Amy Neally

“ Alice wanted to put some little things around to look pretty, but her mamma said, "No, dear, for if the ship rolls they will be all over the floor."
Alice laughed and said, "I guess the 'Etruria' never rolls enough for that; she is too big."
"Wait and see," quietly said her mamma.
Mrs. Winter said, "Now we will put on our warm wraps and go on deck."
Mr. Winter had found their chairs and put them in a nice place. Just as they were being settled in them, the gong was sounded again. "That is for lunch this time," said Mr. Winter, "and I for one am glad, for I am very hungry." ”

“ NUREMBERG.
In the morning Mr. Winter said, "I will give one day to you for sight-seeing, and then I must attend to business. You will have to spend the rest of your time going around with a guide or by yourselves."
Alice was delighted with the old moat which was opposite her window, and wanted to look in it at once.
Nellie felt the castle was of more importance, and could hardly wait to get there. The moat surrounds the old city, and now is rented to gardeners, who live in the old towers and cultivate the land in the moat. ”

“ Ford took them to a quaint, old-fashioned place noted for its soups, for lunch.
In the afternoon the Tower of London was visited, and of course was of more interest to the Winters than to the Fords.
To Alice it was very realistic, it was so full of English history. She could tell her mamma much more than could the man, in his strange costume, who showed them around.
That night the ladies and the two girls were too tired to go out again, so Mr. Ford took Mr. Winter and they did a little sight-seeing on their own account. ”

“ Alice was writing letters in the saloon to send home, when suddenly the steamer stopped.
"Oh, dear, what is the matter?" she cried, jumping to her feet. A gentleman sitting near her said, "It is a fog, and as we are very near Fastnet Rock they do not dare to go on."
Soon a gun was heard in answer to the steamer's whistle, and the gentleman said, "We must be right there now."
Alice went up on deck rather frightened, but as suddenly as the fog had settled upon them it lifted, and directly ahead of them was the straight rock rising out of the water like a sentinel. ”

“ You know it is as hard for us to leave you as it will be for you to let us go."
Alice left the room without another word, with her heart beating very fast from the excitement of it all.
The thought of going to Europe across the great ocean was a very happy one to a bright girl of fifteen who was studying all the time about the places she would visit and the objects of interest she would see, if her papa would only decide to take her.
Alice sat down by the window of her pretty room, and looked out on the village street, far away in the northern part of the State of New York. ”

“ They were much interested in a lace manufactory. On the lower floor were women at work on the finest patterns. They were all ages, from twenty to seventy, and never looked up while their work was being examined.
When the girls were leaving the room, Alice laughed at some remark of Nellie's, and then every head was lifted and a sad smile came on each face for a second.
Mr. Winter bought two lace handkerchiefs for the girls to take as presents to their mothers. ”

“ Mr. Winter did not come home to dinner, and in the afternoon Mrs. Winter and the girls went to the Museum, where they found more to interest them than anywhere they had been. It had a very large and interesting collection of paintings and antiquities, but the girls enjoyed seeing the old cloister—the first they had ever seen.
That evening when Mr. Winter came home, he told his wife that he should only be obliged to remain one more day, and they must entertain themselves again without him. ”

“ The storks are held in great reverence by mankind, and are never harmed. Indeed, it is considered good fortune to the inmates of a house when a nest is built on one of its chimneys.
The driver told a story of one man who gave up the use of his room an entire winter, rather than destroy a nest which two storks had built over the top of his chimney, and thus prevented his building a fire.
As they approached the cathedral Alice said, "Why, papa, where is the clock? I cannot see it at all." ”

“ Alice felt so unhappy to be parted from Nellie that Mr. Winter finally persuaded Mr. and Mrs. Ford to let Nellie go with them to Nuremberg, as it would give her a delightful trip, and she was equally miserable to be left in Brussels without Alice. ”

“ Thousands were killed, but they steadily increased, and he was finally obliged to flee in terror of his life to a boat, still pursued by legions.
"Hatto was ferried over the Rhine to the tower, but the mice perforated the walls, and fell on him by the thousands, and ate him up. They then disappeared, and the tower has been called the 'Mouse Tower' ever since.
"It has never been used in any way, but stands as a warning to despotic people."
Mr. Winter said, "Alice, you told that very well; but he was not such a very wicked man as the legend makes him. ”

“ The land is divided by water wide enough for flat-bottomed boats to be rowed about, that the farmers may till their land and bring home the products in them.
It seemed very strange to see women at work in the fields, but Mr. Ford said they would get used to that before they reached Nuremberg.
It was dark when the train drew in at the station at Brussels, and they took a stage marked "Grand Hotel," and were driven through the principal street of the city. The shops were all lighted, and the streets and sidewalks full of people. ”

“ On leaving the tug, Alice and Nellie were very careful to each put her left foot first on the dock, as they had been told it would bring them good luck.
There was not much to interest our party in Liverpool except the docks, which of course Alice had been told were the finest in the world. After leaving the Custom House they were driven to the North Western Hotel, and the ladies and two girls waited in the parlor in front of an enormous soft-coal fire, while Mr. Ford and Mr. Winter went into the station, which joins the hotel, and engaged a compartment for London. ”

“ Tuesday night saw our party again in London, but at the Savoy Hotel, where they had delightful rooms overlooking the river.
Wednesday at eleven o'clock our happy party took the special train which connects with the fast steamers, and at four o'clock were on the "Teutonic" and starting for home.
A lovely night down to Queenstown, where the steamer stops for the mails. While waiting the next morning, Mr. Winter and Mr. Ford took Alice and Nellie on shore in the tug, and gave them a nice drive in a jaunting car.
The girls did not enjoy the drive very much, but were glad of the experience. ”

“ The statue of Albert Dürer, erected in 1840, is between the Sausage Shop and his old home. All the houses, with their deep, slanting roofs, were objects of interest, but most of all was that of Albert Dürer, which is the only house in Nuremberg that has not undergone some alteration.
The house is now filled with many curiosities, some of them having belonged to Albert Dürer, and is open every day to visitors. The girls wanted to stop and go in at once, but Mr. Winter said, "No, we cannot stop now; we must get to the castle, and leave the house until we have more time." ”

“ It proved to be a very smooth trip, and only a little over an hour was spent in crossing.
The train left Calais fifteen minutes after the arrival of the boat, and the gentlemen bought nice luncheons which were put up in baskets,—chicken, bread and butter, and a bottle of wine.
They found a good compartment, and away they went, eating their lunch and enjoying the views from the windows at the same time.
Belgium is called the garden of Europe, as vegetables are raised there for all the principal cities. ”

“ The guide showed them the plateau half-way up the height of the steeple, and told them that it is used by men who watch for fires all the time. The citizens are so proud of the cathedral that they have it dusted and washed inside very frequently.
"Where is the clock?" said Mrs. Winter, as soon as the guide stopped talking long enough for her to speak a word. ”

“ Bingen is not a very interesting town, but has many walks and drives that are full of interest in every way.
Directly opposite, on the heights of Niederwald, is the beautiful monument built to commemorate the restitution of the German Empire in 1870-1871.
Alice and Nellie did wish they could stop long enough to go up and see it, it looked so grand and mighty outlined against the sky. Mr. Winter said, "No, we must get to Mayence to-night." ”

“ That evening after Nellie had told her mamma some of her pleasant experiences, Mr. Winter said, "Now we have just five days to spend in Paris, and you must decide what you would most like to do. Mr. Ford and I are entirely at your disposal." ”

“ Ford had to go out on business, and Mrs. Ford said she would entertain Mrs. Winter if Mr. Winter would take the girls sight-seeing. They started on their walk in high spirits, and found such wide, clean streets, interesting shops, and large, handsome buildings.
The new Exchange just completed, and the Palace of Justice, are two of the most magnificent civic buildings in Europe. ”

“ It is not very far, if you think you won't mind the smoke and confined air. The station is very near, and we shall be left at the next building to the wax-works. I have been driven there and it only took about twenty minutes, so I think we can go by train in ten."
"All right," said Mr. Winter; "it will be a good opportunity to see how we shall like it."
Off they all started to the Charing Cross station. The girls did not like going down underground so far, but Alice said to Nellie, "I think I will not say much about it unless mamma does." ”

“ What is the matter? Are you going away? Are you sick? What made you come home so early?" were the questions which Alice gave rapidly, without waiting for an answer.
Mr. Winter said, "Yes, dear, I am obliged to go to Nuremberg, Germany, on business immediately, and mamma is trying to make up her mind whether it is best for her to go with me. She does not like to leave you for so long a time, and we do not think it wise to take you with us, when you are getting on at school so nicely."
"O papa, please take me with you. ”

“ The girls thought it very interesting, but Mrs. Winter said, "A sheriff's position in England must be very different from that in America, where they usually go about in the quietest manner possible."
Mr. Winter and Mr. Ford came in and told them it was time to get some lunch. A very nice one they had, and Alice was particularly interested in the table on wheels, with the joints of meat on it, which was pushed about to each person to select the cut of meat he liked. ”

“ For some blocks before reaching the entrance are paintings of Christ, representing the last days of his life.
At the gateway are the three statues of Christ and the two thieves nailed to the cross.
The guide showed them the graves of Dürer and Sachs, and one of a man who had been killed, while asleep, by his wife hammering a nail in his head. There was a bronze skull, with the nail in it just where she killed him. ”

“ The lady also told them that the five-cornered tower, which is the oldest building in Nuremberg and connected with the castle, contained a collection of instruments of torture. Among them is the iron virgin, a figure of a woman, which opens and is full of spikes. The poor victim would be shut up in its clutches. ”

“ The castle stands very high, and they were obliged to drive up through very narrow and steep streets; but the horses were used to it, and Mrs. Winter finally overcame her nervousness.
When the top of the hill was reached, there was a plateau where a beautiful view of the city was to be seen. They left the carriage here, and after looking at the scenery they walked on up to the castle.
NUREMBERG CASTLE.
On the way they saw a small shed, and, on looking in, found it held the famous well. ”

“ The people who came to the foot of the rock were swallowed in the waves, while those who tried to climb to the top were either thrown back into the water or led through the dense woods, only to be days finding their way out of them. ”

“ The steamer started immediately, and in five minutes the row-boat was only a speck on the water.
"There is another hotel, papa. What is it?" said Alice.
"That is the Long Beach Hotel, and you will not see another until you reach Liverpool," said her papa.
CHAPTER III.
LIFE ON A STEAMER.
"Come, Alice," said Mrs. Winter, "we will go down to our state-room and unpack our trunks while we are in smooth water, for to-morrow morning it may be so rough we cannot get out of our berths at all." ”