236 NATHANIEL SOUTHGATE SEALER 



epoch in the young people's lives presumably the stream of 

 time itself might stop. When the tale was told it was evident 

 that in their hearts the young couple were already booked for 

 X. Some months after, one day while walking down the Rue 

 de Rivoli in Paris, Mr. Shaler was accosted by two strangers, 

 who explained that they had instantly recognized him as their 

 fellow traveller. " We had a lovely time at X.," said the young 

 wife, "and we sent some friends and they sent their friends; 

 and so, on the strength of your recommendation, the little vil- 

 lage has become a regular resort for brides and bridegrooms." 

 And she added naively, " I suppose you did n't know when we 

 met you that we were on our wedding journey." 



From Switzerland to Italy was the natural transition. Mr. 

 Shaler first saw Rome when the Pope was still unbereft of his 

 temporal power the old, dirty, picturesque Rome, shrunken 

 within its ancient walls. Rome was never again the same home 

 of the spirit to him; the ancient city smothered in the new, 

 transformed and cheaply modernized, the street-cars bumping 

 and screeching along the ways which to his youthful imagina- 

 tion had, so to speak, been profanely sacred, grew to be posi- 

 tively distasteful. He liked, however, to tramp beyond the city 

 walls out on the Campagna, where he felt as light and free, as 

 swift-footed, as though the wings of Mercury speeded his way. 

 He was also at that time and during later visits to Italy su- 

 premely happy in his excursions to the small neighboring towns, 

 where, in addition to Nature's gentle doings, he was sure to 

 find a beautiful church, a famous picture, or a rare specimen 

 of the silversmith's art, beauties which he could enjoy at his 

 leisure without the din of comment of hurried travellers. At the 

 simple inn, too, he rarely failed of good and racy company to 

 share with him his dinner a jolly priest, or some sensitive 

 crowd-detesting wanderer like himself. Ever ready to be a 

 brother to all worthy souls, frank, guileless, and fearless, he 

 got much of generous giving, in the way of good fellowship, from 

 these passing comrades. 



