From Paris I Branched Out And Walked Through Holland And Belgium,
Procuring An Occasional Lift By Rail Or Canal When Tired,
And I Had A Tolerably Good Time Of It "By And Large."
I Worked Spain And Other Regions Through Agents To Save
Time And Shoe-Leather.
We crossed to England, and then made the homeward
passage in the Cunarder GALLIA, a very fine ship.
I was glad to get home - immeasurably glad; so glad,
in fact, that it did not seem possible that anything
could ever get me out of the country again.
I had not
enjoyed a pleasure abroad which seemed to me to compare
with the pleasure I felt in seeing New York harbor again.
Europe has many advantages which we have not, but they
do not compensate for a good many still more valuable
ones which exist nowhere but in our own country.
Then we are such a homeless lot when we are over
there! So are Europeans themselves, for the matter.
They live in dark and chilly vast tombs - costly enough,
maybe, but without conveniences. To be condemned to live
as the average European family lives would make life
a pretty heavy burden to the average American family.
On the whole, I think that short visits to Europe are
better for us than long ones. The former preserve us from
becoming Europeanized; they keep our pride of country intact,
and at the same time they intensify our affection for our
country and our people; whereas long visits have the effect
of dulling those feelings - at least in the majority
of cases.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 491 of 558
Words from 137319 to 137584
of 156082
