e monster might be seen on the
bluffs at Alton until recent times.

I cannot help thinking, however, that the story is, after all, a myth
of the dreaded tornado so frequent in the West. I have a photograph of
such a storm, taken in Iowa, and the huge, involving clouds, spread out
like wings, and, the descending funnel or waterspout, reaching to the
earth, destroying all it touches, exactly resembles a huge monster
bird, in awful and sudden flight, devouring everything before it. The
discharge of the arrows at the monster, thus killing it, may be a hint
of the well-known fact, that any sudden impact upon a whirlwind, in its
funnel-shaped motion, will destroy its vibrations and hence its
progress. A rifle-shot, sent into a whirling dust pillar on the great
plains, will reduce the dreadful thing at once to a clatter of falling
dust and pebbles, and a dead heap of harmless stuff. So much for a
theory anyway.

I returned to St. Louis by the Missouri side, having with me my lady
friend and her little daughter. The route took us over the great
bridges which span the two rivers just above their confluence. It was
grand in its effect, to pass over two such great streams coming close
together from their distant sources, soon to mingle in one mighty
torrent, emptying itself more than a thousand miles away, into the Gulf
of Mexico.

It was all a sort of enchanted excursion, waking up many memories of a
past, so far removed from the present hour.

Our train brought us into the great Union Station, from which I had set
out three hours before.

While in this splendid station I had the good fortune to have a long
chat with the superintendent thereof. He tried to tell me, I should
say, he did tell me, of its wonderful construction, its great extent,
its complex machinery, its electrical appliances, its vast detail of
business. I have only an impression of the sweet gentleness which so
patiently explained all to me, and of the myriad ramifications which I
could see, could but dimly understand, and vaguely remember. He has my
thanks and grateful memory for his kindness.

We also saw in the St. Louis depot a thoroughly interesting American
affair. It was an educational car, run by two or three bright young
fellows, who quite captivated us by their intelligence and spirit. They
were occupying a beautiful private car, fitted up as an office and a
dwelling; and were travelling over the country in the interest of a
great institution ca