explained about the departure of the others that day. He
ordered Brother Michael to get me a bowl of coffee from the kitchen,
and me to hear his Mass. I heard the Mass and after that he examined
me a little--asked me to read out of the _Following of Christ_ in
Latin, which I did. He gave me my acceptance, and I rushed back to
New York by the half-past eight o'clock morning train. George had
packed my trunk, and I sailed that day with the others."

The picturesqueness of the group was certainly not lessened by the
accession of Isaac Hecker, whose leap to and from Baltimore, though
hardly to be expected from a contemplative, was in accord with the
sudden energy of his nature. One who saw him at the time says that
"he had the general make-up of a transcendentalist, not excepting his
long hair flowing down on his neck."

The ship was an American one named the _Argo,_ and she was bound for
London. The voyage was every way pleasant, lasting but twenty-five
days from land to land, with bright skies, quiet sea, and fair winds.
Their berths were in the waist of the ship, in the second cabin, all
the places in the first cabin having been taken; this pleased them
well, for they loved the poor man's lot. Isaac's passage money was
paid by his brothers, and he was supplied by them and his mother with
all sorts of conveniences; and these, of course, he made to conduce
to the comfort of the entire party. The lower and larger berth of
their little state-room was occupied by Walworth and McMaster, and
Isaac took the upper and smaller one. None of them suffered from
sea-sickness.

The young pilgrims were overflowing with happiness, as if they were
going to the enjoyment of a rich heritage, as, indeed, in a spiritual
sense they were. It was a first voyage to the Old World for all of
them and they found everything interesting. They made friends with
the crew, who were nearly all Yankee sailors, and who struck them as
exactly like themselves, except that they were not religious; and
they sought entertainment with such of the passengers as were
congenial, though in this Isaac Hecker was more ready than his
companions. Father Walworth tells an incident characteristic of both
himself and his transcendental companion. He was admonishing young
Hecker to be more reticent among the crew and was asked why. "You
wouldn't like to kneel down and kiss the deck before all those
sailors," said Walworth. "Why not?" was the reply. "Then do it." And
down