And then we went to India, Josiah and me did; almost the oldest country in the world, and exceedingly curious. Here we see some of the most fine and delicate store clothes I ever laid eyes on; I could have hid a hull muslin dress of thirty-five yards in Josiah’s vest pocket, if it would have been right so to do, and nobody would have mistrusted he was carryin’ off a thing. Why, a double thickness hangin’ over my Josiah wouldn’t hinder me from seein’ my pardner a particle; and then we see dresses of the lower class, all made ready to put on; fourteen yards of cloth in a straight strip. Them wimmen don’t fool away their time on boddis waists and overskirts.
Then we went through the hull of the British Colonies, stopped in front of the hull of ’em, treated ’em all friendly and alike. Then we tackled a hull lot of Islands, sailed round the hull of ’em from Victoria to New Zealand. While travellin’ through the last named, I clung to Josiah’s arm almost mekanically, though I knew his small weight by the steelyards, (one hundred pounds, mostly bones) was in his favor. We see there the skeleton of the great wingless bird Moa, bigger than the ostridge; by their tell, the eggs would be splendid for cookin’. Seven by ten—one biled egg would be enough for a large family. I asked ’em if they s’posed I could git a couple of eggs; I thought if I could, I would set three or four hens on ’em and a goose or two, and git a flock started.
And in Bermuda we see amongst lots of other things, some brain coral. And as the poet truly saith, “Every part strengthens a part,” I thought what a interestin’ and agreeable food that would be for some people to eat three times a day, till their symptoms was removed. We was travellin’ through the Nations now pretty middlin’ fast, not alone from principle heretofore named, but also from the fact that we had seen so much, that we didn’t see nothin’.
In Sweden my feelins got worked upon to a very affectin’ degree; first I knew, right there in the midst of life, and the brilliant animation of the scene, I see a little coffin and a cradle with a dead baby in it, and leanin’ over it weepin’, as if her heart would break was the afflicted mother; and in a chair nigh by, jest as if it was my Josiah, sot the father lookin’ as if he would sink, with a little girl jest about the age of Tirzah Ann when I married her pa, a standin’ by him. A man, a minister I thought by his looks stood by ’em, but not a woman nigh ’em, nobody offerin’ to do a thing for ’em, and they in a strange land. I walked right up to ’em and says I in a tremblin’ voice:
“You are a stranger to me, mom, but I see you are in deep trouble, and the hand of sorrow draws hearts that was wide apart close together, and the voice of pity and sympathy speaks through every language under the sun. Can I do anything to help you mom? If I can, command me do it, for I feel for you,” says I drawin’ out my white cotton handkerchief and wipin’ my eyes, “I too am a stepmother.”
She didn’t say nothin’; I see grief was overcomin’ of her, and I turned to him and says I, “If I can be of any use to you sir, if there is any preparations to make, I stand willin’ and ready to make ’em.”
He didn’t say nothin’; so I says to the minister: “Respected sir, I see this afflicted family is perfectly overcome with their feelins; but I want ’em to know when they come to and realize things, that if they need help I stand ready to help ’em. Will you tell ’em so?”
He didn’t answer me a word; and thinks’es I, there haint but one more step that I can take to show my good will, and I says to the little girl in tender tones:
“Come to Aunt Samantha sissy, your poor pa is feelin’ awfully.” And I took holt of her hand, and there it was, nothin’ but a dumb figger, and there they all was, nothin’ but dumb figgers! And as I took a realizin’ sense of it, I was a dumb figger myself (as it were), for most a minute I stood in deep dumbfounder—not shame, for my words had sot out from good motives, and the home of principle. But I put my handkerchief in my pocket and started along; Experience keeps a good school. There was more than twenty other figgers that I should have tackled as sure as the world, if I hadn’t come right out of that school kep’ by E. And in Norway I persume I should have asked that Laplander in a sledge, some questions about his own country; if reindeers was profitable as horses, or if he didn’t think a cutter would be easier goin’, or sunthin’. But as it was, I passed ’em with a mean almost marble for composure. I had had an idee that Sweden and Norway was sort o’ hangin’ back in the onward march of the Nations; why, I almost thought they was a settin’ down; but I see my ignorance; they are a keepin’ up nobly with Jonesville and the world.
And then we, Josiah and me, went off into Italy, and there see more carved wood-work, perfectly wonderful, some of it; and jewelry and furniture, and statutes. There was one of David—I never see David look any better—and then there was one small statute of Dante. I wasn’t formally acquainted with Dante myself, but I have heerd Thomas J. read about him a sight. Oh what troubles that man went through. It was very interestin’ and agreeable to me to form his acquaintance here, (as it were.)