COBLENZ AND COLOGNE.
Apartments had been engaged at the _Riese_, or Giant Hotel, near the
landing. It was too dark to see anything of the town, but the students
wandered about the streets, looking into the beer shops, which they
dared not enter, and observing the evening life of the Germans. To many
of them this occupation was more interesting than visiting old castles,
or even modern palaces, especially after they had become old stories.
Paul, Shuffles, and some others found themselves more pleasantly
entertained at the hotel.
After breakfast the next morning, the tourists made a business of
seeing the place. The town occupies a tongue of land at the junction of
the Moselle with the Rhine. It is strongly fortified, on the land side,
with works which it required twenty years to build, and there are forts
all around the city, which is intended to be a stronghold for the
defence of Prussia against an invading army from France.
The Church of St. Castor, at the confluence of the rivers, is a very
ancient structure, in which the grandchildren of Charlemagne met to
make a division of the empire. Napoleon, on his march to invade Russia,
caused a fountain to be erected in front of this church, bearing an
inscription commemorating the event. The French army was overwhelmed,
and a Russian force, pursuing the remnant of it, arrived at Coblenz.
The general saw the obnoxious record, but instead of erasing it, he
added the sarcastic sentence, "Seen and approved by us, the Russian
commandant of the city of Coblenz," which remains to this day.
The party visited some of the principal edifices in the city, including
the palace, in which the King of Prussia sometimes resides, and then
crossed the Rhine on the bridge of boats to the immense fortress called
Ehrenbreitstein, the meaning of which is "honor's bright stone." It was
a fortress in the middle ages, and was unsuccessfully besieged by the
French in 1688, though it was less fortunate in 1799, when the garrison
was starved into a surrender, and it was blown up. In 1814 the
Prussians commenced the work of restoring it, and since that time they
have been continually strengthening and enlarging it. The series of
military works, of which this fortress is the principal, are capable of
holding one hundred thousand men, but five thousand are sufficient to
garrison them. The magazine will hold provisions enough to supply eight
thousand men ten years. It mounts four hundred pieces of cannon. The
rocks have been hewn out into bomb-proofs and battlements, and art has
done its utmost to strengthen the place.
The parade is on the top of the rock, beneath which vast cisterns have
been constructed, which will contain a three years' supply of water. In
addition to these, a well, four hundred feet deep, cut in the rock,
communicates with the Rhine, which is to be used only on an emergency,
as the river water is unwholesome. The river seen from the parade is
very beautiful, but the company were obliged to hasten back to Coblenz,
in order to dine in season for the afternoon steamer to Cologne.
At one o'clock the voyage down the Rhine was renewed, and the students,
after their long ramble in the forenoon, were glad to use the camp
stools on the deck of the steamer. Village after village was passed,
but the scenery was less grand than that seen the day before. There
were fewer castles to be seen on the heights, though Dr. Winstock could
hardly tell the story of one before another required attention. The
railroads which extend along each side of the river, in several
instances, passed under castles, towers, and ruins, whose foundations
have been tunnelled for the purpose. At Andernach, the mountains on
both sides come close to the river again, and the water flows through a
kind of gorge between them.
"At Brohl, which you see on the left, a peculiar kind of stone is
found, which has the property of hardening under water, and is,
therefore, in great demand for the manufacture of cement," said Dr.
Winstock. "The ancients used it for coffins, because the stone absorbed
the moisture from the bodies. These quarries were worked by the Romans,
who had a road to Cologne on the left bank of the river."
"There are mountains on the right," said Grace, some time afterwards.
"Those are the Siebengebirge, as they are called. Though the name
indicates seven mountains, there are thirty summits. They are very
picturesque, but they are only ten or fifteen hundred feet high,"
continued the doctor.
"There is a beautiful island in the middle of the river," added Paul.
"It has an old building on it, and is covered with trees."
"That is Nonnenwerth, and the building is a convent. Do you see the
castle on the left bank, opposite the island?"
"I see it."
"You must read Herr Bernard's Legends of the Rhine. You will find the
book in Cologne, both in German and in English, though the English of
the latter is execrable. You will find in it the story of Rolandseck,
the castle on the left, and Nonnenwerth. Roland was the nephew of
Charlemagne. He was engaged to a daughter of the Lord of Drachenfels,
whose castle you see on the opposite side of the river. He went away to
the wars, and during his absence, a false report came back that he was
killed at Roncesvalles. His betrothed, in despair, entered the convent
on the island, and took the black veil. Roland returned, but could not
reclaim the bride. He built the castle on the left, where he could
overlook her retreat, and lived the lonely life of a hermit. One
evening, while he was gazing down upon the convent, he heard the bell
toll, and saw a procession of nuns escorting a coffin to the chapel.
His page soon brought him the intelligence that his lady was dead. He
ordered his horse to be saddled immediately, and hastened to Spain,
where, in a battle with the Moors, he was killed."
"Then these are the Drachenfels, on our right," said Grace.
"They are 'The Castled Crags of Drachenfels,' as Byron sings. From the
top of this precipice, Cologne, twenty miles distant, can be seen."
"And that large town is Bonn," said Paul.
"Yes; the electors of Cologne--not the city, but the
electorate--formerly resided here. The vast palace built for them in
1730, which is nearly a quarter of a mile long, is now used by the
University of Bonn, where Prince Albert, Queen Consort, of England, was
a student. The city has about twenty thousand inhabitants, and is a
very beautiful place. When I was here, six years ago, I went out about
a mile and a half to a church, on the top of the Kreuzberg. It formerly
belonged to a convent; and in a chapel behind the high altar are
exhibited what are called the Sacred Stairs, which led up to Pilate's
judgment hall. No one is allowed to ascend them except upon his knees,
and the stains of blood falling from the wounds caused by the Saviour's
crown of thorns are pointed out. Those believe who can and will. There
is a vault under the church, reached by a trap-door in the floor,
which, by some remarkable property, has preserved undecayed the bodies
of twenty-five monks. They lie in open coffins, clothed in cassocks and
cowls. They are dried up, and look like mummies. Some of them were
buried there four hundred years ago."
"What a horrible sight!" exclaimed the sensitive Grace.
"I did not see anything very horrible about it," replied the doctor,
with a smile; "but I am a surgeon by profession. In Italy and Sicily
there are many such exhibitions of the dead."
Below Bonn the banks of the river are level, or gently undulating,
reminding the traveller of the Delaware above Philadelphia. The scenery
is pleasant, but rather tame after the experience of the Drachenfels.
At five o'clock the steamer reached Cologne, and passing under the
great iron bridge, and through the bridge of boats, made her landing at
the quay. The Grand Hotel Royal, in which accommodations had been
engaged for the tourists, is situated on the bank of the river, and
many of the party had rooms which overlooked the noble stream. There is
no pleasanter occupation for a tired person than that of sitting at one
of these windows, watching the flow of the river, and the variety of
scenes which its surface presents.
It was a lively scene at the hotel in the evening. A few of the
students took a walk through the narrow streets; but Cologne is not a
pleasant place to walk in the evening. There are no sidewalks, and some
of the streets are not wide enough to allow two vehicles to pass
abreast, though in the more modern parts of the place this defect has
been remedied. The Hotel Royal has broad halls, though there is no such
thing as a public parlor, where the guests may meet together, as in
American hotels. Captain Shuffles and Lady Feodora were promenading,
while Paul and Grace had seated themselves in the coffee-room.
"I suppose, when we leave Cologne, we shall depart in different
directions," said Shuffles.
"Papa says we shall go direct to Calais," replied Feodora, looking very
sad, as, indeed, she felt when she thought of the separation.
"I believe our company are going by Charleroi to Paris, and from there
to Brest. Probably we shall never meet again."
"O, I hope we shall!" exclaimed Feodora, looking up into his face.
"It is not very probable."
"You may come to England within a few years, perhaps a few months."
"It is possible. If I come out in the ship next spring, we shall sail
up the Baltic, and make our first port at Christiansand, in Norway."
"I am afraid you don't wish to meet me again."
"I would cross the ocean for that alone," protested the gallant young
captain.
"If you wished to meet me, I think you would find a way."
"Perhaps I ought not to meet you again," added Shuffles.
"Not meet me again! Pray why not?"
"Sir William very much prefers that I should not do so."
"Sir William!" repeated she, with an inquiring glance.
"I think he does not like my company very well."
"I do, if he does not."
Shuffles did not mention to her that he had conversed with the baronet
about the matter, and that the latter had used some rather strong
language to him. He was not disposed to make trouble.
"I have some idea of your relations with Sir William," added Shuffles,
with considerable embarrassment.
"I haven't any relations with him, Captain Shuffles," replied she,
fixing her gaze upon the floor, while her face crimsoned with blushes.
"I have been told that you were engaged."
"By our parents--yes. By myself--no. I dislike Sir William very much
indeed; and I know my father will never do anything that will make me
unhappy."
"Pardon me for alluding to the subject," said Shuffles.
"I am very glad you spoke of it."
"I should not have done so, if I had not had some doubts about seeing
you again, even were an opportunity presented."
"Doubts about seeing me?"
"I mean because Sir William dislikes me," stammered the captain.
"He ought not to dislike you, after what you have done for him and me."
"He thinks I am too strong a friend of yours."
"I don't think you are. Why, you saved my life, and I should be very
ungrateful if I did not value your friendship," replied Feodora,
apparently investigating the texture of the wood of which the floor was
composed.
"Then you value it because I rendered you a little service on the
lake," added Shuffles.
"That assured me you were very brave and noble; and I am sure you have
not done anything since which makes me think less of you."
"You are very kind; and it makes me have the blues to think of parting
with you, perhaps never to see or hear from you again."
"Won't you write to me, as Miss Arbuckle does to the commodore, and
tell me about your travels, and about your own country, when you
return?"
"It would be a great satisfaction to me to have the privilege of doing
so," said Shuffles, eagerly.
"I should prize your letters above all others," she replied.
"Will your father allow you to receive them from me?"
"Why should he not?"
"On account of Sir William."
"My father is one of the best and kindest men in the world, and he
loves me with all his great soul. He has even told me that I might
dismiss Sir William, when we return to England, if I found it
impossible to like him," answered Feodora, artlessly; and English girls
speak on such subjects with less reserve than American damsels.
"Here comes Sir William. I shall write to you at the first opportunity
after we separate."
The baronet had been out to smoke; for young as he was, he had already
formed this habit, which was one of Lady Feodora's strong objections to
him,--he gave forth such an odor of tobacco. He frowned and looked
savage when he saw the young couple together; but they continued their
promenade in the hall, though they changed the subject of the
conversation.
"Good evening, Sir William," said Ben Duncan, the inveterate joker, who
saw the effect produced by the coming of the baronet, and wished to
relieve the young couple of his company.
"Good evening, sir," replied the baronet, stiffly; for he was not
disposed to be on very familiar terms with the young republicans.
"A friend of mine at the Gas-house--"
"At the what?" demanded Sir William, with a look of contempt.
"I beg your pardon. I mean the _Gasthaus_. But there were two or three
English nobs there who were so gassy in their style, that I forgot my
Deutsch for the moment. A friend of mine at the Gasthaus, _am
Holländischer Hof_, expressed a strong desire to see you."
"Indeed! What friend of yours could desire to see me?"
"Well, I call him Elfinstone. If I were more polite than I am, I should
say Lord Elfinstone; but he's just as good a fellow as though he were
not a lord."
"Is it possible that Lord Elfinstone is in Cologne?" added the baronet.
"Do you know him?"
"I have not that honor."
"I have. I used to sail him in my father's yacht, when he was in New
York," replied Ben; who, however, under any other circumstances, would
not have troubled himself to make the young nobles better acquainted.
"I will introduce you, if you like."
"Thank you," answered the baronet, with a promptness which indicated
that he appreciated the honor in store for him. "I shall be under great
obligations to you."
Taking the arm of Ben Duncan, who had suddenly risen in the estimation
of Sir William, because he was on familiar terms with so distinguished
a young gentleman as Lord Elfinstone, they left the hotel, very much to
the satisfaction of Shuffles and Feodora.
"Perhaps there is another objection to our meeting again, or at least
to permitting a friendship to grow up between us," said Shuffles,
continuing the subject.
"What can there be?" asked Feodora.
"You belong to the nobility of England, while I am only the son of a
Republican American."
"A fig for the nobility!" exclaimed she. "They are just like other
people."
"I think so myself," replied Shuffles; "but there is some difference of
opinion on that subject."
Sir William was duly presented to Lord Elfinstone, at the Holländischer
Hof, and they did not part till after nine o'clock; so the young couple
had the evening all to themselves. After the ice was broken, they
probably made some progress in establishing a friendship; but as it is
not fair to listen to such conversations, it cannot be reported. The
earl and his lady did not interfere, whatever they thought of the
confidential relations which appeared to be gaining strength between
the captain and their daughter, and they separated only when it was
time to retire.
After breakfast the next morning, Professor Mapps had something to say
about Cologne, and with the consent of Herr Deitzman, the landlord, it
was said in the coffee-room.
"As many of you do not study German, you would not know what was meant
by the name of the city if you saw it printed in that language," the
professor began. "It is written Köln, with the _umlaut_, or diæresis,
over the vowel, which gives it a sound similar to, but not the same as,
the _e_ in the word _met_. It is the third city of Prussia, Berlin and
Breslau alone being larger, and has a population of one hundred and
twenty thousand. On the opposite bank of the Rhine is Deutz, with which
Cologne is connected by an iron bridge and by a bridge of boats. The
former is a grand structure, and worthy of your attention.
"Cologne was originally a colony of Rome, from which comes its name.
Portions of walls built by the Romans will be pointed out to you, and
in the Museum are many relics of the same ancient origin. Agrippina,
the mother of Nero, was born here, her father, the Emperor Germanicus,
being a resident of Cologne at the time. Trajan was here when he was
called to the throne. Clovis was declared king of the Franks at
Cologne. In the fourteenth century it was the most flourishing city of
Northern Europe, and one of the principal depots of the Hanseatic
League, of which I spoke to you on a former occasion. It was called the
Rome of the North, and many Italian customs, such as the carnival, are
still retained in Cologne, though in no other city of this part of
Europe. Several causes--the principal of which was the closing of the
Rhine by the Dutch in the sixteenth century--nearly destroyed the
commercial importance of the place; but the river was opened in 1837
and the city is now growing rapidly.
"One of the principal objects of interest in Cologne is the great
cathedral, called in German the _Domkirche_. It is one of the largest
churches in the world, and if completed on the original plan, it will
rival St. Peter's at Rome. It is five hundred and eleven feet long by
two hundred and thirty-one feet wide. The choir is one hundred and
sixty-one feet high. It has two towers in process of erection, which
will be five hundred feet high, if they are ever completed. It was
commenced in the year 1248, and the work went on, with occasional
interruptions, till about a hundred years ago, when it was suspended by
war. Frederick William, King of Prussia, on his accession to the
throne, caused the work to be resumed; and it required years of labor
and vast sums of money to make the needed repairs, for the structure
was a ruin even while it was unfinished. An association has been formed
to insure its completion, and the present king, as well as his
predecessor, has contributed large sums of money.
"As you came down the river, you saw the huge crane on the summit of
one of the towers, used to hoist up stone and other materials. It has
been there for hundreds of years. When it became insecure by years of
decay it was taken down; but a tremendous thunder-storm, which occurred
soon after, was interpreted by the superstitious citizens as a wrathful
protest of the Deity at its removal, indicating that the people did not
intend to complete the work, and it was repaired and restored to its
original position. Not less than twenty years, with the utmost
diligence, will be required to finish the building, and five millions
of dollars is the estimated expense."
When the professor finished his lecture, the excursionists organized
themselves into little parties to see the sights. As the unruly
elements of the squadron were all in the Josephine, the students were
permitted to go when and where they pleased. The Blankvilles and the
Arbuckles, with Shuffles and Paul, hastened to the cathedral, as it was
but a short distance from the hotel. Sir William was not in attendance,
being engaged with Lord Elfinstone. Dr. Winstock, as usual, did much of
the talking, being entirely familiar with all the localities and
traditions of the city.
The Domhof, or square in which the cathedral stands, is partly filled
with rude sheds, in which the stone for the building is hewn, and much
of the space around the grand structure is covered with stone. Entering
the church, the party walked to the middle of the choir. Its vast
height, its lofty columns, its arches, chapels, and richly-colored
windows filled them with awe and amazement. It was the most magnificent
sight they had ever beheld, and with one consent they were silent as
they gazed upon the architectural glories of the structure. They were
interrupted very soon, however, by the appearance of an official in the
livery of the church, who presented a salver for contributions for the
completion of the building. The earl and Mr. Arbuckle each gave a
napoleon, and other members of the party gave small sums. The gold won
the heart of the official, and he was very polite.
Having observed the effect as a whole, the tourists proceeded to
examine the church in detail. Behind the high altar is the shrine of
the Three Kings of Cologne. They are represented as the Magi, who came
from the east with presents for the infant Saviour. Their bodies are
said to have been brought by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine
the Great, from the Holy Land to Constantinople, and then sent to
Milan; and when this city was captured by the Emperor Frederick, he
presented them to the Archbishop of Cologne, who placed them in the
principal church. They have always been cherished with the greatest
veneration; were enclosed in costly caskets, and adorned with gold and
silver of immense value, though these have been mostly purloined, or
otherwise appropriated. The skulls of the three kings are inscribed
with their names, in rubies: _Gaspar_, _Melchior_, and _Balthazar_.
Those who show the tomb of the Magi say its treasures are still worth a
million of dollars; but people who go to see sights must see them.
Near the shrine is a slab in the pavement, beneath which is buried the
heart of Marie de Medicis, wife of Henry IV., of France, her body
having been sent to France. In various parts of the church are ancient
and valuable paintings, in several of which the Magi are introduced.
The story of the Three Kings is a cherished tradition in several of the
cities of this part of Europe, and hotels and other public edifices
have been named for them.
Passing out of the church, the party walked around it, in order to
obtain a complete view of the exterior, whose grandeur can hardly be
overrated, even by the enthusiast in architectural beauty. At a
bookstore in the Domhof the party purchased some views of the
cathedral.
"I suppose the ladies will want some cologne, if the gentlemen do not,"
said Dr. Winstock, with a smile.
"I want some," added Paul. "My mother will be delighted with a bottle
of cologne from Cologne itself."
"The reputation of the article is world-wide, and I suppose many
fortunes have been made in the trade. Farina was the original inventor,
and there are not less than twenty-four establishments in this city
which claim to be the rightful owners of the receipt for the pure
article. I see that Murray and Fetridge both award to Jean Marie Farina
the glory of being the right one."
"The original Jacobs," laughed Paul.
"Yes. His place is opposite the Jülich's Platz; and after we have been
to the Churches of St. Cunibert and St. Ursula, we will call upon him.
There is a cologne shop," added the surgeon, as he pointed to the
opposite side of the Domhof. "I bought some there once, and I found it
very good."
There are half a dozen churches in Cologne from six to eight hundred
years old, and our party looked at them with interest. The church of
St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins presented to them a very
remarkable display. The saint went from Brittany to Rome with her
virgin band. On their return by way of the Rhine, they were all
massacred at Cologne by the savage Huns. The remains of the saint and
her companions have been gathered together, and enshrined in this
church. The bones are buried under the pavement, displayed in the
walls, or exhibited in glass cases. St. Ursula herself lies in a
coffin, and near her are the skulls of some of her preferred
companions. The chains of St. Peter, and one of the clay vessels which
held the wine of Cana, are also exhibited.
Before dinner time, the party reached the Jülich's Platz, where the
original cologne shop is located. A blast of the vapor of the fragrant
water was blown in each of their faces by the aid of a machine made for
the purpose, and each one bought a supply of the genuine article.
In the afternoon the same party visited the house in the Sternengasse,
in which Rubens was born and Marie de Medicis died. There were objects
of interest enough in the city to occupy the attention of the
excursionists till night.
"Do you find Cologne a very dirty city?" said the doctor, as they were
returning to the hotel.
"Rather so in the old market-place," replied Mr. Arbuckle. "As a whole,
I don't think it is any dirtier than most of the cities of Europe."
"That is just my view. I find that all the guidebooks and all the works
of travel insist upon inserting and indorsing Coleridge's lines on the
subject."
"What are the lines?" asked Paul.
Dr. Winstock took his guide-book and read,--
"Ye nymphs who reign o'er sewers and sinks,
The River Rhine, it is well-known,
Doth wash your city of Cologne;
But tell me, nymphs, what power divine
Shall henceforth wash the River Rhine."
"I protest that it is a slander, whatever it may have been in former
times."
The next morning the tourists took the train for Dusseldorf, where they
spent the forenoon in examining the pictures of the School of Art,
which has its headquarters in this place, and in a walk through the
beautiful Hofgarten. From this place a ride of two hours brought the
party to Aix-la-Chapelle, where they dined at the Hôtel Grand Monarque.
"Aix-la-Chapelle was the birth-place of Charlemagne, who also died
here," said Professor Mapps, after dinner. "The German name of the city
is Aachen, which is derived from _Aachs_, meaning a spring. There are
several warm medicinal springs here, which have a considerable reputation
for their curative properties. The city is called Aix-la-Chapelle from
the chapel which Charlemagne built. From him the place derived its
chief importance. He raised it to the rank of the second city in his
empire, made it the capital of all his dominions north of the Alps, and
decreed that the sovereigns of Germany and of the Romans should be
crowned here. Between 814 and 1531, the coronations of thirty-seven
kings and emperors took place here.
"It has been the scene of many Diets and church councils, and in modern
times several treaties have been signed here."
The excursionists left the hotel and walked to the cathedral, which is
probably the oldest church in Germany. This is the chapel for which the
city is named, and was intended by Charlemagne as his burial-place. It
was consecrated by Pope Leo III., assisted by three hundred and
sixty-five archbishops and bishops. It was partially destroyed by
barbarians, but was rebuilt by the Emperor Otho III., and much of the
primitive structure still remains. Under the centre of the dome is a
marble slab in the floor on which are the words CAROLO MAGNO,
indicating the spot where the tomb of Charlemagne was located. It was
probably a little chapel above ground. It was opened in 1165, and the
body was found sitting on a throne, clothed in imperial robes, a
sceptre in the hand, and a copy of the Gospels on the knee. The crown
was on the bony brow, and his sword and other articles near him. All
these relics were subsequently used at the coronation of the emperors,
but are now kept at Vienna, except the throne, which is still here.
The church has an abundance of relics, including the skull and arm-bone
of Charlemagne, though the latter has, unfortunately, turned out to be
a leg-bone! It is said that the rest of the bones of his body were
found here in a chest in a dark closet; but we are not told by what
means they were identified. If some of the apostles, martyrs, and
worthies of the past had had a dozen skulls each, sight-seers might be
more credulous. There are also in this church a lock of the Virgin's
hair, the leathern girdle of Christ with the seal of Constantine upon
it, a nail of the cross, the sponge which was filled with vinegar for
the Saviour, blood and bones of St. Stephen, and bits of Aaron's rod.
In addition to these precious articles, the cathedral has what are
called the Grand Relics, which are shown only once in seven years, and
then for but two weeks. At the exhibition in 1860, half a million
people resorted to Aix to see them. Charlemagne received them direct
from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and from Haroun-al-Raschid. They are
enclosed in a shrine of silver-gilt, of the workmanship of the ninth
century. There are four principal articles: The cotton robe, five feet
long, worn by the Virgin at the Nativity; the swaddling clothes, of a
coarse yellow cloth like sacking, in which the infant Saviour was
wrapped; the cloth on which the head of John the Baptist was laid; and
the scarf worn by the Saviour, at the crucifixion, which bears the
stains of blood. Other articles, such as religious emblems, are
doubtless of great antiquity.
The party visited the Hôtel de Ville, on the spot where stood the
palace of the Frankish kings, in which Charlemagne was born. This was
the last sight to be seen in regular course, and the last city in
Germany which the tourists were to visit that season. It had been put
to vote whether the company would remain in Aix over Sunday, or make a
night trip to Paris, and the latter had been almost unanimously
adopted. Captain Shuffles voted against it, because the earl's party
were to remain till Monday; but he gracefully yielded, and the tourists
left at eight o'clock. Lady Feodora was very sad, and so was
Shuffles--Sir William was very glad. His lordship was kind enough to
hope that the acquaintance thus begun would be continued by letter, if
not possible in any other way.
The excursionists were in Paris at eight o'clock the next morning, and
most of them had slept very well in the cars. They were allowed to
attend such churches as they pleased, and while some heard the fine
singing in St. Roch, others listened to Mass in Notre Dame, while not a
few attended at the American Chapel.
On Monday forenoon, after breakfast had been disposed of in the Hôtel
du Louvre, Mr. Arbuckle requested all the students to assemble in the
grand dining-room. When they were all in the apartment, their kind and
liberal friend rose, and was received with hearty applause.
"Young gentlemen, I thank you for this kindly greeting," said he. "I
shall never forget the debt of gratitude I owe you, and I hope, when
your squadron goes up the Baltic, you will put into Belfast on your
way. It has afforded me very great pleasure to contribute something to
your instruction and amusement, and I most sincerely regret that we
must part to-day. For myself and my family I thank you for all you have
done for us."
Mr. Arbuckle paused, and Mr. Lowington, for the ship's company, thanked
him for his liberal hospitality, and assured him that "all hands" would
remember him and his family as long as they lived.
"I thank you, Mr. Lowington; you are very kind," continued Mr.
Arbuckle. "Allow me to speak a word now for my daughter, the Grand
Protectress of the Order of the Faithful. Some of the young gentlemen
were saying something about perpetuating the association formed on our
voyage from Havre to Brest, and Grace desired me to provide a suitable
emblem for that purpose. I took the liberty, when we reached Paris,
nearly three weeks since, to order a sufficient number of badges for
all the members; and this morning I obtained them. They are very neat,
and I hope they will please you."
He held up one of the emblems.
"It is a gold anchor, with a star upon it," continued Mr. Arbuckle.
"The word FAITHFUL is inscribed upon it. Grace will be happy now to
present it to each member of the order."
The students applauded lustily, and one by one they passed before her,
and she attached the badge, which was made like a breastpin, to the
coats of the members, over the white ribbons. They were admonished
always to wear them, and always to be faithful. The Grand Protectress
was warmly cheered by the boys, when the ceremony was concluded. The
hour of parting had come, for the ship's company was to return to
Brest, while the Arbuckles proceeded to London. There was a general
shaking of hands, and a general exchanging of kind words. Paul and
Grace found the occasion a very trying one. What promises they made to
each other need not be repeated.
The Arbuckles attended the party to the station, and when the last
words of farewell had been spoken, the train moved off. The excitement
of the excursion was ended, and the ride to Brest was rather dull. The
buoyant spirit of youth, however, soon furnished a new hope, and they
now looked eagerly forward to the meeting of dear friends at home. The
train arrived at Brest in the evening, and the students slept that
night in their berths on board the ship.
The next morning the Young America sailed for Lisbon. She did not make
so quick a passage as the Josephine had made, and after a three days'
run, dropped anchor in the Tagus; but the consort had not yet arrived.