32S ISLES OF SUMlirER. 



gay mantle of spring, and greeted us with sunny smiles, "WQ 

 knew that more disease and discomfort lay ambushed within its 

 thirty-one days than can be found in any three of the remaining 

 montlis of the year. It miglit deceive the flowers — they i:iave 

 perished in its frosts before; and tlie birds that have more mel- 

 ody and beauty tlian mind and brains; and tempt tlie fish back 

 to their old spawning grounds — a shad cannot be expected to 

 know any better — but as for us, we said, we would seek for sum- 

 mer where summer lives and reigns throughout the entire circle 

 of the revolving year, wliere the northern March is unknown. 



Our arrangements were soon made, and the steamer Elm City 

 landed us safely in New York, after a refreshing night's sleep. 

 Before the break of day, while we skirted the eastern shore of 

 Manhattan Island, we looked out of our stateroom window, 

 through the murky and humid air, upon the sleeping city, and 

 mused and marveled at the wondrous changes which an hour or 

 two of daylight would produce. Its shipping and great business 

 arteries were but dimly revealed in the gas-light and lamp-light, 

 wliile gloomy vajiors concealed from view its dome of stars. The 

 fevered and mad pulses that so wildly beat and throb by day, 

 were soothed and quieted by kind nature's grand oi^iate and re- 

 storative, sleej). Day and night work wondrous changes in our 

 country's great commercial capital. Ocean in calm and storm 

 is not more unlike than a great city at mid-day and mid-night. 

 0, how we abominate the horrid noises of its crowded streets— 

 the awful solitude of its thoroughfares! 



It was between eight and nine o'clock in the morning when 

 the astonishing fact was discovered that our trunks had not ac- 

 companied us to New York, they having been left unchecked at 

 the steamboat dock at New Haven! Our stateroom in the Wes- 

 tern Texas was engaged, and the steamer was advertised to sail 

 at 3 P. M. of the same day. Had we lost our money we could have 



