friends with whom we are anxious to share the marvel of the sights we have seen, and the memory of the thronging experiences through which we have passed, may be attained by writing a book, especially if in that book some definite aim is kept in view. There is no better souvenir, and no better way of not " leaving the travelled lands altogether behind."

It is true there are many books of this kind, and it is held that they can have only a transitory interest within a circle of readers that is never at any time large. But there is a peculiar exhilaration attending the reading of a book of this kind, a pleasure somewhat analogous to that which the traveller himself enjoys when in the presence of strange objects and strange people he notes down his experiences and catches and cages the pass-

VI INTRODUCTION.

ing joy. And so the popular craving for information and entertainment of this sort seems never to abate, and the " transitory interest," as it is called, has to be repeated every year, in every variety of way. Witness the amount of space given up to the literature of travel in the great magazines of the day, and the enormous expenditure in securing for these articles the best illustrations the pictorial art can supply. Witness, too, the recently revived passion for diaries of times long past, private inventories, so to speak, of incidents and places rendered foreign almost by the long lapse of intervening years. These dusty manuscripts are raked out from the garrets and rubbish corners of old libraries and lumber-rooms, and when published are greedily solicited over seas and all round the world, because of the ceaseless delight we have in anything distant from us either in time orspace. We want to traverse these strange spots, hallowed by the stirring events and illustrious deeds of other days, in imagination if not in reality, and momentarily drop out of ourselves into the hearts and homes, the market places, the Senate halls, the busy thoroughfares, the surging tides of human life booming under other skies.

So far books of travel must share their interest with works of history, dramatic compositions, and the engulfing flood of romance, that pours every year upon the world. They keep our "enthusiasm of humanity" aglow when otherwise it might die out. But there is a special sense in which works of this kind may serve a distinctive use of their own. Dr. Johnson was wont to say: "The use of travelling is to regulate the imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are." That is, it broadens the mind, and enlarges the views, of him whose happiness it is to travel. There is no one who has settled down, as every one ought, into the routine of some way of honorable and beneficent toil, that will not by and by betray the narrowing influence of his surroundings, and even be painfully conscious of the fact. We have no word of encouragement for the spirit of unrest and discontent which is the prevailing malady of the age. One needs only to look in upon the

INTRODUCTION. VII

passengers of the next train that halts for a moment at the village depot, to see the unmistakable signs of a restless, fidgety, longing, nervous habit exactly the opposite of the devout sighing of the Psalmist for the wings of a dove — an eager multitude wanting the iron wings of steam to carry them into the uttermost parts of the earth. It is abnormal no doubt. But on the supposition that to the hard-working, painfully-drudging, religiously-faithful man or woman, the time for recreation has fairly come, travel will bring with it not only the recuperating advantages of a change, but the special broadening discipline of which Dr. Johnson speaks. The cosmopolitan spirit he must measurably have. He must know things as they actually are, and not as he might imagine them to be. We are so likely, as Tennyson says, to

— " Take the rustic murmur of our bourg For the great wave that echoes round the world,"

and so fall short of that broad ample sympathy with the race, which is not only the height of liberal culture, but the sweetest essence of the religion we profess. Travel is an antidote to this. But what if one is so situated that the hard ligaments of routine will never relax? He cannot go abroad. He must rise and retire, and go through the monotonous round of duties all the working days of the year. Then a vacation by proxy may be furnished to his hand in a book of this kind. He may look upon the strange scenes of other climes through the eyes of some more fortunate one, who has seen not only, but put his choicest impressions into print. What is required to make a book of this kind of substitutional value is, that it be predominantly realistic in its style ; that the art of the writer be such, that the reader will follow along easily and buoyantly in the track of the descriptions, and not have his imagination embarrassed by minutiae of detail nor by a dry, lumbering stiffness of style. Equally fatal is it, if the descriptions of noted places and circumstances are overweighted with comment, or set off with excessive ornamentation from the writer's overflow of rhetorical zeal. Many otherwise valuable works of travel are harmed in this way.

Vlll ' INTRODUCTION.

Now of the little, unpretentious book, whose commission to the reading world we are now executing, it may be said by way of cordial unreserved commendation that it may claim exemption from the above-mentioned faults. There is a certain rapidity of narrative, free-flowing, conversational, elegantly easy way of telling what was experienced, resembling very much what might be familiarly communicated by a cultured lady to a circle of parlor friends chatting leisurely the social hour away. Only it is not gossip. You see at once that every point visited, every noted locality upon which this woman's eyes have fallen, has received just that kind of attention that has made conspicuous the objects and aspects of things that, out of the multiplicity of details, are most likely to answer the spontaneous prompting of the reader's mind. Here, for example, is the city of Paris, or the Alps, or Florence, or Rome, — the details of daily observation are infinite, and the woman's art consists in instantaneously catching at the events and sights which out of the great throng of impressions, will best secure for herself, and convey to others a vivid realization of the time and place. It is noticeable how this trait runs throughout the entire narrative, giving it a unique charm of its own. We do certainly go with this delightful companion every step of the way. We see what she sees; we share her pleasures, and even her weariness, when by times that is noted, climbing great flights of steps, or clambering along the mountain side, or battling with the dizziness of the ocean wave. In order to make things real, so that the mind can walk round the object described, or peer into it, or lay hands upon it, or scale its utmost limits, the writer has wisely deemed that the actual dimensions of things so far as such data are accessible to her, are indispensable to the successful limning of her pictures. In general this narrative is to be commended for so attaching us to the society of this cultured woman during all the varied experiences of a European tour, that we regretfully part company when the narrative is at an end.

This, possibly, is the special charm of seeing Europe through a woman's eyes. It is what the penetrating, quick-minded,

INTRODUCTION. IX

sympathetic woman sees and enjoys, what the grosser, less nimble vision of man would fail to note, or noting would miss widely from its deeper significance in the sum of things — this that pleases us, this that lures us from page to page to the end. And so we have another proof that the great poet did not fall one whit below that high philosophic standard which everywhere has guided him in his interpretation of human nature, when he makes one of his characters say:

" From women's eyes this doctrine I derive ; They sparkle still the right Promethean fire ; They are the books, the arts, the academies; That show, contain, and nourish all the world."

W. H. Wynn.

Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa.

Contents

PAGE

Adriatic Sea J

Antwerp

Chapter I

On the 29th of April, 1882, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the old steamship Egypt, of the National line, that had ploughed the deep for eleven years, steamed out of New York bay, and my husband and I bade good-bye to America, for a few months. For an hour before sailing, the deck was crowded with the friends of those who were about to take the long voyage-of three thousand five hundred miles across the Atlantic ocean.

A graceful young lady stepped up to us and introduced herself as a sister of one of my most intimate girl friends (Jessie Beck). She had come as her sister's representative, to bid us " God speed," and at parting presented me a lovely little nosegay, a delicate cream rose encircled with forget-me-nots and geranium leaves. I almost worshiped these few flowers, and kept them fresh for many days; for if there is any place in the world where people appreciate flowers it is on the broad, deep ocean, where none of nature's green relieves the eye, but all is water — water everywhere. In two hours the shores of America had entirely vanished from sight. It was with a tinge of sadness that we stood on deck and watched the land until it appeared like a tiny speck on the horizon. We had left America, home and friends behind ; but grand old historical Europe, the country we had so long desired to see, was ahead !

Everything on the vessel was new and strange, and we flew hither and thither, to learn all we could about what was to be our little world for eleven days. The Egypt is four hundred

(O

ATLANTIC OCEAN.

and fifty feet long and forty-six feet wide. The saloon passengers, ninety-nine in number, occupied one part of the ship, and the steerage passengers the other. The dining saloon is one hundred and fifty feet long, the tables running the entire length, with velvet-cushioned benches for seats, and the floors are carpeted with Brussels. The state-rooms on either side of the dining-saloon are six by eight feet, with quite good accommodations. We had four meals a day; breakfast, at half-past eight ; lunch, at half-past twelve; dinner, at five; and tea, at half-past eight in the evening. The meals were simply wonderful. For instance, this is an ordinary bill of fare for dinner:

Pigeons on toast, and mushrooms.

Boiled mutton and caper sauce.

Roast lamb and mint sauce.

Roast fillet of veal, corned pork and vegetables.

Corned beef, roast turkey, sausages and cranberry sauce.

Duck and green peas.

Ham and tongue, pickles and asparagus.

Apples, oranges, raisins, and several kinds of nuts.

All of the China dishes bear this stamp, "National Steamship Company," "Pro orbis utilitate" (for the use of the world). The tureens for meats and vegetables are of solid silver, and when the bell taps, the waiters take all the covers off at once, sometimes revealing the most unheard-of mixtures. Mr. Culler took four square meals every day, and did not indulge in sea-sickness. But alas ! I was not so fortunate : the first night I fully realized what it was to be "rocked in the cradle of the deep," and the next morning upon raising my head from my pillow, I was initiated into the mysteries of sea-sickness, and it clung to me tenaciously; for seven successive days, I cast up my accounts accurately, several times to the smallest decimal fraction. The feeling is indescribable ! If any one had proposed to throw me overboard, I don't know that I should have objected. The kind hands which always minister to my comfort dressed me, and managed to get me on deck in a fainting condition. Wrapped in a heavy sea-blanket and supported on either side, I walked the deck until the color returned to my lips. But when I attempted to recline in a sea-chair the sickness returned, and I was obliged to walk again. — It seemed that I must either walk or die — and thus I spent the entire day. Our second Sabbath out was, however, much more agreeably spent. We had church service in the dining saloon. Pillows piled up on the table and covered with a scarlet cloth served as a pulpit. The Captain read the service of the Church of England, my husband preached the sermon, and the renowned Philip Phillips and his son James sang, accompanied by the piano.

At sea people are more sociable than on land. Nobody thinks of waiting for a formal introduction. All sorts of people are on board, high and low, rich and poor, cultured and ignorant, selfish and generous, joyous and those bearing heavy burdens of sorrow. One lady, whose home was in Texas, started with her consumptive husband for England. He died on the steamer, just as they were entering New York Bay. She buried him in New York, and then embarked in the Egypt. This was a sad, sad trip for her. She returned to her friends in England, whom she left but two years ago to become the happy bride of her lover in Texas. On our homeward voyage, a poor mother among the steerage passengers watched anxiously by the couch of her dying child, and another gave birth to a sweet little baby, who will never be able to say, "This is my own, my native land."

Although life on the ocean wave seems very monotonous to those afflicted with sea-sickness, yet to others it has many attractions. At night the beautiful phosphorescent lights may be seen, looking like sparkling diamonds on the water. Then the pretty rainbows in the spray; and one morning after a shower, the sun shone out brightly and gave us a splendid rainbow, completely spanning old ocean ; and one of the grandest sunsets I ever witnessed was on the ocean. The sun gradually slipped out of sight between the sky and the water, leaving its gorgeous robe of gold and purple floating on the ocean blue. We gazed in silent admiration on this grand picture from the brush of the Almighty. It is interesting, too, to watch the monsters of the deep at their uncouth gambols; dozens of whales apparently tried to see which could spout water the highest, and one huge fellow came so near the vessel that we had a good view of his immense back as he came up to blow. And how we would lean over the railing, and never tire of watching the porpoises as they leaped along beside the ship, a whole school of them at a time, chasing each other, darting hither and thither like mad creatures. And the dear, little, harmless, white sea-gulls followed the ship to feed on what was thrown out, occasionally sitting down on the waves to rest.

There are many ways of amusement — reading, writing, chatting, singing, lounging, dreaming. A concert is given each voyage, by the passengers, for the benefit of the Seaman's Orphan Home at Liverpool ; and they are quite creditable. One day as we were walking on deck we had the delightful experience of being completely drenched by a playful wave, and we looked as meek as Moses, with our garments dripping with salt water. When one looks out upon the vast ocean, and watches the heaving and swelling of the waves, and thinks of the unfathomable depth of water, he is most solemnly impressed with the greatness and power of God, and the frailty and utter helplessness of man. We had just enough rough weather to get a taste of what a storm at sea would be like. The wind blew furiously ; the waves ran high, at times sweeping over the deck in torrents ; the rain beat violently ; large waves leaped over the tops of the life-boats, high above the deck ; the wind was so powerful that the gentlemen could scarcely keep their footing on deck, and the ladies were oblighed to content themselves in the cabin. One lady was blown across the deck, and two others who attempted to walk were prostrated. Hats were blown overboard ; chairs overturned ; dishes broken, etc. As soon as it was safe for the ladies to go on deck, I sat with my husband at the stern of the vessel and watched her breast the waves as they rolled up mountain high. Sometimes the bow of the ship would be submerged in the waves, and it seemed that we must all go under, when up she would come, like a bird on the wing. A storm at sea is a grand sight, awfully grand ! and the appreciative nature could thoroughly enjoy it, if all fear of the possible results could be dispelled. The sight of a distant sail was always welcomed with delight, and the taking on of a pilot, as we approached land, was another diversion. It is a rule that a vessel must take on the first pilot she meets, to take her into the harbor. The pilot we took, on approaching America, had been sailing about for a month seeking employment. He received $460.00 for his services, so much a foot for the number of feet of water the vessel draws. He came in a pilot boat, and then was brought from that to our steamer in a row boat, as the sailing vessel could not approach very near us. It was a pretty sight to witness the signal of red, white and blue lights by which our vessel reported its arrival off Fastnett rock, on the coast of Ireland. How we strained our eyes to see the first faint outline of land !

We entered the dock at Liverpool at four o'clock a. m. on Wednesday, May 10. There were no sleepy-heads that morning ; everybody was up, hurrying and bustling about, seeing to baggage, giving good byes and kind wishes to newly-made friends; confusion reigned supreme. The table stewards, bedroom stewards, the stewardess, the boots, in fact all the servants who had looked at us during the voyage, hovered about expecting a fee, and asked for it if we did not take the hint.

The examination of luggage by the custom-house officials is a very trifling affair to the American tourist, unless he has cigars or fire-arms among his possessions. And during our entire trip, traveling in so many different countries, our baggage being examined twelve times, it was always done courteously, and in a very superficial manner. It is nothing worth getting nervous over.

6 LIVERPOOL TO LONDON.

Oh ! how good it seemed, and how safe we felt, when we once more stepped on terra firma. But we soon discovered that we had a very awkward gait, and even that reverend gentleman who walks so excruciatingly straight at home swayed slightly from side to side. For several days I walked as if trying to balance myself, and often thought the floor was moving up and down as on shipboard.

As we had a few hours to spend in Liverpool before taking the train for London, we availed ourselves of the opportunity to visit St. George's Hall. It is a grand building, four hundred and twenty feet long, and ornamented with fifteen magnificent Corinthian columns forty-five feet high ; and the massiveness of the structure is greatly enhanced by two colossal stone lions lying at the foot of the steps by which it is approached, and also the equestrian bronze statues of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. The interior of the hall is very fine, with beautifully gilded ceiling. It is tastefully ornamented with sculpture, and contains a very large pipe organ. It is is used for public gatherings, musical entertainments, etc.

We obtained a lunch at the Northwestern Hotel, and ate with a relish the largest and most delicious mutton chops we had ever tasted.

We left Liverpool at eleven o'clock a. m., in company with Philip Phillips and family, and dear Mrs. Pritchard, whom we learned to know and love on the ocean, on a fast express train over the Northwestern Railway, and reached London about four p. m., a distance of two hundred and ten miles.

The English railway cars are much smaller than our American cars, and are divided into several apartments, each seating eight persons, and occasionally ten. Four ride forward and four backward. The cars are entered from the side, and the windows form the upper half of the doors. The most desirable seats are, of course, near the windows, where one can lower or raise them at pleasure, and obtain a good view <3f the scenery. There are first, second and third class cars, but they have no fire, water nor conveniences. Baggage is not checked, so that it necessitates

LIVERPOOL TO LONDON. 7

a person looking after his luggage very closely, lest it be taken on too far, or not far enough. Valises, satchels, etc., may be taken into the car free, and placed under the seat or in the rack. As our luggage consisted of two valises, it mattered little to us whether they had a check system or not. The guard, or conductor, as we would say, has no means of passing through the train, but is obliged to walk on a narrow platform attached to the outside of the cars, and hold on to an iron railing. He is thus exposed to heat and cold, sun and rain. The engineer and fireman have also no protection in the majority of cases.

The railway stations, however, all over Europe, are much superior to those in America. Some are immense structures, made entirely of glass and iron, with first, second and third class waiting rooms. Others are massive buildings of stone, presenting a fine architectural appearance ; and the Swiss depots are perfect marvels of taste, with their display of wood-carving. The first-class waiting rooms are often carpeted with Brussels, and have a cheerful fire in the grate, hearth rugs, easy chairs, etc., which gives the traveler such a home-like feeling, while he is waiting for trains. And I have seen waiting rooms on the Continent decorated with marble statues, and the walls adorned with large oil paintings. I have a distinct recollection of a waiting room in a station at Munich, the walls of which are imitation of different colored marble, and so perfect is the representation, that not until we had tested them in various ways could we believe that they were not marble. The furnishing, too, seejned complete ; marble centre table, handsome garnet rep lambrequins, cane-seated chairs, and here and there garnet plush circular sofas.

The ride from Liverpool to London was simply charming ! Every foot of ground seemed to be under the most careful cultivation. The lovely green fields dotted with daisies and buttercups, were such a sweet relief to our eyes that had been accustomed to beholding nothing but water for so many days. Not a stick, stone or stump was to be seen. Beautiful green hedges take the place of fences. Even the railways are bordered with

8 ENGLISH CHANNEL.

them. No pedestrians are allowed on the railway track, and no carriage drives cross the track; but in all cases of intersection, a bridge is built over the track, or the track bridges over the carriage and footway — thus preventing the many accidents common in America.

The buildings in England are all of stone or brick. The scenery during the whole journey seemed like one grand panorama. Bridges over small streams are of white stone, and some of them encircled with English ivy, making such picturesque little views.

When we reached London, we took a hansom, (a small twowheeled vehicle, with an elevated driver's seat behind ; two wooden half-doors in front shut you in, and a dashboard encircling the hind parts of the horse, prevents the mud from flying in one's face), to Mr. Burr's private boarding house, No. n Queen Square.

I will not tell you now what we saw and learned in London ; but if you will follow us in our trip over the Continent, we will bring you back to London, and tell you what we saw in the two weeks we spent there, and also in other parts of England and Scotland.

At New Haven we took a steamer across the British Channel to Dieppe ; were six hours and a half on the water. The shortest route across the Channel, from Dover to Calais, only occupies an hour and a quarter; but we had read and heard so many unpleasant reports about that passage, that we decided to take a route where "wash-bowls'." would not be brought into requisition. Old Neptune failed to make any impression on us.

Chapter II

Arriving at Paris, we had a strange experience with the Frenchmen at the depot, but finally succeeded in getting a cab to take us to Mr. J. Eppler's, No. 9, Boulevarde Malesherbes, to whom Rev. Dr. Hamma directed us. These French cab-drivers always expect pour boire, that is, a few cents with which to buy drink, in addition to their regular fare ; and if you do not give it them they get fearfully angry, and gesture and talk all over.

Mr. Eppler assisted us to find a hotel, centrally located, with comfortable apartments, where English is spoken. The name of the hotel is American Family Home, No. 7, 9, and 11 Rue de la Bienfaisance, near the Boulevarde Malesherbes. It is a very large building, and we lost our way several times, until we became accustomed to its labyrinth of halls. The floors are of dark oiled wood, with the carpets laid on loose. We were struck with the diminutiveness of our wash pitcher, it being only four inches higher than the bowl. Upon inquiry, we found that this was the ordinary size used by the Parisians.

If one had nothing else to judge from, he might suppose them not a very cleanly class of people. But indeed, it is quite the contrary. To my mind, Paris excels all other European cities in cleanliness. The streets are immaculate, its perfect system of sewerage wonderful, and its being built up with lofty structures of white limestone, of the finest architecture, gives it a bright, clean, cheery aspect ; such a pleasant change from smoky, foggy London.

Here we entered upon a style of taking our meals essentially different from the habits of our own country. But we afterwards discovered that the same custom prevails all over the Continent, viz., dejeuner (a light breakfast consisting of a French roll and a cup of coffee), which may be had any time after half-past eight

IO PARIS.

in the morning; at twelve comes lunch, the regular dejeuner a la fourchette; and between five and six o'clock comes table d'hote, a dinner of eleven or twelve courses, finishing up with delicious fruits, especially in Italy. If one eats everything he is offered, he will be sure to have enough.

Wine is as freely used here as water is in America. I once counted the wine bottles on the table and found there were fourteen, besides all the private bottles. We had to call for water, as there was none on the table. The waiters looked at us in astonishment. It takes fully an hour to go through all the ceremonies of this extensive dinner; so one day in Brussels, coming in a little late, we thought it would be a kindness to the waiters, and also to ourselves, not to take all the courses from beginning to end, but select from the bill of fare what we preferred. We did so ; and when we came to pay our bill found that they had charged us two francs (forty cents) apiece more than if we had allowed the waiters to bring us ten courses, ten clean plates, and ten clean knives and forks ! After that experience we permitted waiters to make themselves all the trouble they desired. But I must not omit to tell you what a feast of strawberries we had during our trip. We began to have them about the middle of May in Paris, and continued to have them in different countries until the last of August, when we bid them good-bye in Scotland.