Impressions of Travel 43 



the Shannon made her way, across a well-ploughed 

 wintry sea. We learnt what the lift of the great 

 Atlantic combers means. The bay was a grand tonic ; 

 the sea scours the mind together with the body. 

 Lulled to sleep by its rough cradling and salt breezes, 

 incantations rose to 



The mother of mutable winds and hours, 

 Cold and clean as her faint, salt flowers. 



The most intrepid spirit may well flinch before 

 London on Sunday, at the hour of 7 a.m. ; but the 

 P. & O. Company decree that the ordeal must be 

 gone through. And so we were back once more, 

 and trod the sloppy pavements and breathed fog ; 

 and who can wonder if there arose a yearning " beyond 

 the sky-line where the strange roads go down " in 

 exchange for this " man-stifled town " ? 



The desire grows with years : is it true that we 

 drag at each remove a lengthening chain? Perhaps 

 the longer human nature given to idealise looks 

 through Time's telescope, the brighter grows the 

 vision at the other end ; the discomforts connected 

 with travelling sink into the shade, its pleasures heighten 

 in tone. 



Travel has many advantages, of course ; nothing 

 appeals to mankind like " change," or better satisfies 

 the restlessness felt at some time or another by every 

 human being. It does not come natural to " sit tight " 

 it means an effort of will. As children we begin by 

 exploring under the dining-room table among the 



