THE COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION. 9 



Va., but while she was preparing for sea he was placed 

 on duty in Washington for practice in signals. Whilst 

 on this duty he was telegraphed for to come to his 

 mother's sick-bed. His father had died while the Canan- 

 daigua was absent on her cruise, and Mrs. De Long had 

 been left alone. She had a passionate love for her son, 

 and his long absence, in a life which was repugnant to 

 her choice for him, was a grievous burden to her. She 

 was brave and unselfish, and refused to embitter his 

 life with her complaints ; but her death, which occurred 

 now, brought afresh to him a sense of the relations 

 they had sustained to each other, and his naturally 

 buoyant nature was greatly depressed when he re- 

 joined the Lancaster, which had been ordered to the 

 South Atlantic. 



His depression was deepened by the fact that he was 

 waiting for the expiration of a three years' delay, which 

 had been agreed upon between him and the father of 

 the lady to whom he had offered himself in marriage, 

 and whom he had met at Havre, where she was liv- 

 ino; at the time of the Canandaig-ua's cruise in French 

 waters. His eager, impetuous nature wore out two of 

 the three years, when the delay became insufferable. 

 He obtained leave of absence, and presented himself in 

 Havre in February, 1871, where his persistence and res- 

 olution made good the third year of his waiting. The 

 Franco-Prussian War was n earing its close. An armis- 

 tice had been declared, but Havre was accessible only 

 from the sea ; communication with Paris was cut off by 

 the Prussian army and the breaking up of bridges and 

 railways. The harbor was occupied by a number of 

 foreign men-of-war, sent for the protection of neutral 

 interests, and among; these was the U. S. Steamer Shen- 

 andoah. 



