gypt to America by way of
Paris, in order that I might see the great city once more toward the end
of my tour, and be the better qualified to estimate her true position in
the world, I made a little bundle of the guide books and views, which I
had already accumulated on my trip, and also dropped some of the
superfluities of my wardrobe--these things I gave into the care of my
chamberlain, and bade good-by to Paris for a season. My friend and tutor
Prof. P.S., accompanied me to the station and bought me a ticket for
Brussels, as we call it in our language, but the French and Belgians call
it Bruixelle (pron. Broo-[)i]x-el). My friend informed me of this and gave
me a drill on pronouncing the word correctly, for if I should have called
it Brussels, no Frenchman would have understood what I meant. I was now
about to leave the only acquaintance that could speak my language, and go
to another people of the same strange language as the Parisians speak,
with no right to expect that I should be so lucky again in meeting a
suitable companion. I had ordered my mail to be forwarded to Cologne,
Germany, until September 1st. At 11:15 p.m., August 6th, the train moved
away with me toward Belgium.

I had forgotten to ask how often and where I must "change cars" from Paris
to Brussels, and now, where no one understood either English or German,
what could be done! Possibly, I need not make a change all night; and
perhaps I should at the next station already! How readily my friend could
have informed me, had I only asked him! But I managed to keep the right
track, though at the expense of considerable anxiety and the sacrifice of
some rest and sleep that I might otherwise have enjoyed during that
night-journey. I learned a lesson, however, which aided me in avoiding
such perplexities in the future. As soon is we reached the first station,
I ran to a conductor and, holding up my ticket, cried out, "Broox-el?" He
understood me and motioned me to keep my seat. Some accommodating
Frenchman soon told me that he was traveling the same way for a
considerable distance, (as his ticket also made clear to me), and offered
kindly to inform me when I had to leave that train. My peace of mind being
thus restored again, I made a pillow of my satchel and went to sleep.

The next forenoon (Saturday, August 7th) we reached Douane, where we had
to pass muster under the Belgian custom-house officers. I was now with the
wooden-shoed Belgians. A large company