ust passing the window with the corpse exposed to
view as is the quaint custom here, to add to its horror they rouge the
face of the corpse and everybody kisses it. In the Greek church they
burn candles for people and the number of candles I have burnt for you
would light St. Paul's, and you ought to be good with so much war being
expended all over Athens for you. You buy candles instead of tipping
the verger or putting it in the poor box, or because you are
superstitious and think it will do some good, as I do.

Orient Express. Somewhere in Bulgaria on the way to London.

April 14th, 1893.

DEAR MOTHER:

Tuesday I wrote you a letter in the club at Constantinople telling you
how glad I would be to get out of that City on April 17th on the Orient
Express which only leaves twice a week on Thursdays and Mondays. So
any one who travels by the Orient is looked upon first as a millionaire
and second, if he does not break the journey at Vienna, as a greater
traveller than Col. Burnaby on his way to Khiva. Imagine a Kansas City
man breaking the journey to New York. After I wrote you that letter I
went in the next room and read of the Nile Expedition in search of
Gordon--this went through three volumes of The Graphic and took some
time, so that when I had reached the picture which announced the death
of Gordon it was half past five and I had nothing more to do for four
days-- It was raining and cold and muddy and so I just made up my mind
I would get up and get out and I jumped about for one hour like a
kangaroo and by seven I was on the Orient with two Cook men to help me
and had shaken my fist at the last minaret light of that awful city.
So, now it is all over and it is done-- I have learned a great deal in
an imperfect way of the juxtaposition of certain countries and of the
ease with which one can travel without speaking any known languages and
of the absolute necessity for speaking one, French. I am still
disappointed about the articles but selfishly I have made a lot out of
the trip. You have no idea how hard it is not to tell about strange
things and yet you know people do not care half as much for them as
things they know all about-- No matter, it is done and with the
exception of the last week it was F I N E.

"I'm going back to London, to 'tea' and long frock coats
I'm done with Cook and seeing sights
I'm done with table d'hotes
So clear the track you signal man
From Sofia to Ple