adventures and letters-第60章

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ion　at　Marion　in　July。　　Later　they　all　tried　to　come　with　us　on　the　train。　　It　looked　so　attractive　with　electric　lights　in　each　seat；　and　observation　car　and　library。　　A　reporter　interviewed　us　and　Mr。　Clark　gave　us　a　box　of　segars　and　a　bottle　of　whiskey。　　But　they　will　not　last；　as　will　Dad's　razors　and　your　housewife。　　I've　used　Dad's　razors　twice　a　day；　and　they　still　are　perfect。　　It's　snowing　again；　but　we　don't　care。　　They　all　came　to　the　station　to　see　us　off　but　no　one　cried　this　time　as　they　did　when　we　went　to　South　Africa。　　Somehow　we　cannot　take　this　trip　seriously。　　It　is　such　a　holiday　trip　all　through　not　grim　and　human　like　the　Boer　war。　　Just　quaint　and　queer。　　A　trip　of　cherry　blossoms　and　Geisha　girls。　　I　send　all　my　love　to　you。

DICK。


SAN　FRANCISCO；　February　26th。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　got　in　here　last　night　at　midnight　just　as　easily　as　though　we　were　coming　into　Jersey　City。　　Before　we　knew　it　we　had　seen　the　Golden　Gate；　and　were　snug　in　this　hotel。　　Today　as　soon　as　we　learned　we　could　not　sail　we　started　in　to　see　sights　and　we　made　a　record　and　hung　it　up　high。　　We　went　to　the　Cliff　House　and　saw　the　seals　on　the　rocks　below；　to　the　Park；　the　military　reservation；　Chinatown；　and　the　Poodle　Dog　Restaurant。　　We　also　saw　the　Lotta　monument；　the　Stevenson　monument；　the　Spreckles　band　stand；　the　place　where　the　Vigilance　Committee　hung　the　unruly；　and　tonight　I　went　to　a　dinner　the　Bohemian　Club　gave　to　the　War　correspondents。　　I　made　a　darned　good　speech。　　Think　of　ME　making　a　speech　of　any　sort；　but　I　did；　and　I　had　sense　enough　not　to　talk　about　the　war　but　the　〃glorious　climate　of　California〃　instead　and　of　all　the　wonders　of　Frisco。　　So；　I　made　a　great　hit。　　It　certainly　is　one　of　the　few　cities　that　lives　up　to　it's　reputation　in　every　way。　　I　should　call　it　the　most　interesting　city；　with　more　character　back　of　it　than　any　city　on　this　continent。　　There　are　only　four　deck　rooms　and　we　each　have　one。　　The　boat　is　small；　but　in　spite　of　the　crowd　that　is　going　on　her；　will　I　think　be　comfortable。　　I　know　it　will　be　that；　and　it　may　be　luxurious。

DICK。


On　way　to　Japan。　March　13th；　1904。

About　four　this　afternoon　we　saw　an　irregular　line　of　purple　mountains　against　a　yellow　sky；　and　it　was　Japan。　　In　spite　of　the　Sunday　papers；　and　the　interminable　talk　on　board；　the　guide　books　and　maps　which　had　made　Japan　nauseous　to　me；　I　saw　the　land　of　the　Rising　Sun　with　just　as　much　of　a　shock　and　thrill　as　I　first　saw　the　coast　of　Africa。　　We　forgot　entirely　we　had　been　twenty　days　at　sea　and　remembered　only　that　we　were　ten　miles　from　Japan；　only　as　far　as　New　Bedford　is　from　Marion。　　We　are　at　anchor　now；　waiting　to　go　in　in　the　morning。　　Were　it　not　for　war　we　could　go　in　now　but　we　must　wait　to　be　piloted　over　the　sunken　mines。　　That　and　the　flashlights　moving　from　the　cruisers　ten　miles　away　gave　us　our　first　idea　of　war。　　To…morrow　early　we　will　be　off　for　Tokio；　as　it　is　only　forty　miles　from　Yokohama。　　Of　course；　I　may　get　all　sorts　of　news　before　we　land；　but　that　is　what　we　expect　to　do。　　It　will　be　good　to　feel　solid　earth；　and　to　see　the　kimonos　and　temples　and　geishas　and　cherry　blossoms。　　I　am　almost　hoping　the　Government　won't　let　us　go　to　the　front　and　that　for　a　week　at　least　Cecil　and　I　can　sit　in　tea　houses　with　our　shoes　off　while　the　nesans　bring　us　tea　and　the　geishas　rub　their　knees　and　make　bows　to　us。　　I　am　sending　you　through　Harper's；　a　book　on　Hawaii　and　one　of　Japan　that　I　have　read　and　like　and　which　I　think　will　help　you　to　keep　in　touch　with　the　wanderers。　　With　all　my　love　to　all。

DICK。


TOKYO；　March　22nd；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

The　〃situation〃　here　continues　to　remain　in　such　doubt　that　I　cannot　tell　of　it；　as　it　changes　hourly。　　There　are　three　〃columns；〃　so　far　existing　only　in　imagination。　　That　is；　so　far　as　they　concern　the　correspondents。　　The　first　lot　have　chosen　themselves；　and　so　have　the　second　lot。　　But　the　first　lot　are　no　nearer　starting　than　they　were　two　weeks　ago。　　I　may　be　kept　waiting　here　for　weeks　and　weeks。　　I　do　not　like　to　turn　out　Palmer；　although　I　very　much　want　to　go　with　the　first　bunch。　　On　the　other　hand　I　am　paid　pretty　well　to　get　to　the　front；　and　I　am　uncertain　as　to　what　I　ought　to　do。　　If　the　second　column　were　to　start　immediately　after　the　first；　we　then　would　have　two　men　in　the　field；　but　if　it　does　not；　then　Collier　will　be　paying　1000。　a　week　for　stories　of　tea　houses　and　〃festivals。〃　　Palmer　threatens　to　resign　if　I　take　his　place　in　the　first　column　and　that　would　be　a　loss　to　the　paper　that　I　do　not　feel　I　could　make　up。　　If　it　gets　any　more　complicated　I'll　wire　Collier　to　decide。

Meanwhile；　we　are　going　out　to　dinners　and　festivals　and　we　ride。　　I　have　a　good　pony　the　paper　paid　for　Cecil　has　hired　another　and　we　find　it　delightful　to　scamper　out　into　the　country。　　We　have　three　rooms　in　a　row。　　One　we　use　for　a　sitting　room。　　They　look　very　welland　as　it　is　still　cold　we　keep　them　cheerful　with　open　fires。　　We　have　a　table　in　the　dining…room　to　ourselves　and　to　which　we　can　ask　our　friends。　　The　food　is　extremely　good。　　Griscom　and　the　Secretaries　have　all　called　and　sent　pots　of　flowers；　and　we　are　dining　out　every　other　night。　　In　the　day　we　shop　and　ride。　　But　all　day　and　all　night　we　the　correspondents　plot　and　slave　and　intrigue　over　the　places　on　the　columns。　　I　got　mine　on　the　second　column　all　right　but　no　one　knows　if　it　ever　will　move。　　So；　naturally；　I　want　to　be　on　the　first。　　The　rows　are　so　engrossing　that　I　have　not　enjoyed　the　country　as　I　expected。　　Still；　I　am　everlastingly　glad　we　came。　　It　is　an　entirely　new　life　and　aspect。　　It　completes　so　much　that　we　have　read　and　seen。　　In　spite　of　the　bother　over　the　war　passes　I　learn　things　daily　and　we　see　beautiful　and　curious　things；　and　are　educated　as　to　the　East；　as　no　books　could　have　done　it　for　us。　　John　Bass　who　was　my　comrade　in　arms　in　Greece　and　his　wife　are　here。　　They　are　the　very　best。　　Also　we　see　Lloyd　daily；　and　the　hotel　is　full　of　amusing　men；　who　are　trying　to　get　to　the　front。　　Of　course；　we　know　less　of　the　war　than　you　do。　　None　of　the　news　from　Cheefoo；　none　of　the　〃unauthorized〃　news　reaches　us。　　Were　it　not　for　our　own　squabbles　we　would　not　know　not　only　that　the　country　was　at　war　but　not　even　that　war　existed　ANYWHERE　in　the　world。　　We　are　here　entirely　en　tourist　and　it　cannot　be　helped。　　The　men　who　tried　to　go　with　the　Russians　are　equally　unfortunate。　　Think　of　us　as　wandering　around　each　with　a　copy　of　Murray　seeing　sights。　　That　is　all　we　really　do；　　All　my　love。

DICK。


YOKOHAMAApril　2；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　just　got　your　letter　dated　the　28th　of　February　and　the　days　following　in　which　you　worried　over　me　in　the　ice　coated　trenches　of　Korea。　　I　read　it　in　a　rickshaw　in　a　warm　sun　on　my　way　to　buy　favors　for　a　dinner　to　Griscom。　　We　have　had　three　warm　days　and　no　doubt　the　sun　will　be　out　soon。　　The　loss　of　the　sun；　though；　is　no　great　one。　　We　have　lots　of　pleasures　and　lots　of　troubles　in　spite　of　the　Sun。　　Yesterday　the　first　batch　of　correspondents　were　sent　on　their　way。　　I　doubt　if　they　will　get　any　further　than　Chemulpo　but　their　going　cheered　the　atmosphere　like　a　storm　in　summer。　　The　diplomats　and　Japanese　were　glad　to　get　rid　of　them；　they　were　delighted　to　be　off。　　Some　had　been　here　58　days；　and　we　all　looked　at　it　as　a　good　sign　as　it　now　puts　us　〃next。〃　　But　after　they　had　gone　it　was　pretty　blue　for　some　of　them　were　as　good　friends　as　I　want。　　I　know　few　men　I　like　as　well　as　I　do　John　Bass。　　Many　of　them　were　intensely　interesting。　　It　was；　by　all　odds；　the　crowd　one　would　have　wished　to　go　with。　　As　it　is；　I　suspect　we　all　will　meet　again　and　that　the　two　columns　will　be　merged　on　the　Yalu。　　None　of　the　attaches　have　been　allowed　to　go；　so　it　really　is　great　luck　for　the　correspondents。　　Tell　Chas　I　still　am　buying　my　Kit。　　It's　pretty　nearly　ready　now。　　I　began　in　New　York　and　kept　on　in　Boston；　San　Francisco；　and　here。　　It　always　was　my　boast　that　I　had　the　most　complete　kit　in　the　world；　and　in　spite　of　Charley's　jeers　at　my　lack　of　preparedness　everybody　here　voted　it　the　greatest　ever　seen。　　For　the　last　ten　days　all　the　Jap　saddlers；　tent　makers　and　tinsmiths　have　been　copying　i