When Alice went to her room she found there a new steamer-trunk marked "A. W." in large letters, and then she was busy indeed getting it packed and deciding what to take with her.
Mrs. Winter came in while Alice was almost in despair and said, "This is to be such a hurried trip you will need only a couple of dresses, but you must take all your warm wraps."
Alice laughed and said, "I do not think I shall need them in the spring;" but mamma said, "It is always cold at sea, and you will need your winter clothes."
Friday afternoon our little party started for New York, with the best wishes of their friends, who came to the station for the very last "good-byes." Alice even shed a few tears, but they were soon wiped away, and a happy face looked from the car window, which fortunately was on the side overlooking the Hudson River.
Alice had never seen that lovely river before, and naturally was delighted.
When they passed the Catskill Mountains it was so clear she could see the famous old Mountain House, and, beyond, the immense Kauterskill Hotel, which seemed almost in the clouds, it looked so high.
West Point was the next object of interest, and Alice did hope she could go there sometime and see the cadets do some of their drills.
When they were opposite the Palisades, which stood up in their grandeur, with the softened tints of the setting sun settling upon them, Alice said, "I know I shall see nothing in Europe any finer than that."
Very soon the tall spires and smoke in the distance showed that they were drawing near New York, and after leaving the Hudson they followed the pretty Harlem River, which makes an island of New York City.
Alice was much interested in the bridges, there seemed to be so many of them, and papa told her that the one then in sight was the new Washington bridge, just completed. The next was High bridge, which carries the water over the river into the city. When it was finished it was said to be the finest engineering in the country.