CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION 17 



Dear Father, I left Lowville Thursday morning at 8 

 o'clock and staged it to Rome where I arrived at 3 o'clock 

 P.M. At 9 we left in cars and reached Albany at 3 o'clock 

 A.M. Friday I breakfasted for the sake of my baggage at 

 Stanwix Hall, and at 7 o'c was sailing off in the steamer 

 Confidence. She was the only boat running that day, and 

 sang up to the tune of $1.50 for passage. I had a very pleas- 

 ant ride down the river. My eye was greeted with lots of 

 green things, many willows and also fruit trees were in 

 blossom. When we started it rained a little, and a rather 

 strong south wind made it unpleasant to look about, but when 

 we got down 40 or 50 miles it became much milder, the sun 

 shone, and I mounted myself upon the capstan on the prow 

 of the boat, and heartily enjoyed the magnificent scenery 

 which I was enabled to appreciate to some extent intelligently 

 by aid of a small book I purchased, entitled ''Wilson's Illus- 

 trated Guide to the Hudson River, ' ' which gave a map of the 

 river and notices of the important towns, etc. At 5 P.M. we 

 reached the dock in New York, and I rode down to Fulton 

 Market Slip to take the Flushing boat, but in the midst of 

 a squabble with a parcel of negroes about my baggage and 

 pay, the boat sailed, and I wheeled up to Lovejoy's Hotel to 

 pass the night. Lovejoy's is a huge building in Park Row 

 just opposite the Astor House, and is carried on in just the 

 style to suit me. They charge .50 cts. for lodging, and a 

 person may take meals or not as he chooses, and no questions 

 asked. The Refectory is in the basement where a person may 

 at any time of day call for what he wants, and is carried on 

 as if it were a separate concern. A good meal of ham and 

 eggs, enough for any man, for .25 cts. Sat. I ran about the 

 city, visited the Nat. Academy of Design, a glorious collection 

 of paintings, and the American Museum, and at 1/2 past 4 

 sailed for Flushing where I was literally recv'd with open 

 arms by Uncle Ezra and the rest. The teachers are all 

 back, and now Tuesday, 11 O'c A.M. 25 students. Many 

 more are expected all through the week. . . . Please send 



