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 



