Sherman — Birds by the Wayside 243 



BIRDS BY THE WAYSIDE, IN EUROPE, ASIA, 



AND AFRICA. 



by althea r. sherman. 



Introduction. 



This narrative is concerned with a jouirney of ten months' 

 duration, that was begun on Friday, November 7, 1913. It 

 isi not supposable that the sHght inconveniences and the more 

 grievous disappointments occasioned by the war in Europe 

 v/ould have been avoided had the start been made on the 

 thirteenth of a month instead of on the seventh ; but this 

 deadly strife having inte-rrupted travel the number thirteen 

 appeared with a frequency sufficient to gladden the hearts 

 of the most superstitious. Though I was thirteen minutes too 

 late to 'Secure berth No. 13 in cabin No. 13, yet a place was 

 found in the cabin next to it on a steamer that sailed from 

 Copenhagen on August 13th at the thirteenth hour of that 

 day. Our g-ood ship, escaping ths mines, together with the 

 ordinary dangers of a sea voyage, that lasted thirteen days, 

 brought us in safety to the blessed shores of Hoboken on 

 August 26th, and the trunk I was forced to leave in London 

 came safely at the end of two months and thirteen days at 

 a cost of $13.03 only for shipment. 



Barring a large curtailment of the journey near its close, 

 its accomplishment in the main was according to original 

 plans without any very se-rious inconveniences, with nothing 

 lost of greater value than a lead pencil or a hair-pin, and 

 with nothing stolen. My suitcase, locked but once on the 

 entire journey, passed through hundreds of hands ; it either 

 contained nothing that aroused cupidity, or the honesty of 

 those to whom it was intrusted is worthy of mention. That 

 one for six months can without accident or delay move for- 

 ward according to a previously scheduled plan, that has fixed 

 where he shall lie down, and where he shall rise up, where he 

 shall eat, drink, and be held up for tips, must be due to the 

 faithful performance of duty by many humble workers on 

 boats, and railway trains, and all along the avenues of travel. 



A conflict of nations, that cut down many a poor lad in 

 his teens, prevented my trip reaching its majority, and I 

 Copyrighted by Althea R. Sherman, 1915. 



