Around the World in Seventy-Two Days | Page 7

sea-sick.
One family who were removing from New York to Paris, had with
them a little silver skye terrier, which bore the rather odd name of
"Home, Sweet Home." Fortunately for the dog, as well as for those who
were compelled to speak to him, they had shortened the name into
"Homie."
"Homie's" passage was paid, but according to the rules of the ship,
"Homie" was confined to the care of the butcher, much to the disgust of
his master and mistress. "Homie" had not been accustomed to such
harsh measures before, and the only streaks of happiness that came into
his life were when permission was obtained for him to come on deck.
Permission was granted with a proviso that if "Homie" barked he was
to be taken instantly below. I fear that many hours of "Homie's"
imprisonment might be laid at our door, for he knew how to dig most
frantically when anyone said, "Rats," and when he did dig, he usually
punctuated his attempt with short, crisp barks. With dismay we daily
noted "Homie's" decrease in flesh. We marveled at his losing weight
while confined in the butcher's quarters, and at last put it down to
sea-sickness, which he, like some of the passengers, confined to the
secrecy of his cabin. Towards the end of the voyage, when we were all
served with sausage and Hamburger steak, there would be many
whispered inquiries as to whether "Homie" had been seen that day. So
anxious became those whispers that sometimes I thought they were
rather tinged with a personal concern that was not wholly friendship for
the wee dog.
When everything else grew tiresome, Captain Albers would always

invent something to amuse us. He made a practice every evening after
dinner, of putting the same number of lines on a card as there were
gentlemen at the table. One of these lines he would mark and then
partly folding the card over so as to prevent the marked line from being
seen. would pass it around for the men to take their choice.
After all had marked, the card was passed to the Captain, and we would
wait breathlessly for the verdict. The gentleman whose name had been
marked paid for the cigars or cordials for the others.
Many were the discussions about the erroneous impression entertained
by most foreigners about Americans and America. Some one remarked
that the majority of people in foreign lands were not able to tell where
the United States is.
"There are plenty of people who think the United States is one little
island, with a few houses on it," Captain Albers said. "Once there was
delivered at my house, near the wharf, in Hoboken, a letter from
Germany, addressed to,
'CAPTAIN ALBERS,
FIRST HOUSE IN AMERICA.'"
"I got one from Germany once," said the most bashful man at the table,
his face flushing at the sound of his own voice, "addressed to,
'HOBOKEN, OPPOSITE THE UNITED STATES.'"
While at luncheon on the 21st of November, some one called out that
we were in sight of land. The way everyone left the table and rushed on
deck was surely not surpassed by the companions of Columbus when
they discovered America. I can not give any good reason for it, but I
know that I looked at the first point of bleak land with more interest
than I would have bestowed on the most beautiful bit of scenery in the
world.
We had not been long in sight of land until the decks began to fill with

dazed-looking, wan-faced people. It was just as if we had taken on new
passengers. We could not realize that they were from New York and
had been enjoying (?) a season of seclusion since leaving that port.
Dinner that evening was a very pleasant affair. Extra courses had been
prepared in honor of those that were leaving at Southampton. I had not
known one of the passengers when I left New York seven days before,
but I realized, now that I was so soon to separate from them, that I
regretted the parting very much.
Had I been traveling with a companion I should not have felt this so
keenly, for naturally then I would have had less time to cultivate the
acquaintance of my fellow passengers.
They were all so kind to me that I should have been the most ungrateful
of women had I not felt that I was leaving friends behind. Captain
Albers had served many years as commander of a ship in Eastern seas,
and he cautioned me as to the manner in which I should take care of my
health. As the time grew shorter for my stay on the Augusta Victoria,
some teased me gently as to the outcome of my attempt to