第7章
加入书架 A- A+
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  amwritingitjustafterfinishingmycableandhavingspentthemorningonmytoesinthechapel。Iwillfeelbettertomorrow。Anyway,itisdoneandIamglad,asitwasthesightofthecentury,andIwasinit,andnowIcanspendmygoodtimeandmoneyingayParee。Lovetoall。

  DICK。

  FromMoscowRichardwentdirecttoBudaPest,wherehewroteanarticleontheHungarianMillennial。

  BUDAPEST

  CHAS:May8th,1896。

  IhavejustreturnedfromtheprocessionoftheHungarianNobles。ItwasevenmorebeautifulandmoreinterestingthantheCzar\'sentrythanwhichIwouldnothavebelievedanythingcouldhavebeenmoreimpressive——Butthefirstwasmilitary,exceptforthecarriages,whichwerelikesomethingoutoffairyland——to-day,thecostumeswerealldifferentandmediaeval,someninehundredyearsoldandnonenearerthanthe15thCentury。Themisenscenewasalsomuchbetter。

  Budaisaclean,oldburgh,withyellowhousesrisingonasteepgreenhill,redroofsandtowersanddomes,showingoutofthetrees——Itisveryhighbutverysteepandtheprocessionwoundinandoutlikeafairypicture——Isatonthetopofthehill,lookingdownittotheDanube,whichseparatesBudafromPest——TheEmperorsatacrossthesquareabout75yardsfromourtribuneinthebalconyofhispalace。

  WesatinthePalaceyardandtheprocessionpassedandturnedinfrontofus——Therewereabout1,500nobles,eachdressedtosuithimself,incostumesthathaddescendedforgenerations——ofbrocade,silk,fur,andgoldandsilvercloth——Eachcostumeaveraged,withthetrappingsofthehorse,5,000dollars。Somecost$1,000,some$15,000。Someworecompletesuitsofchainarmor,withbearskinsandgreatblackeaglefeathersontheirspearsjustastheywerewhentheyinvadedRome——Othersworegoldchainarmorandleopardorwolfskinsandtheirhorseswerestuddedwithturquoisesandtrappingsofgoldandsilverandsmotheredinsilvercoins——Itwouldhavebeenridiculousiftheyhadnotbeentherealthingineverydetailandifyouhadnotknownhowterriblyinearnestthemenwere。Thereisnoothercountryintheworldwheremenchangefromthemostblaseandcorrectofbeings,tofairyprincesintightsandfeathersandjewelledbeltsandsatincoats——Theywereanhourinpassingandeachoneseemedmorebeautifulthantheothers——IamverygladIcamealthoughIwasdisappointedatmissingtheaccidentatMoscow。ItmusthavebeenmoreterriblethanJohnstown。Ifoundthe——squiteconvertedintothemostawfulsnobsbutthepeopletheyworshipareassimpleandwellbredasallgentlepeopleareandIhavehadthemostdelightfultimewiththem。ItissosmallandquietafterMoscow,andinsteadofbeinglostinanavalancheofembassiesandsuitesandmissions,Ihaveadistinctpersonality,as\"theAmerican,\"whichIsharewith\"the\"FrenchmanandfourEnglishmen。Wearetheonlysixstrangersandtheygiveustherunofallthatisgoingon——Atnightwedineatthemostremarkableclubintheworld,ontheborderofthePark,wherethebestofalltheGypseymusiciansplaysforus——Themusicisaloneworthhavingcometohear,andthedearsoulswhoplayit,havingbeentoldthatIlikeitfollowmeallaroundtheterraceandsitdownthreefeetawayandfixtheireyesonyou,andthenproceedtopullyournervesandheartoutofyouforanhouratatime——Onenightamanheredippedatenthousandfrancnoteinhischampagneandpasteditontheleader\'sviolinandbowedhisthanks,andtheleaderbowedinreturnandthenextmorningsenthimthenotebackinanenvelope,sayingthatthecomplimentwasworthmorethanthemoney——Theleader\'snameisBercheyandtheHungarianshaveneverallowedhimtoleavethecountryforfearhewouldnotbeallowedtocomeback——Heisafat,halfdrunkenlookingman,withhiseyesfulloftearshalfthetimeheplays。Helooksjustlikeasetterdogandheissoterriblyinearnestthatwhenhefixesmewithhiseyesandplaysatme,thecourtladiesallgetupandmovetheirchairsoutofhiswayjustasthoughhewereasomnambulist——

  IleavehereWednesdayandreachParisFridayMORNINGtheeleventh——YoumusttrytomeetmeattheCafedelaPaixathalfpastnine——Waitinthecornerroomifyoudon\'twishtositoutsideandassoonasIgetwashedIwilljoinyouforcoffee。Itwillbefinetoseeyouagainandtobedonewithjumpingaboutfromhoteltohotelandtobeabletoreadthesignsandtoknowhowtoaskforfood。Russian,GermanandHungarianhavemadeFrenchseemlikemymothertongue——

  DICK。

  CHAPTERX

  CAMPAIGNINGINCUBAANDGREECE

  InDecember,1896,RichardandFredericRemington,theartist,werecommissionedbytheNewYorkJournaltovisitCubawhichwasthenatwarwithSpain。ItwastheirintentiontogofromKeyWestintheVamoose,averyfastbutfrailsteam-launch,andtomakealandingatsomeuninhabitedpointontheCubancoast。Afterthistheirplansseemtohavebeentotrusttoluckandthekindlinessoftherevolutionists。

  AfterwaitingforsometimeatKeyWestforfavorableweather,theyatlaststartedoutonadarknighttomakethecrossing。

  AfewhoursaftertheVamoosehadleftKeyWestaheavystormarose——apparentlymuchtooviolentfortheslightlybuiltlaunch。ThecrewstruckandthecaptainfinallyrefusedtogoontoCubaandputbacktoKeyWest。ShortlyafterthisRemingtonandmybrotherreachedHavanabyamoresimpleandostentatiousroute。Thiswasmybrother\'sfirsteffortasawarcorrespondent,andIpresumeitwasthisfactandtheveryindefinitenessoftheoriginalplanthatcausedhismotherandfathersomuchuneasiness。And,indeed,itdidproveeventuallyahazardousexploit。

  waytoKeyWest。

  December19,1896。

  DEARMOTHER:

  Ihopeyouwon\'tbecrosswithmeforgoingoffandnotlettingyouknow,butIthoughtitwasbettertodoitthatwayastherewassuchdelayinourgettingstarted。IamgoingtoCubabywayofKeyWestwithFredericRemingtonandMichaelson,acorrespondentwhohasbeenthereforsixmonths。WearetobetakenbytheVamoosethefasteststeamyachtmadetoSantaClaraprovincewheretheCubanswillmeetusandtakeustoGomez。Wewillstayamonthwithhim,theyachtcallingforcopyandsketchesonceaweek,andfinallyforusinamonth。IgetallmyexpensesandTheJournalpaysme$3,000forthemonth\'swork。TheHarper\'sMagazinealsotakesastoryatsixhundreddollarsandRussellwillreprintRemington\'ssketchesandmystoryinbookform,soIshallprobablyclear$4,000inthenextmonthorsixweeks。IwasaweekingettinginformationonthesubjectsoIknowallaboutitfromthemenwhohavejustbeenthereandIwantyoutopayattentiontowhatItellyoutheytoldmeandnottolistentoanystrayvisitorwhocomesinforteaandtalkswithoutanytactorknowledge。Thereisnodangerinthetripexcepttheproblemofgettingthereandgettingawayagain,andthatisnowremovedbyTheJournal\'syacht。Iwouldhavegoneearlierhadanyoftheperiodicalsthataskedmetogoshownmeanywaytogetthere——THEREIS

  NOFEVERTHISTIMEOFYEARandasyouknowfevernevertouchesme。ItgotalltheothersinCentralAmericaandneverworriedmeatall。Thereisnodangerofgettingshot,astheprovinceintowhichwego,theSantaClaraprovince,isownedandpopulatedandpatrolledbytheCubans。ItisnomoreSpanishthanNewJerseyandtheSpaniardscannotgetinthere。WehavethestrongestpossiblelettersfromtheJunta,andIhavefromLamont,BayardandOlneyandcredentialsineverylanguage。WewillsitaroundtheGomezcampandsendmessengersbacktothecoast。ItisathreedaystripandasGomezmaybemovingfromplacetoplaceyoumaynothearfromusforamonthandwemaynothearfromyoubutrememberitwasamuchlongertimethanthatbeforeyouheardfrommewhenIwenttoHonduras。AlsokeepinmindthatIamgoingasacorrespondentonlyandmustkeepoutofthewayoffightingandthatImeantodoso,asChamberlainsayswewantdescriptivestoriesnotbravedeeds——MajorFlintwhohasarrangedthetripforuswasdowntherewithMaceoasacorrespondent。Hesawsixfightsandnevershotoffhisgunoncebecauseashesaiditwasnothisbusinesstokillpeopleandhehaspersuadedmethatheisright,soIwon\'tdoanythingbutlookon——IhaveboughtatTheJournal\'sexpenseafiftydollarfieldglasswhichisanewinventionandthebestmade。IhavemarkeditsothatyoucanseeamanfivemilesoffandassoonasIseehimImeantobegintorideorruntheotherway——nooneloveshimselfmorethanIdosoyouleavemetotakecareofmyself。IwishIcouldgiveyouanyideaofthecontemptthefourreturnedcorrespondentswhotalkedtome,havefortheSpaniards。Theyhaveseenthemshoot2,500roundswithouthittingmenat200yardsandtheyrunawayiftheenemybeginsonthemfirst。However,youtrusttoRichard——WehaveafineescortarrangedforusandMichaelsonspeaksSpanishperfectlyandhasbeensixmonthsscoutingoverthecountry。

  DICK。

  KEYWest,December26,1896。

  DEARFAMILY:

  Igotyourletterslatelastnightandtheymademeprettysolemn。ItisanawfullysolemnthingtohavepeoplecareforyoulikethatandtocareforthemasI

  do。Ican\'ttellyouhowmuchIloveyou。Youdon\'tknowhowmuchthepainofworryingyouforamonthhasmeanttome,butIhavetalkeditalloutwithmyself,andleftittoGodandI

  amsureIamdoingright。AsMrs。Crownsaid,\"There\'sawholechurchfuluphereprayingforyou,\"andIguessthatwillpullmethrough。Ofcourse,dear,dearMotherthoughtshewascrosswithme。Shecouldnotbecrosswithme,andherlettertoldmehowmuchshecared,thatwasall,andmademebeextracareful。ButIneednotpromiseyoutobecareful。YouhaveanideaIamawild,filibustering,hot-headedyoungman。Iamnot。Igavetheguidestounderstandtheirdutywastokeepusoutofdangerifwehadtowalkmilestoavoidit。Wearemenofpeace,goingin,asrealestateagentsandcoffee-plantersanddrummersaregoinginoneverysteamer,toattendtoourespecialworkandgetoutagainquick。IhavejustasstrongaprejudiceagainstkillingamanasIhaveagainsthiskillingme。

  Lotsandlotsoflove。Don\'tgetscaredifyoudon\'thearforamonth,althoughwewilltrytogetourstoriesbackonceaweek,butyouknowweareattheconvenienceoftheCubanswhowillpocketourdespatchesandmoneyandnottakethelongtripback。ThankdearDadforhisletterfullofgoodadvice。

  Itwasexcellent。RemingtonandMichelsonaregoodmenandI

  likethemimmensely。Alreadywearefirmfriends。

  Love,KEYWEST——January1,1897。

  DEARMOTHER:

  Asyouwillknowbymytelegramweareeitheroffonasafeseagoingboatorwaitingforone。ThereisnoturningbackfromhereandtheonlyreasonIthoughtofdoingsowastheknowledgeofthewayyouwouldsufferandworry。IargueditoutthatitwasselfishinmetoweighmygettinglaughedatandparagraphedasthewarcorrespondentthatalwaysTurnedBackagainstamonthofuneasinessforyou,butlaterIsawIcouldnotdoitmuchasIloveyoufortheelementofdangertomeisnon-existent;itismerelyanexcitingadventureandyouwillhavetobelievemeandnotworrybutbeaSpartanmother。I

  wouldnotcountbeinglaughedatandthelossofmyownselfrespectifIreallythoughttherewasgreatdanger,butIdonot。

  YouwillnotlosemeandifIgonowIcansitstillnexttimeandsay\"Ihavedonebetterthingsthanthat。\"IfIhadnotgoneitwouldhavemeantthatIwouldhavehadtohavedonejustthatmuchharderastuntnexttimetomakepeopleforgetthatIhadfailedinthisone。NowdocheerupandbelieveintheluckofRichardHardingDavisandtheBritishArmy。WehavecarteblanchefromTheJournaltobuyorleaseanyboatonthecoastandIrockedthemfor$1000inadvancepaymentbecauseofthedelayovertheVamoose。

  IamsohappyatthinkingIamgoing,IcouldnothavefacedanyonehadInot,althoughwehadnothingtodowiththefailure,wetriedtocrossfairlyinthedamntubanditwashercaptainwhoputback。Ilayoutonthedeckandcriedwhenherefusedtogoahead,wehadwaitedsolong。TheCubansandRemingtonandMichelsonhadputonalltheirridingthingsbutfortunatelyIhadnotandsowassparedthathumiliation。WhatIdon\'tknowabouttheFineArtofFilibusteringnowisunnecessary。IfindmanyfriendsofmyCaptainBoyntonor\"Capt。Burke。\"TonighttheofficersoftheRaleighgivemeagranddinneratwhichIwearadresssuitandmakespeeches——theyarethebestchapsIevermetintheNavy。

  LotsofloveandbestwishestoDadandtoNoraforahappy,happyNewYear。Youknowmeandyouknowmyconsciencebutitwouldnotletmegobackinordertosaveyouanxietysoyouwon\'tthinkmeselfish。Godblessyou。

  DICK。

  KEYWEST,January2nd,1897。

  DEARFAMILY:

  IhavelearnedherethatthefirstqualityneededtomakeagreatfilibusterisPatience,itisnotcourage,orresourcesoraknowledgeoftheCubanCoastline,itispatience。

  Anybodycanrunaboatintoadarkbayouanddumpriflesonthebeachandscurryawaytoseaagainbutonlyheroescansitforamonthonahotelporchorattheendofawharf,andwait。ThatisallwedoandthatismylifeatKeyWest。I

  getupandhalfdressandtakeaplungeinthebayandthendressfullyandhaveagreasybreakfastandthenlightahugeKeyWestcigar,pricethreecentsandsitonthehotelporchwithmyfeetonarail——Nothinghappensafterthatexceptgettingone\'sbootspolishedasthetwoindustriesofthisplaceareblackingbootsanddrivingcabs。Ihavetwoboystoblackmineatthesametimeeverymorningandpaytheonewhodoeshisthebetterofthetwo——Itgenerallyendsinafightsothataffordsdiversion——Thenamancomesalong,anyman,andsays,\"Remmington\'slookingforyou\"andIgetupandlookforRemington。ThereisonlyatriangleofstreetswhereonecanfindhimandIcallat\"Josh\"Curry\'sfirstandthenatPendleton\'sNewsStoreandreadallthebacknumbersofthePoliceGazetteforthehundredthtimeandthencallhereattheCustomHouseandthenlookinattheCableoffice,whereMichaelsonlivessendingtelegramsaboutanythingornothingandthatbringsmebacktothehotelporchagain,whereIhavemybootsshinedoncemoreandthengointomid-daydinner。InthemeanwhileRemingtonislookingformeahundredyardsintherear。Hegenerallygetsto\"Josh\'s\"asIleavetheCustomHouse——IntheafternoonIstudySpanishoutofatextbookandatthreetakeabicycleride,atfiveI

  callatthegarrisontotaketeawiththedoctorandhiswife,whoissweeterthanangel\'severgettobewithaminiatureangelofababycalledMartha。Iwaituntilretreatissoundedandthegunisfiredatsunsetandhavingcommentedunfavorablyonthewaythesoldierslettheflagdroponthegrassinsteadofcatchingitonthearmsasabluejacketdoes,Irideofftothebayforanotherbath——ThenItakethelaunchtotheRaleighanddinewiththeofficersandrejoiceinthecleanfreshpaintandbrassanddecksandthelightsandblackplacesofagreatshipofwar,thanwhichnothingismoresplendid。Wesitonthequarter-deckandsmokeandplaytheguitarandIgohomeagain,intimeforbed。Ivarythisprogrammeoccasionallybyspendingthemorningontheendofawharfwatchinganothermanfishandreadingoldnovelsandthe\"LivesofCaptainWalker\"and\"CaptainFryoftheVirginius,\"

  twogreatbooksfromeachofwhichIamgoingtowriteashortstoryliketheoneoftheAlamooroftheJamesonRaid——ThelifeofWalkerIfoundontheRaleighandthelifeofCaptainFrywithalltheoldwoodcutsandthenewspapercommentsofthetimeatabookstorehere。Idon\'tknowwhenweshallgetawaybutitisnousekickingaboutit,Michaelsonisdoingallhecanandthenewtugwillbealonginaweekanyway。IshallbesogladtogettoCubathatIwilldancewithglee。

  DICK。

  MATANZAS,January15th,1897。

  DEARMOTHER:

  IsentyouanotebyRemingtonwhichhewillmailintheStates——FromhereIgotoSaguaLaGrande。Itisonthenortherncoast。IthinkfromthereIshallcrossovertoCienfuegosontheSoutherncoastandthenifIcancatchasteamergotoSantiagotoseemyoldfriends,attheJuraquaminesandMacWilliams\'oreroadand\"thePalms\"——EverywhereI

  amtreatedwellonaccountofWeyler\'sorderandIamlearningagreatdealandtalkingverylittle,mySpanishbeingbad。

  Thereiswarhereandnomistakeandallthepeopleinthefieldshavebeenorderedintothefortifiedtownswheretheyarestarvinganddyingofdisease。YesterdayIsawthehousesofthesepeopleburningonbothsidesofthetrack——Theygavesheltertotheinsurgentsandsoverysoontheyfoundtheirhousesgone。

  IamsorelievedatgettingoldRemingtontogoasthoughIhadwon$5000。Hewasasplendidfellowbutaperfectkidandhadtobehumoredandpettedallthetime。I

  shallifIhaveluckbethroughwiththisinafewweeksbutithashadsuchasetbackatthestartthatIamafraiditcannevermakeabookandIdoubtifIcanwriteadecentarticleeven。IamsoanxiousnottokeepyouworryinganylongerthanisnecessaryandsoIamhurryingalongtakingonlyacarwindowviewofthings。AddressmecareofConsulGeneralLee,Havanaandconfineyourremarkstowhatisgoingonathome。Iknowwhatisgoingonhere。Idon\'tbelievehalfIhearbutIambeingslowlyconverted。RemingtonismoreexcitablethanIam,sodon\'tmisunderstandifhestartsinviolently。Iamgettingdetailsandverifyingthings。HeisrightonabigscalebuteveryonehasliedsoaboutthisislandthatIdonotwanttosayanythingIdonotbelieveistrue。

  ThisisabeautifullittlecityandafterJaruco,whereweslepttwodaysago,itisParis。Therewesleptoffthebarnyardandcowsandchickenswalkedalloverthefloorandfleasalloverus。ItwaslikeHondurasonlyfilthier。SpeakingofParis,telltheKidIexpecttogoovertohimsoonafterIreturntoNewYork。

  oflove。

  DICK。

  CARDENAS——NorthCoastofCuba。

  January16th,1897。

  DEARMOTHER:

  Itisveryfunnynotknowingwhatsortofaplaceyouaretosleepinnextandtakingthingsoutofagrabbag,asitwere——InEuropeyoucanalwaysguesswhatthewellknowntownswillgiveyouforyouhaveaguidebook,buthereitisallluck。Matanzaswasaprettycitybutthepeoplewereawful,thehotelwasSpanishandtheproprietorinsolent,thoughIwasspendingmoreofWillieHearst\'smoneythanalloftheofficersspendinaweek,theConsulcouldnottalkEnglishorSpanish,hesaidhehadn\'tcomethere\"togotoschooltonoSpaniard\"andhegloriedinthefacthehadbeentherethreeyearswithoutknowingawordofthelanguage。Hisvice-Consulwasworseandeverythingwentwronggenerally。

  EveryoneImetwasanAlarmistandthatispoliteforliar。

  TheyaskedRemingtonifhewasthemanwhomanufacturedtheriflesandgaveustheIowaDemocrattoread。TonightIreachedhereafterasixhoursridethroughblazingfieldsofsugarcaneandstoppedonmywaytothehoteltoasktheConsulwhenthenextboatwenttoSaqualaGrande——IhadnoletterofintroductiontohimasIhadtotheMatanzasconsul,butassoonashesawmycardhegotoutofhischairandshookhandsagainandwasasheartyandwellbredanddelightfulasCharleyhimselfandunlikeChashedidnotaskme14francsforlookingonhim。

  Heisoutnowchasingaroundtogetmeatrainforto-morrow。

  ButIwon\'tgoto-morrow。Myhotellooksontheplazaandtheproprietorandthewholesuiteofattendantsaremyslaves。Itisjustasdifferentascanbe。Myinterpreterdoesit,hecallshimselfMYVALET,althoughIpointouttohimthattwoshirtsandtwelvecollarsdonotconstituteawardrobeevenwitharubbercoatthrownin。ButhelikestoplayatmybeingadistinguishedstrangerandIcan\'tsayIobject。OnlywhenyourememberthewayIwasinvitedtoseeCubaandexpectedtoseeit,andnowthewayIamseeingitfromcarwindowswithAVALET。Whatwouldthenewschoolofyellowkidjournalistssayiftheyknewthat。ForthefirsttimeonthistripIhavewishedyouwerebothwithme,thatwastonight。Ineverseeanythingreallybeautifulbutthatitinstantlymakesmefeelselfishandwishyoucouldseeittoo。

  IthashappenedagainandagainandtonightIwishyoucouldbeherewithmeonthisbalcony。ThetownrunsdownaslopetothebayandinthemiddleofitisthePlazawithmeonthebalconywhichletsoutofmysleepingroom——\"theroom\"sotheproprietortellsme,\"reservedonlyfortheCapitainGeneral。\"

  ItisjustlikethedescriptioninthatremarkablenovelofminewhereClayandAlicesitonthebalconyoftherestaurant。

  IhavethemoonlightandtheCathedralwiththeopendoorsandthebronzestatueinthemiddleandtheroyalpalmsmovinginthebreezestraightfromtheseaandthepeoplewalkingaroundtheplazabelow。IfitwasinanywayasbeautifulasthisClayandAlicewouldhaveendedthenovelthatnight。

  Igotagrandlotoflettersto-daywhichOtto,myinterpreterbroughtbackfromHavanaafterhavingconductedRemingtonthereinsafety。Imustsayyouarewritingverycheerfullynow,butIdon\'twonderyouworriedatfirstbutnowthatIamacommercialtravellerwithanorderfromWeylerwhichdoeseverythingwhenIfinditnecessary,youreallymustnotworryanymorebutjustletmecontinueonmyuneventfuljourneyandthencomehome。Ishallhavebeengonesolongandmyfriends,judgingfromRussellandDanaandIrene\'sletters,willbesogladtoseeme,thattheywillhaveforgottenI

  wentouttodootherthingsthancoastaroundintrains。Asamatteroffactthisisaterriblybigproblemandmostdifficulttogetthetruthof,Ifindmyselfgrowingtobetheoppositeofthealarmist,whateverthatis,althoughyouwouldthinkthepicturesqueanddramaticandexcitingthingwouldbetheoneIwouldratherbelievebecauseIwanttobelieveit,butIfindthatthatisnotso,IseeagreatdealonbothsidesandIdonotbelievehalfIamtold。Asweusedtosayatcollege,\"itisagainsthistory,\"anditisagainsthistoryformentoactasIamtoldtheyareactinghere——Theyshowmethepueblohuddledtogetheraroundthefortifiedtowns,livinginpalmhutsbutIknowthattheyhavealwayslivedinpalmhuts,theyellowkidreportersdon\'tknowthatorconsiderit,butsendoffwordthattheconditionofthepeopleisterrible,thattheyhaveonlyleavestocoverthem,anditsoundsverybadly。ThatisaninstanceofwhatImean。Inabigwaythereisnodoubtthattheprocessgoingonhereisoneofexterminationandruin。TwoyearsagotheamountofsugarshippedfromtheportofMatanzastotheU。S。wasvaluedat11

  millionsayear。Thislastyearjustovershowsthatsugartotheamountof$800,000wassentout。In\'94,154vesselstouchedatMatanzasontheirwaytoAmerica。In\'95therewere80andin\'96thereare16。Ialwaysimaginedthathousesweredestroyedduringawarbecausetheygotinthewayofcannonballsortheywereburnedbecausetheymightoffersheltertotheenemy,butheretheyaredestroyed,withthepurposeofmakingthewarhorribleandhurryinguptheend。Theinsurgentsbeganfirstbydestroyingthesugarmills,someofwhichwereworthmillionsofdollarsinmachinery,andnowtheSpaniardsareburningthehomesofthepeopleandherdingtheminaroundthetownstostarveouttheinsurgentsandtoleavethemwithoutshelterorplacestogoforfoodortohidethewounded。Soalldaylongwhereeveryoulookyouseegreatheavycolumnsofsmokerisingintothisbeautifulskyabovethemagnificentpalmsthemostnobleofallpalms,almostofalltrees——ItisthemostbeautifulcountryIhaveevervisited。IhadnorecollectionofhowbeautifulitwasorelseIhadnottheknowledgeofotherplaceswithwhichtocompareit。Nothingoutoftheimaginationcanapproachitinitsgreatwaterfallsandmossyrocksandgrandplainsandforestsofwhitepillarswithplumeswavingabovethem。Onlymanisvilehereanditiscrueltoseethewallsofthehouseswithblindeyes,withroofsgoneandgardensburned,everychurchbutonethatIhaveseenwasafortresswithhammocksswungfromthealtarsandrudebarricadesthrownuparoundthedoorways——IfthisiswarIamoftheopinionthatitisasenselesswickedinstitutionmadeforsoldiers,loversandcorrespondentsfordifferentreasons,andfornooneelseintheworldanditistooexpensivefortheotherstokeepitgoingtoentertainthesefewgentlemen——IhaveseenverylittleofityetandIprobablywon\'tseemuchmore,butIhaveseenallIwant。

  Remingtonhadhismindsatisfiedevensooner——butthenheisanalarmistandexaggeratesthings——Themenwhoweartheredbadgeofcourage,Idon\'tfeelsorryfor,theyhavetheirrewardintheirbloodybandagesandthelittlecrossontheirtunicbutthoseyoumeetcomingbacksickanddyingwithfeveraretheonesthatmakefightingcontemptible——poorlittlefarmers,poorlittlechildrenwithnointerestinCubaorSpain\'srighttoholdit,whohavebeensentouttodielikeantsbeforetheyhavelearnedtoholdamauser,andwhoaregoingbackagainwiththebeardsthathavegrowninthefieldhospitalsontheircheeksandtheireyeshollow,andtooweaktomoveorspeak。SixofthemdiedwhileIwasinJaroco,atownasbigasMarionandthathadbeentheaveragefortwomonths,thinkofthat,sixpeopledyinginMarioneverydaythroughJulyandAugust——Ididn\'tstayinthattownanylongerthanthetraindid——WellIhavebeenwritingeditorialshereinsteadofcheeringyouupbutIguessI\'maboutrightandwhenIseealittlemoreI\'lltellitoveragaintoTheJournal——ItisnotasexcitingreadingasdeedsofdaringbyourspecialcorrespondentandIhaven\'tchangedmynameorshavedmyeyebrowsordoneanythingtheothermenhavedonebutIbelieveI

  amgettingnearthetruth。Theyhaveshutoffprovisionsgoingorcomingfromthetowns,theyhavehuddledhundredsofpeoplewhodonotknowwhatabathmeansaroundthesetowns,andthisisgoingtohappen——AssoonastherainsbegintheyellowfeverandsmallpoxwillsetinandallvesselsleavingCubanportswillbequarantinedandtheislandwillbeonegreatplaguespot。Theinsurgentswhoareintheopenfieldswillliveandthesoldierswilldiefortheirofficersknownothingofsanitationorcarenothing。ThelittleConsulhasjustbeenheretoseemeandwehavehadalongtalkandIgotbackathim。HetoldmehehadseentheFranco-GermanwarasacorrespondentofTheTribuneandIaskedhimifhehadevermetanothercorrespondentofTheTribuneatthattimeaGermanstudentnamedHanswhocabledthestoryofthebattleofGravelloteandwhoArchibaldForbessayswasthefirstcorrespondenttousethecable。TheConsulwholookslikeWilliamD。Howellswriggledaroundinhischairandsaid\"IguessyoumeanmebutIwasnotaGermanstudent,IwasbornandraisedinPhiladelphiaandForbesgotmynamewrong,itisHance。\"SothenIgotupandshookhandswithhiminmyturnandtoldhimIhadalwayswantedtomeetthatcorrespondentanddidnotexpecttodosoinCardenas,onthecoastofCuba。

  Thankyouallforyourletters。IamgladyoulikedtheJamesonbook。IthoughtyouknewIwasaF。R。G。S。ItwasGeorgeCurzonproposedmeandasheisagoldmedallistoftheSocietyitwaseasygettingin。Lotsoflove。

  DICK。

  RichardreturnedtoNewYorkfromCubainFebruary,1897,butthefollowingmonthstartedforFlorencetopaymealong-promisedvisit。OnhiswayhestoppedforafewdaysinLondonandParis。

  ABASSADEDESETATS-UNIS

  59RueGalilee,Paris,April1st,1897。

  DEARFAMILY:

  Igotoverhereto-dayaftertheheaviestweatherIevertackledonthischannel。StephenCranecamewithme。IgavehimalunchonWednesday。AnthonyHope,McCarthy,HaroldFredericandBarriecame。SirEvelynWoodinsteadofcomingwasdetainedatthewarofficeandsentinsteadalanceSergeantonhorsebackwithahugeenvelopemarked\"OnHerMajesty\'sService,\"whichwastobedeliveredintomyhands——

  TheentireSavoywasupsetanditwasgenerallysupposedthatwarhadbeendeclaredandthatIwasbeingorderedtothefront——ThewholehotelhungoverusuntilIhadreceiptedforthepackageandthesoldierhadsalutedandclankedaway。I

  gaveCranetheletterasasouvenir。IalsosawSeymourHicks\'firstnightandrecognized15Americansongsinit。

  TheLondonTimesofferedmethepositionofcorrespondentontheGreekfrontier。EveryoneinLondonthoughtitanenormouscomplimentandHaroldFrederic,Ralph,BallardSmithandtherestwereveryenvious。ItoldthemIcouldnotgo,butIwasgladtohavehadthecomplimentpaidme。Barriehasmadeoutascenarioofthe\"Soldiers\"fordramaticpurposesandhasaskedtheHaymarketmanagementtoconsiderit。So,thatIguessthatitmustbegood——

  So,IalsoguessIhadbetterfinishit——IleaveforFlorencetonight。Iamhavingafine,finetimeandIamsogladyouareallwell。

  Lotsoflove,DICK。

  Ofthemanyhappydayswehavespenttogether,IdonotbelievetherewereanymuchmorehappythanthethreeweeksRichardremainedwithme。ItwashisfirstlongvisittoItalyandfromthedayofhisarrivalhelovedtheoldtownanditspeoplewhogavehimamostfriendlywelcome。HehadcomeatatimewhenFlorencewasatitsbest,itsnarrowquaintstreetsfilledwithsunshineandthrongedwithidlingnativesandthescurryingtouriststhatalwayscamewiththefirstdaysofspring。TheCascineandthepink-walledroadsoftheenvironswereablazewithwildrosesandhere,afterhisratherstrenuousexperienceinCuba,Richardgavehimselfuptolongdaysofhappyidleness。Togetherwetookvoyagesofdiscoverytomanyofthelittlewalledandforgottentownswherethetouristsseldomsetfoot。OnceweevenwanderedsofarasMonteCarlo,wheremybrothertriedveryhardtobreakthebankanddidnotsucceed。ButtheRichardHardingDavisluckdidnotfailhimcompletelyandIrememberIgreatlyenviedhimthehugepileofgoldandnotesthatrepresentedhiswinningsandwhichwedidourverybesttospendbeforeweleftthelandofthePrinceofMonaco。However,havinghadhisfirsttasteofwar,RichardfeltthathemustleavethepeaceandcontentofFlorencetoseehowtheGreeks,withwhomhehadmuchsympathy,werefaringwiththeirenemiestheTurks。Asithappened,thisexpeditionprovedbutashortinterruption,andinlessthanamonthhewasoncemorebackwithhisnew-foundfriendsinFlorence。

  April28,1897

  OntheWaytoPatrasonaSteamer。

  DEARFAMILY:

  IthasbeenaweeksinceIwroteyoulast,whenIsentyoutheInaugurationarticle。SincethenIhavebeenhavingthebesttimeIeverhadanyplaceALONE。Ihavehadmorefunwithacrowd,butneverhavebeensohappybymyself。WhatIwouldhavebeenhadItakensomeotherchapwithmeIcannotimagine。ButthepeopleofthispartofGreecehavebeensokindthatIcannotsayIhavebeenalone。Inevermetwithstrangersanywherewhoweresohospitable,soconfidingandpolite。Afterthatslaughter-yardandpestplaceofCuba,whichismuchmoreterribletomenowthanitwaswhenIwasthere,orbeforeIhadseenthatwarcanbeconductedlikeanyotherevilofcivilization,thisoperabouffewarfareislikeaduelbetweentwogentlemenintheBois。Cubaislikeaslave-holderbeatingaslave\'sheadinwithawhip。Iamawarcorrespondentonlybyagreatstretchoftheimagination;

  Iamapeacecorrespondentreally,andallthefightingIhaveseenwasbycannonatlongrange。Iwasatlongrange,notthecannon。IamdoingthiscampaigninapersonallyconductedsensewithnoregardtothePowersortotheLondonTimes。Ididsendthemanarticlecalled\"ThePipingTimesofWar。\"IftheydonotuseitIshallillustrateitwiththephotosIhavetakenandsellit,forfivetimesthesumtheywouldgive,totheHarperswhoareeverwithus。AsIoncesaidinanotedwork,\"Greece,Mrs。Morris,restoresallyourlostillusions。\"ForthelastweekIhavebeenbackinthedaysofConrad,theCorsair,and\"Oh,MaidofAthens,ereWePart。\"I

  havebeenridingoverwind-swepthillsandmountainstoppedwithsnow,andwithsheepandgoatsandwildflowersofeverycolorspreadingforacres,andinalandwhereeverymandressesbychoicelikeagrandoperabrigand,andnotonlyforphotographicpurposes。Ihavebeenonthemoveallthetime,chasingintherearofarmiesthatturnbackassoonasI

  approachandapologizefordisappointingmeofabattle,orridingtothesceneofabattlethatnevercomesoff,orhasteningtoabombardmentthatturnsouttobeanattackonanemptyfort。

  Iliveonbrownbreadandcheeseandgoat\'smilkandsleeplikealoginshepherds\'huts。ItissobeautifulthatI

  almostgrudgethenight。NoraandMothercouldtakethistripassafelyasaregimentandwouldseethingsoutoffairyland。

  Andsuchadventures!LateinlifeIamatlasthavingadventuresandhonorsheapeduponme。Iwaselectedacaptainofabandofbrigandswhohadbeenwatchingamountainpassforamonth,andasitshowednosignsofrunningawayhadtakentodancingonthegreen。Icaughtthematthisinnocentpastimeandtheyallowedmetophotographthemandgivethemwineateightcentsaquartwhichwedrankoutofatinstovepipe。Theydrankaboutfourfeetofstovepipeorthirty-sixcents\'worth,thentheydancedandsangformeinacircle,oldmenandboys,thendrilledwiththeircarbines,andIshowedthemmyrevolverandfield-glassesandthemselvesinthefinderofthecamera;andwhenIhadtogotheytookmeontheirshouldersandmarchedmearoundwavingtheirrifles。

  Thentheoldmenkissedmeonthecheekandweallembracedandtheywept,andIfeltasbadlyasthoughIwerepartingfromfiftyfriends。TheytoldmyguidethatifIwouldcomebacktheywouldgetfiftymore\"asbraveasthey\"andIcouldbecaptain。

  Icouldnotbegintotellyoualltheamusingthingsthathavehappenedinthisoneweek。Ididnotwanttocomeatall,onlyasternsenseofdutymademe。ForIwantedtowritetheplayinCharley\'sgildedhallsandgettoParisandLondon。

  ButIcanneverceaserejoicingthatItookthistrip。Anditwillmakethebook,\"AYearfromaReporter\'sDiary,\"ascompleteasitcanbe。ThatwaswhyIcame。NowIhavetheCoronationoftheCzar,theMillennialatHungary,theInaugurationatWashington,theQueen\'sJubilee,theWarinCuba,andtheGreco-TurkishWar。Thatisagoodyear\'sworkandImeantoloafafterit。YouwilllaughandsaythatthatiswhatIalwayssay,butifyouknewhowIhadtokickmyselfoutofFlorenceandtheCascinetocomehereyouwouldbelieveme。IwantarestandIamcuttingthisveryshort。

  Don\'tfailtocutanythingDadandMotherdon\'tlikeoutoftheInaugurationarticle。Youwillhavemewithyouthiswinteronmylittlebicycleandgoingtodancesandnotpayingboardtoanyone。RememberhowIusedtothreatentogotoGreecewhenthecoffeewasnotgood。Itseemstoofunnynow,forIneverwasinabetterplace,orhadmorefunorsawlessofwarorthesignsofwar。

  DICK。

  May7,1897。

  10EastTwenty-EighthStreet-NIT

  Sponitza。

  DEARCHAS。

  ThisisoneoftheplacesoutofPhroso,butasyouneverreadPhrosoIwillcutallthat——IhatetosayitsosoonagainbutthisisthemostbeautifulcountrytotraveloverIhaveseen——Itisafairytheatricalgrandoperacountrywhereeverybodydressesinpetticoatsandgoldbraidedvestsandcarrycarbinestotendsheepwith——IrodefromSantaMauraseemaptoaspotoppositePrevesawheretheysaidtherewasgoingtobebombarding——TherewasnotofcoursebutIhadIthinkthemostbeautifulrideofmylife。

  Iwasabsolutelyhappy——littlelambsbleatedandkidsbuttedeachotherandpeasantsinfurcloakswithoutsleevesandintightslikeprincessatonrocksandplayedpipesandtheskywasblue,themountainscoveredwithsnowandthefieldsandhillsfullofpurplebushesandyellowandblueflowersandsheep——Therewasacablestationofyellowadobe。ItwastheonlybuildinganditlookedacrossatPrevesabutnobodybombarded。Thegeneralgavemecognacandthecableoperatorplayedaguitarformeandthepreyorsangafinebass,thecorporalnottobeoutdonegavemechocolateandthearmystoodaroundinthesunandjoinedintheconversationcorrectingthegeneralandeachotherandtakingofftheirhatstoallthenoblesentimentswetoasted。Itwasjustlikeacomicopera。

  AfterawhilewhenIhadfinishedafinehunckofcheeseandhardeggsandbrownbreadItookaphotographoftheGeneralandthecableoperatorandtheofficerwiththebassvoiceandhalfofthearmy——Theotherhalfwasthensenttoescortmetothisplace。ItwalkedandIrodeandthereweremanyhaltsfordrinksandcigarettes。Theyallranafterastraycoltandwerelostforsometimebutwere-mobilizedandadvancedwithgreateffectintothistown。Iwasheretakeninchargebyatleastfiftysailorsandasmanysoldiersandcomicoperabrigandsindrawersandwhitepetticoats,whoconductedmetoahouseonthehillwheretheinnkeeperbroughtmealivechickentoapproveoffordinner。

  ThenthemayorofthetownturnedupingoldclothesandBarrisonSisterskirtsandsaidtheGeneralhadtelegraphedaboutmeandthatIwashis——Theinnkeeperweptandsaidhehadseenmefirstandthechorusofsoldiers,sailorsandbrigandsalljoinedin。IkeptoutofitbutIknewtheMayorwouldwinandhedid。Thenwewentouttoaman-of-warthesizeoftheVagabondandweresolemnlyassuredtherewouldbebombardingofPrevesato-morrow——Igotosleepinthathope。WeleavehereatsevencrossingtheriverandrideaftertheGreekswhoareapproachingPrevesafromthelandsidewhilethemen-of-warbombarditfromtheriver。Atleastthatiswhattheysay。IthinkitisthemildestwaronbothsidesIeverheardofandIcertainlymeantobeaTimescorrespondentnexttimeIplayatgoingtowar——AfterbeinginsultedandfrightenedtodeathalloverCuba,thisisthepleasantestpicnicIwaseveron——TheyseriouslyapologizedfornotbombardingwhileIwasthereandIsaidnottomentionit——Withlotsoflove,oldman,andtothefamilyDICK。

  FLORENCE

  May16,1897。

  DEARFAMILY:

  HereIamsafeandsoundagainintheoldroomsinFlorence。

  Iwasgonetwenty-threedaysandwastravelingnineteenofthem,walking,riding;insailboats,inthecars,andonsteamers。IhavehadmoreexperiencesandadventuresthanI

  everhadbeforeinthreemonthsandquiteenoughtolastmeforyears。

  AftermyhappyridethroughTurkeyandtheretreatoftheGreekarmyinArta,ofwhichIwroteyoulast,IhavebeeninThessalywhereIsawthetwodays\'battleofVelestinosfromthebeginninguptotheend。ItwastheonerealbattleofthewarandtheGreeksfoughtwellfromthefirsttothelast。

  IleftAthensonthe29thofAprilwithJohnBass,aHarvardgraduate,andamostcharmingandattractiveyouthwhois,orwas,inchargeoftheJournalmen;StephenCranebeingamongthenumber。Heseemsageniuswithnoresponsibilitiesofanysorttoanyone,andIandBasslefthimatVelestinosaftertravelingwithhimforfourdays。CranewenttoVolo,asdideveryothercorrespondent,leavingBassandmyselfinVelestinos。Asthevillagershadrunaway,weburglarizedthehouseofthemayorandmadeitourhabitationwhilethecourierhuntedforfood。Itwaslike\"TheSwissFamilyRobinson,\"andwerejoicedoverthediscoveryofsoapandtableclothsandstrayknivesandforks,justasthoughwehadbeencastonadesertisland。BassdidthecookingandIlaidthetableandwashedupandmadethebeds,whichwerefulloffleas。Butwehadbeensleepingonchairsandonthefloorforaweeksowedidnotmindmuch。

  Theseconddaywewereawakenedbycannonandyoucanimagineourjoyandexcitement。Wehaditalltoourselvesforeighthours,asittooktheothercorrespondentsthatlongtoarrive。Itwasanartilleryandinfantrybattleandabout20,000menwereengagedonbothsides。TheGreeksfoughtfromlittletrenchesonthehillsbackofthetownandtheTurksadvancedacrossagreatgreenprairie。Itwasverylongrangeandonlytwicedidtheygettowithinaquarterofamileofourtrenches。BassandIwentallovertheGreeklines,foryouwerejustassafeinoneplaceasinanother,whichmeansthatitwasn\'tsafeanywhere,sowegaveupconsideringthatandfollowedthefightasbestwecouldfromthefirsttrench,whichwastheonlyonethatgaveanuninterruptedviewoftheTurkishforces。Itwasabrilliantlycleardaybutopenedwithahailstorm,whichenabledtheTurkstocrawluphalfamileinthesuddendarkness。ItalsogavemetheworstattackofsciaticaIeverhad。Fortunately,itdidnotcomeonbadlyuntilIreachedVolo,whenitsuddenlytookholdofmesothatIcouldnotwalk。Thetrencheswerewetwiththerainandwehadnoclothestochangeto,andtwomoreshowerskeptusmoreorlesswetallday。WehadafineviewofeverythingandI

  learnedalot。

  Wewereunderaheavyfireforthirteenhoursandcertainlyhadsomeverycloseescapes。Attimesthefiringwassofiercethatifyouhadraisedyourarmaboveyourhead,thehandwouldhavebeeninstantlytornoff。Wehadtolieonourstomachswithourchinsinthedirtandnotsomuchasbudge。

  ThiswaswhentheTurkishfirehappenedtobedirectedonourtrench。Atsuchtimesalltheothertrencheswouldfiresoastodrawtheattackaway,andwewouldhavetowaituntilitwasover。Theshellssoundedlikethejarringsoundoftelegraphwireswhenonehitsthepoletheyhangfromwithastone;andwhentheshellswereclosetheysoundedlikethenoisemadebytwotrainspassinginoppositedirectionswhenthewindisdrivenbetweenthecars。Thebulletsweremuchworsethantheshellsasyoucouldalwayshearthemcoming,andthebulletsslippedupandpassedyouinasneakingwaywithanoiselikerustlingsilk,orifsomeonehadtornasilkhandkerchiefwithasharppull。Oneshellstruckthreefeetfrommeandknockedmeoverwiththedirtandstonesandfilledmynoseandmouthwithpebbles。Iwentbackanddugitoutofthegroundwhileitwasstillhotandhaveitasasouvenir。IsworeterriblyatthebulletsandBassusedtogrininasicklyway。Itmadeyourhaircreepwhentheycameveryclose。Onemannextmegotashotthroughthebreastwhilehewasramminghiscleanerdownthebarrel,andtherewerethreekilledwithinthelimitsofourfiftyyards。Wecouldnotgetbackbecausetherewasacrossfirethatsweptaplacewehadtopassthrough,justaboutthewaythewindcomesaroundtheCityHallinthetimesofablizzard。WecalleditDeadMan\'sCurve,afterthatatFourteenthStreetandUnionSquare,becauseitwassprinkledwithdeadammunition,mulesandsoldiers。Wecamethroughitthefirsttimewithoutknowingwhatweweregettingintoandwehadnodesiretogobackagain。Sowewaiteduntilthesunset。Itooksomeofthefinestphotographsandprobablytheonlyonesevertakenofabattleatsuchcloserange。

  Wheneverthemenfired,IwouldshootoffthecameraandI

  expectIhavesomeprettygreatpictures。BasstooksomeofmesoifthereisanyquestionastowhetherIwasattheCoronation,therewillbenoneastowhetherIwasatVelestinos。

  Ourhousewashitwithtwoshellsandbulletsfelllikethegentlerainfromheavenalloverthecourtyard,sowewouldhavebeennosafertherethanbehindthetrenches。Wesentoffthefirstaccountofthebattlewrittenbyanybodybymidday,andstayedonuntilthenextdayatfourwhentheplacewasevacuatedingoodorderbecause,asusual,theCrownPrincewasrunningaway——fromPharsaliathistime。

  TheysayinGreece\"Lewes,thepeasant,wontheracefromMarathon,butConstantinetheprince,wontheracefromLarissa。\"

  IwasallrightuntilIgottoVolowhenmyrightlegrefusedabsolutelytodoitsactandIhadtobecarriedonadonkey。

  AGreekthoughtIlookedfunnysittinggroaningonthelittledonkey;whichIdid——Ilookedridiculous。Sohelaughed,andBassandaFrenchjournalistbattedhimoverthefaceandleftmeclingingtothedonkey\'sneckandhowlingtothemtocomebackandholdmeup。Buttheypreferredtofight,andapolicemancamealongandarrestedtheunhappyGreekandbeathimoverthehead,justforluck,andmarchedhimofftojail,justforlaughing。

  Theytookmetothehospitalshipwhichwasstarting,andI

  cametoAthensthatwaywithonehundredandsixteenwounded;

  themanonmyrighthadhisanklesgoneandthemanonthelefthadabulletinhisside。TheygroanedallnightandsodidI。Thenwhenthesunrosetheysang,whichwasworse。I

  neversawanythingmorebeautifulthanthered-crossnurses,andIguessthatisthemostbeautifulpictureIshalleversee——thosesweet-facedgirlsinblueandwhitebendingoverthedirtyfrightenedlittlepeasantboysandtakingcareoftheirwounds。Imadelovetoallofthemandaskedthreetomarryme。IwasinbedfortwodaysafterIgottoAthensbuthadafinetime,asalltheofficersfromtheSanFrancisco,fromtheadmiraldown,cametoseeme,andtheminister,consulandtherestdidallthatcouldhavebeendone。IamnowallrightandwasbicyclinginthedearoldCascinethismorning。Onthewholeitwasamostsuccessfultrip。

  SylvesterScovelandPhillipsofTheWorldarrivedjustasitwasallover,andsoBassandIareabouttheonlytwoAmericanswhowereinit。

  ThetrainfromBrindisistoppedatRomeonthewaybackandI

  wenttoseethePages。TheytookmeoutandshowedmeRomebymoonlightinonehour。Itwaslikeacinematograph。Theyareherenowandcomingtodinnertonight。Lastnighttheconsulhadallourfriendstodinnertowelcomemeback,andmaybeI

  wasnotglad。Ihadbeenlivingoncheeseandbrownbreadandcoldlambfortwoweeks,withnotobacco,andsleepingfivehoursanightonfloorsandsofas。Sometimestheofficersandmenfoughtforfood,andwenevergotanythingwarmtoeatexceptoccasionallytinnedthingswhichwecookedinmykit。

  ItwasthemostsatisfactorytripallroundIeverhad。I

  havebeentwentyyearstryingtobeinabattleanditwillbetwentyyearsmorebeforeIwillwanttobeinanother。

  OntheeighteenthIstartforLondon,stoppingonedayinParistoseetheClarksandEustises。ItisgoingtobebiggerthantheCoronationforcrowds,andMotherneednotworry,Ishallkeepoutofit。TheMinistertoRussiasentmewordthattheCzar\'sprimeministerhasgivenhimmyarticleandthattheCzarsaidthankhimverymuch。Sothatisallright。AlsoHayistopresentmetothePrinceattheleveeonthe3tstofMay,andIshallsendhimacopy,too。IamlookingforwardtoLondonwithsuchjoy。TellMothertosendmetheBookbuyerwithherarticleinit。Ihaveonlyreadthereviewsofit,andtheyaresoenthusiasticthatImusthavethewholethingquick。ItwassuchafinethingtodoaboutPoe,andtogivethoseothertwofetishesthecoupdegrace。ItreadssplendidlyandIwantitall。WhatdidDadthinkoftheInaugurationarticle?IsendyouallmydearestloveandwillhavelotstotellyouwhenIgetbackthistime。

  Godblessyouall。

  DICK。

  RichardleftFlorencethelatterpartofMay,andwenttoLondonwherehehadmadearrangementstoreporttheQueen\'sJubilee。HebeganhisroundofgayetiesbybeingpresentedatCourt。TheMissGrovesandMissWathertowhomherefersinthefollowingletterweretheclerksatCox\'shotel。

  LONDON,June2nd,1897。

  DEARFAMILY:

  IwasabeautifulsightattheLevee。IworeavelvetsuitmadeespeciallyformebutnodearerforthatandsteelbuttonsandabeautifulsteelswordandacourthatwithsilveronthesideandsilkstockingsthatIworeatMoscowandpumpswithgreatbuckles。Iwastoomagnificentforwordsandsoyouwouldhavesaid。IwaitedalongtimeinalonghallcrowdedwithgeneralsandseacaptainsandhighlandersandvolunteersandcavalrymenandjudgesandfinallywasadmittedpastaropeandthenpastanotherropeandthenrushedalongintothethroneroomwhereIsawbeefeatersandlifeguardsmenandchamberlainswithwhitewandsandIgaveonemycardandhereadout\"R。H。D。oftheUnitedStatesbytheAmericanAmbassador\"andthenIbowedtothePrinceandDukeofYork,ConnaughtandEdinburghandtotheAmericanAmbassadorandthenHenryWhiteandSpencerEddy,thetwoSecretariesandthenavalattacheallshookhandswithmeandIwentaroundinahansominthebrightsunshineinhopesoffindingsomeonewhowouldknowme。ButnoonedidsoIwenttoCox\'sHotelandshowedmyselftoMissGrovesandMissWather。I

  wentontheTerraceyesterdaywiththeLeitersandatO\'Connor\'sinvitationbroughtthemtotea。LaboucherewasthereandDillonjustoutofjailanditwasmostinteresting。Iamvery,verybusydoingnothingandhavingafinetime——

  DICK。

  LONDON,June21,1897。

  DEARMOTHER:

  WordscannottellatleastnotunlessIamwellpaidforitwhatLondonisliketo-day。Inthefirstplaceitissojammedthatnoonecanmoveanditishungwithdecorationssothatnoonecansee。RoyalcarriagesgetstuckjustasdothehumbledraymanorPickford\'sVanandroyaltiesarelodgingincheaphotelswithnothingbutacoupleofGrenadier\'sinsentryboxestoshowtheyareanybetterbloodedthantherestofthelodgers。IalsoaddedtotheconfusionbygivingalunchtotheAmbassadorandMissHayinreturnforthepresentation。LadyHenryandMrs。AsquithsatoneithersideofhimandMrs。ClarkhadAsquithandLordBasilBlackwoodtotalkto——TherewasalsoAnthonyHope,thebeautifulJuliaNeilsonandherhusbandFredTerryandLadyEdwardCecilandLordLester——ItwentofffineandtheSavoypeoplesentinanAmericanEagleofice,decoratedwithAmericanflagsanddrippingicytearsfromitsbeak。Itcostmefiveshillingsaheadandlookedasthoughitcostthatinpounds——TonightI

  dinewiththeGouldsandthengotoamusicalwhereMelbasings,PadewreskiplaysandthenwalkthestreetsifIcanuntildaybreakasIthinkofmakingthenightbeforetheprocessionthegreaterpartofthestory。Isendyouaplanshowingmyseatwhichcostmetwenty-fivedollars,theadvertisedpricebeing$125。buttherehasbeenaterribleslumpinseats。LovetodearDadandNora。

  DICK。

  LONDON。

  89JermynStreet,June25th,1897。

  DEARMOTHER:

  TheJubileeturnedouttobetheeasiestspectacletogetatandtogetawayfromthatIeverwitnessed。Experienceinchoosingaplaceandpoliceregulationsmadeitsosimplethatwewentstraighttoourseatsandgotawayagainwithoutasmuchtroubleasitwouldhavetakentohavegonetoamatinee。

  Thestagemanagementofthethingalmostimpressedmemorethananythingelse。ForgrandeurandshowitaboutequalledtheprocessionoftheCzarandinmanywaysitwasmoreinterestingbecauseitwasconcernedwithourownpeopleandwithourownpartoftheworld。NexttotheQueen,LordRobertsgotalloftheapplause。HerodealittlewhiteponythathadbeenwithhiminsixcampaignsandhadcarriedhimonhismarchtoCandahar。IthadallthecampaignmedalspresentedtoitbytheWarDepartmentandworetheminalineonitsforehead,andwalkedjustasthoughheknewwhatagreatoccasionitwas。AfterRobertscameinpopularityaCol。MauriceCliffordwiththeRhodesianHorseinsombrero\'sandcartridgebeltsandkhakisuits。Hehadlosthisarmandwaseasilyrecognized。WilfredLauriertheFrenchPremierofCanadaandtheLordMayorweretheotherfavourites。ThesceneinfrontofSt。Paul\'swasabsolutelymagnificentwiththesootypillarsbehindthegroupsofdiplomats,bishopsandchoirboysinwhite,Universitymeninpinksilkgowns,andsoldiers,beefeaters,gentlemenatarmsandthetwoArchbishops。Thebestmomentwaswhenthecollectedtroops;negroes,Chinamen,EastIndians,WestIndians,Africantroopers,CanadianMountedPolice,Australians,BorneopoliceandEnglishGrenadiersallsangthedoxologytogetherinthebeautifulsunshineandundertheshadowofthatgreatfacadeofblackandwhitemarble。AlsowhentheArchbishopofCanterburywithoutanywarningsuddenlyafterkissingtheQueen\'shandthrewuphisarmandcriedoutsothatyoucouldhaveheardhimahundredyardsoff\"ThreeCheersforHerMajesty\"andthediplomats,andforeignrajahsandbishopsandSalvationArmycaptainswavedtheirhatsandmortarboardsandthesoldiersrantheirbearskinsandhelmetsontheirbayonetsandspunthemaroundintheair。Theweatherwasabsolutelyperfectandtherewerenoaccidents。

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