All the way 'round

Front matter

Book -H^-^

Copyright]^?

"O ye who tread the Narrow \\'a\'

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I Europe ; France, Germany and Spain 1

II The Great East ; the Front Door to India, Colorful

Chapter I

A DESIRE for knowledge is inbred in us all. To visit strange people, to see curious sights, to study unusual customs — who has not thrilled at the thought ? Small wonder, then, that when the call came to us we started, filled with enthusiasm, to encircle the globe. We would sail across the seas. We would linger in ancient temples and glory in their beauty. We would stand on the edge of the towering Himalayas, and from the rim of the world peep across at the great Indian plains. We would visit the land of Confucius. We would study the bland, sleek Chinaman; and in the country of the little people — lovely Japan — we would revel in beautiful scenery. How the restfulness and joy of such a trip appealed to one who, like myself, had led so busy a life ! The thought was bliss.

Such was the innocent belief of a woman setting forth on a fourteen months ' tour around the world ! I found the ease and comfort of such a journey to be wholly theoretical — the work about the hardest I had ever done in my life. I had in my husband a strenuous guide — one who had set forth fully determined to see all that there was to see. Nothing in the line of travel was to escape him! I may say right here that his plan was conscientiously carried out; and although we lost flesh and were at times almost exhausted in our efforts to see and learn, we had not a day's illness.

To India via Europe

The lure of the Orient was upon us. India and the Far East were our objective points. But we knew that the Europe of today is not the Europe of yesterday, and as my husband's war work had not permitted him to see much of it while there, and as I had remained at home, we decided not to let the opportunity go by without visiting some of the famous places.

During his long years of service as Mayor of Chicago Mr. Harrison's one relaxation was found in his fondness for art. Almost all of his spare moments when in Chicago are spent at the Art Institute, and he had a longing to visit again the famous galleries of Europe. This decided us. So one day we gathered our little clan — children and grandchildren — about us, had a royal feast and gaily bade them au revoir! We sailed from New York on a French liner — a slow voyage of ten days which we greatly enjoyed — landing in Havre toward the end of May. We had had a beautiful sea voyage, felt in fine feather and made our first stop at Rouen, en route to Paris.

We considered ourselves fortunate to have reached Rouen just when we did. The people were celebrating

Chateau of Chenongeaux Chartres on the Eure

Amiens Cathedral Chaumont

Chateau Blois, France

A Bruges nunnery in which lace is made

Fagade, Louis XII wing, Chateau Blois the anniversary of the execution of Jeanne d'Arc. The cathedral was beautiful, and for the first time since the war they had taken out of hiding all the precious and wonderful relics so long and so carefully guarded. The oratorio had been written especially for the occasion and was a thing long to be remembered. We were fortunate enough to obtain seats in the cathedral and therefore enjoy it to the fullest. The art treasures alone here are worth a king's ransom; the embroideries and tapestries, shown also for the first time since the war, are priceless. The whole scene was impressive and magnificent. It formed a delightful entree to France. Then came Paris with all its indescribable beauties, the greatest city on earth. In its beautiful galleries and gardens, on its wonderful boulevards, we lingered and loved it. For Paris is the city of enchantment — a fact conceded by all who have been there. During the sunny glare of the day or under the brilliant lights ©f the night, it is ever the same beautiful, dreamy city, with a character all its own. Everybody finds satisfaction in Paris, from the lover of art who seeks pleasure at The Louvre and the Luxembourg, to the gourmet who haunts restaurant and cafe, from the couturier es — the world's most finished artists of dress — to the playgoer who spends all his spare time at the opera or theater.

We passed a month in the smaller towns of France. Here we might perhaps have been saddened because of the ravages caused by the war. But it was not so. For right alongside of, and in the midst of them, we were constantly witnessing France's tremendous and splendid recovery.

Adventure in a Music Hall We went from Paris to London in order to secure a better passage to Bombay. Here I had a funny experience. It was in a crowded music hall. Seated so near to us that our chairs jammed against each other, were a dapper young Englishman and a Russian woman. From the quarrel in which they were engaged I gathered that they were married — but not to each other! She was reproaching him violently for having broken an engagement with her. The angrier she got the more embarrassed he became, and at last he said in excellent French, "Please speak French or Spanish. This American woman next to you understands every word you are saying!" Now, as I was born and brought up in New Orleans I speak French as well as my mother tongue, and I was highly indignant at this impertinent Britisher's insinuation that Americans are uneducated and capable of speaking only one language. My husband and I manage to make ourselves understood in several, and we are not at all unusual! So after this speech the entertainment ceased to attract me. Boiling inwardly, I just had to sit and hear them quarrel, in a language I understood quite as well as my own. At last, unable to contain myself longer, I turned to them and said as coolly as I could, "If you wish to exchange confidences in public and do not desire your neighbors to understand, perhaps it would be well to choose a language which they do not speak! I speak English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, and have quite a smattering of Indian dialects. You might try Chinese. I do not speak that ! " My husband heard my sudden outburst and was appalled. He had not heard their conversation. When later, still somewhat flushed and ruffled, I explained, he laughed immoderately. I may not have been able to give this imprudent young couple a lesson in morals, but I think my words proved a lesson in manners, for, chagrined and somewhat aghast, they took their departure a few moments later.

A Warning Against Cold Beer

After the polo games and the usual sight-seeing in London, we ran over to Winchester to visit the great cathedral which we love. All these edifices have been so often described that repetition is useless. But in the adjoining graveyard we came upon a curious inscription which interested us greatly. It read as follows :

In grateful remembrance

of

THOMAS FLETCHER

aged 26

A grenadier who died from drinking cold beer when hot.

Placed here by his loving comrades.

Here sleeps in peace a Hampshire Grenadier, Who caught his death by drinking cold small beer. Soldiers be wise from this untimely fall, And when you 're hot drink strong or not at all ! An honest soldier never is forgot, Whether he die by musket or by pot !

It was a queer thing to inscribe upon a comrade's grave, but for over 200 years it has stood there — mute testimony to the dead man's imprudence, and to the love of his friends. Winchester is an interesting old town with quaint houses. One of the latter is known as ' * The House that God Begot." It was built in the year 1000 and was given by Queen Emma to her son, Edward the Confessor.

Visiting the Norman Churches

Back to Havre we went, taking from here to Caen a wretched little boat on which, for the first time in our lives, we were seasick. At Caen we visited those two absolutely perfect churches, built by William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda, about the year 1062. He, Duke of Normandy and King of England, had committed a very great crime in marrying Matilda who was a near relative, but they loved each other and had therefore committed the sin against the church deliberately. Afterward they sought to buy God's forgiveness by erecting these two exquisite churches. The husband, William

Broodhuis, Grand' Place, Brussels

Cathedral of Ste. Gudule, Brussels

Hotel de Ville, Louvain u the Conqueror, built St. Etienne and the adjoining monastery. His beautiful French wife founded a nunnery and built La Trinite. St. Etienne is pronounced by Baedeker the finest specimen of Norman architecture in the world and a sight of it quite repaid us for all our trials in getting to Caen. La Trinite is likewise perfect. It is a gem — a perfect dream of beauty. The Queen's tomb in the crypt is so arranged that the sun never ceases to shine upon it, small windows being cut through the thick stones encircling it. They builded well — those old kings! To them labor was as naught. What pleasure have they given to the world !

Germany's Historic Spots

We paid the usual respects to the chateaux, picturegalleries and museums of France, spending delightful weeks in so doing. But before leaving home we had arranged to meet my husband's sister in Germany where, forty years ago, they were in school. It was a country full of memories for them. Not only had four or five years of their youth been spent there, but in this country their mother had died and been buried, her body having been brought back later to rest in her own land. On our way we stopped at Trier, Strasburg, and other points of interest. It was my first visit to Germany and I found it wonderfully beautiful throughout. It is always scrupulously clean, and even in the hotels we found true the story we had always heard of the exquisite care given to her linen by the German housewife. We met our sister according to arrangement, and that same night attended a ball given by General Allen, then in command of the forces stationed at Coblenz. Of course we motored a good deal and while doing so saw all the historic spots of which I had read and heard ; Bingen on the Ehine, the haunt of the Lorelei, etc., were just as beautiful as my dreams of them had been. The magnificent scenery, to say nothing of the superb f orestation of this country quite thrilled me. My husband and sister, of course, saw many changes. A¥ho would not, after forty years of absence? In Heidelberg and Altenburg, where they had been in school, we lingered longest while they looked at old familiar places and asked for old friends.

It is only the personal and individual experiences one has while traveling, which can be offered as an excuse for writing about a journey through Europe. So much has been said and written of every country there that I can add nothing. Each deserves a volume of its own. But I have always had a reputation for having unusual experiences, and my fourteen months of travel were filled with them. The splendor and the beauty of Berlin, the galleries of Munich and Dresden — who that has seen can ever forget them?

We spent a night in quaint old Nuremberg, and here I had one of the experiences already referred to. Being

Sunday morning I announced my intention of attending Mass in one of the lovely ohurclies for which Nuremberg is famous. My sister-in-law, although she is not a Catholic, said she would like to accompany me to listen to and enjoy the music. Engaged in arranging for our departure that afternoon, my husband was too busy to go, but gave us explicit directions as to how we should find the church. As it was not far distant we decided to walk and enjoy the cool morning air and the sights of this charming town. When we arrived at the church the Mass, apparently, had begun. After the sermon my sister turned and said to me : " Does there not seem something strange to you in the service of this church!" I replied that there was, that I had observed it as soon as I entered. However, I looked about me again. There were the priests, acolytes, incense, vestments and holy water fonts — every evidence, in fact, that I was hearing Mass. I dismissed the strangeness, attributing it to the mere fact that we were in a foreign countiy. When we were on the train, however, I recalled it and spoke to my husband about it. He roared with laughter — told me that I had not heard Mass at all. I had been in a Lutheran church!

Failed to Meet Cardinal Mercier

I had looked forward to our visit to Belgium, not only because of the wonderful museums and churches to be visited there, but because I wished to see again and in his own country that splendid man, Cardinal Mercier, whom we had had the pleasure of meeting in Chicago. But I was doomed to disappointment, for he was not at home while we w^ere there, much to our regret.

We chanced to get into Holland just at the opening of parliament. We saw the king and queen, in full regalia, riding in the celebrated golden coach, an equipage truly regal. In this little country, however, it is not the parliament, neither is it the museums, the galleries, nor churches which stand out most conspicuously in my memory. It is the perfection of the hotel at which we stayed in Amsterdam. The poet who sang that

We may live without poetry, music or books, But civilized man can not live without cooks!

must surely have had in mind the Hotel Doolen. The sumptuousness of its service, its rooms, fine linen and perfection in food are things one can never forget.

Before leaving France, I, as a good Catholic, made my pilgrimage to Lourdes. Irrespective of the devotion which all Catholics show for it, this spot is certainly a thing of beauty. Lourdes is superbly situated in the heart of the Pyrenees, and the view from an old chateau on one of the mountains is simply magnificent. The mountains seem so close. They are most imposing and the gorge very picturesque. The Grotto itself, with its

Cordova

Burgos Cathedral

Cordova Cathedral was formerly a mosque many pilgrims annually, its hundreds of crutches which have been discarded, has been too often described to need more than a mere mention of its name. But the sublime beauty of the place, its glorious churches and all its sacred history, these combined to make it linger as one of the high lights of my year of travel.

The Spanish Cathedrals

We spent a month in Italy, which country we never fail to visit on every European trip, feeling that what it has to offer in art, age cannot wither nor custom stale. This time, however, we did not go beyond Florence, for the reason that we had never been in Spain and wished to spend at least a month in that country. So we had to forego southern Italy. Running over from Biarritz, we entered fair Castile by way of St. Sebastian, the celebrated watering-place where the king has his summer home. One of the prettiest harbors I have ever seen is here, famous for its bathing facilities and much frequented by wealthy Spaniards. From here a few hours' run through a beautiful country brought us to the famed city of Burgos, where we had our first view of a Spanish cathedral. In Spain the cathedrals are certainly unique. We visited them all — Segovia, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Cordova and many others ; all so well described by every guide book, and traveler who has gone before me, that I refrain from adding my words to theirs. Only one I

12 All the Way 'Roimd

cannot help referring to — this is the first one we saw, at Burgos. It is a marvel. The lantern, as the central tower is called, is large and round and short, and both outside and inside is the loveliest thing I have ever seen. The carving is superb, the ceiling giving the effect of starlight. We spent many hours here, returning to it twice.

Burgos is said to be both the coldest and the hottest city on earth. It was only October, but we were frozen almost stiff at the hotel (which never has any heat), with all our wraps on. Our blood was congealed. Here, also, we discovered for the first time in our lives we could not eat when we pleased! The American traveler is a spoiled somebody! I admit it openly. In a first-class hotel in our owti country one can, if he wishes to pay the price, get anything at any old time. Not so in Spain. We were informed that here the dinner hour, even in the small-to^vn hotels, was from nine-thirty to twelve P. M. Until this hour the dining room is never opened. It grew dark a little after five. Shivering and unhappy, we would sit in our rooms, my husband with his hat on, freezing and waiting for the dinner hour. Wlien the dining room was opened, of course we lost caste, as we were always the first to be served ! Many a time while here did I go to bed to keep warm and then, too tired to dress for a ten o'clock dinner, dined upon crackers and milk in my own apartment. All dinner invitations in Spain, even those at the Embassy, bear the hour of ten-thirty !

Granada and Seville

We reached Seville on what is known as mantilla day, a day on which all women and girls wear the mantilla. They made a pretty picture, and it w^as interesting to watch them. We remained in Madrid about two weeks — wonderful old city with its glorious cathedral — then on to Granada, most wonderful of all, home of the Alhambra. Only a Washington Irving can adequately reveal the wonders and the beauty of this place. It far exceeded anything we had anticipated or expected. One cannot believe that mere human hands could have carved such dainty, lacy things from cold, hard marble, cement and wood. The Court of the Lions is superb, the Myrtle Court almost prettier, the room of the Two Sisters exquisite, and the celebrated Hall of the Ambassadors most magnificent of all. The honey-combing effect of the ceiling is beyond description. It is a marvel of color ; reds, greens, blues, fairy shades. One cannot but be enthusiastic over the Alhambra, in fact, over all Granada. In one of the churches here are to be seen the tombs of the great Ferdinand and Isabella — the carved figures of the king and queen are simply marvelous, the heads resting on marble pillows and that of Isabella looking as if she had just pressed her head into it.

The cathedral at Cordova was formerly an old mosque.

14r All the Way 'Round

Therefore it is unique. It had hundreds of pillars, colossal in size. Some wonderful stones were once in this mosque, but the Christian in restoring it has not improved it.

The Story of Three Charming " Youngsters "

"We had a wretched trip to Cordova. The Spanish trains are invariably filthy, but the journey was relieved by an experience. We met three charming youngsters. A derailed engine delayed us six hours, and while I was trying in my '' perfect " Spanish to gather from the brakeman when we should start again, a very beautiful blonde girl of about twenty-five, in rapid-fire Spanish obtained the information for me and turning toward me gave it to me in the purest English! For the last hour I had been speaking German with her and her brother and sister-in-law who accompanied her. So I exclaimed, " Why, you speak all languages ! " " Oh, no ! " she replied. " I am German, as you see. But my mother is Spanish. Naturally I learned her mother-tongue, and we were taught French and English at school."

I replied that to have mastered four languages at her age was certainly a triumph. The youngsters proved very agreeable, and we spent much of the six hours that we were forced to wait walking about the town arm-inarm. She had asked me to send her some post cards of our trip around the world, and this necessitated my ask-

House of El Greco, Toledo

Court of the Lions, Granada

Roman aqueduct, Segovia

Europe; France, German}^, and Spain 15

ing her name and address. She replied, " I am the Princess Pilar, of Baiern (Bavaria). This is my brother, Prince Adelbert, and his wife."

The latter had told me that her mother was a Spaniard and that she had left her baby with her family in Madrid. They were on their way back there. Somethingprompted me to ask, "What was your mother's name!" She answered, " She is the Infanta M — , of Spain." I then woke up. "Why, you must be the niece of the Infanta Eulalia!" I exclaimed. "Yes," she answered. "Do you know Aunt Eulalia?" Then followed explanations and reminiscences. She also had heard of us from this same royal aunt, whom we had entertained during the World's Fair in Chicago. The family with whom the baby had been left were the king and queen of Spain! And the Infanta Eulalia, who now lives in Paris, was at this time in Madrid awaiting the family reunion. The wife of Prince Adelbert, a charming little creature of about twenty, was the great-granddaughter of the Emperor Franz Josef of Austria.

When we returned to the train the youngsters insisted on coming into our compartment and crowding two upon one seat until we left. They seemed to enjoy our society quite as much as we did their lovely youth and spontaneous sincerity. A mutual friend in Paris had written the Infanta Eulalia that we were to be in Madrid. On our arrival there we found letters inviting us to tea, where we would meet the king and queen of Spain and see the family. The youngsters had told us that we w^ould receive these invitations, and we had told them that we should be forced to decline, as w^e should be only a few hours in Madrid. Therefore, when we received said invitations in Madrid (where we were obliged to remain five days in order to get a wagon lit out to Barcelona), my democratic husband insisted that I adhere to the declination, as we had no suitable clothes, and permit them to believe that we had spent there only the two or three hours we had intended. On the night of our departure we sent a special message to the jDalace expressing our deep regret that we were unable to accept this very beautiful courtesy. It is our hope that they of the royal family did not learn of our extended stay in Madrid. But our friend in Paris, Miss G — , an intimate friend of the royal family, did hear of it and was quite caustic in her criticism, as she had taken great pains to write them of our coming and ask them to be nice to us ! The little Princess of Bavaria continues to write me, and this evidence of her friendship is one of my very pleasantest memories. Her father is Carlos Ferdinand, Prince of Bavaria, a most distinguished surgeon.

Chapter II The Great East ; The Front Door To India, Colorful Bombay

THE Great East is fascinating to most people. India and Ceylon have been slow in their progress in the past and they will continue to be slow in their progress in the future. This fact, together wdth the strangeness of their customs, their absolute difference from those of the other parts of the world, is perhaps their greatest enchantment. China, although she is now rousing herself, is also sluggish. But Japan is alert and watchful. This is evidenced by her career and her progress in Manchuria. Although she still clings to many of her old customs, she has already taken her seat among the great nations of the world.

Years before the birth of Christ men were considering the uniting of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. A Persian king named Neccho came near undertaking it, but superstitious predictions frightened him and the plan was abandoned. When Ferdinand De Lesseps opened it to the world the Suez Canal prospered beyond the dreams of the most sanguine. India became easy of access.

Christmas on Shipboard

On Friday, the twenty-third of December, on a perfectly glorious day and after a delicious luncheon of sea food at Marseilles, we boarded the Kaisar I Hind, an English P. & 0. boat. She was a beauty, with every modern convenience and filled to capacity with charming, first-class passengers. Under these delightful conditions we steamed out for our fourteen days' sail to Bombay.

On the morning of the twenty-fourth we were reminded that the Birthday of the King was approaching, and we visualized that everywhere on shore night lights would be glowing in honor of the Christ Child. We determined to honor Him on shipboard, also. Preparations were made by those of different Christian beliefs, and for these celebrations the first cabin was reserved. Then followed a most disagreeable episode, one which, to me, was inexcusable. The Catholics were told that their priest must celebrate the Midnight Mass, with which the Catholic services at Christmas-time are ushered in, in the second cabin! We had persuaded ourselves that we are living in an era of liberal religious belief, but I could not help wondering whether the God of all Christians was flattered at this discrimination! The next morning all devotees of other faiths held their services in the first cabin. However, all the Catholics in the first cabin went to the service in the second, where an episode contributed by my good Protestant husband, who had accompanied me to the Midnight Mass, caused some hilarity. The young woman who was leading the choir approached and asked if I would be a member. Now, for some reason my singing voice has never been appreciated by the members of my family! Eemembering this, I turned to Mr. Harrison and said, "Shall I join in and help them?" Quick as a flash came the answer, "Not unless you want to break up the meeting! "

Passing numerous islands, seeing smoking Stromboli in a fountain of flame after dark, in due time we reached the Straits; Eeggio, Italy, on one side and on the other Messina. A charming sight they were, with their brilliant lights, but we realized that we were in dangerous waters when we stopped for over an hour in order to let two steamers pass. We were in the famous Pass between Scylla and Charybdis. On the morning of the twenty-seventh we had a high sea, but as we were approaching Crete the waters became calmer and the sun began to shine. In spite of the turbulent, corkscrew motion and the fact that many of the passengers were ill, the amusements on deck were many. A beautiful fancy-dress ball was among the loveliest things I have ever seen.

On the twenty-eighth we reached Port Said. Here those who had planned to go to Cairo, Egypt, were forced to abandon the trip because of the rioting in which, according to the papers, fifteen hundred had been killed. A charming young widow from Australia was going.

20 All the Way 'Eoimd

with her father and mother, to visit the grave of her husband, who had been an army officer stationed in Cairo. They could not contmue and were compelled to go on to India on our steamer. When first I heard her story I thought it a sad circumstance and was filled with sympathy. Later, however, when she was pointed out to me, a young girl in her early twenties, flirting and dancing, I decided that my sympathy was wasted.

Tagore as a Prophet

Many distinguished people were aboard. Dr. D — , a famous surgeon of Chicago, was very popular. Another was a very charming woman belonging to the Blavatsky School of Theosophy in Madras. There was one most attractive woman, nearing fifty, who was going over to visit India's celebrated mystic, Dr. Rabindranath Tagore. The year previous he had spent two weeks in her house and during that visit he had made her promise that should she ever be in trouble she would come to him. With a loving husband, with children and grandchildren, she had laughed at the time, as no premonition of disaster had ever come to her. Now, however, she was firm in her belief that he possessed second sight, for since that time her husband, after thirty-two years of absolute devotion, decided that he had met his affinity! This woman was Mrs, Van E — , of Holland. She belonged to one of the richest and most aristocratic families in the country. She was an associate of the queen and of Holland's most intellectual set. With tears streaming from her eyes, she told me that she loved her husband still, and although she had given him a divorce she was holding to her promise made to the famous seer of India.