CHAPTER XVII.

B

VACATION TOUR IN EUROPE.

ETWEEN the years of 1875 and 1882 an earnest effort was made to advance all departments of the work. New apparatus and buildings were needed.

to meet the growing demands. Professor Larkin, with his usual enthusiasm, was collecting funds from old students, teachers, and friends, to carry forward the completion of the Kenyon Memorial Hall. Memorial Hall. The library, chemical and mechanical departments, with all other interests of the Institution, were in constant need of means for enlargement and completion, so that the necessary outlay of funds much exceeded the income. The constant strain to make one dollar do the work of ten became so great that the continued effort of making "bricks without straw" began to tell upon Mr. Allen's health and vigor. My own health, so long nearly perfect, now seemed failing, thus adding sleepless nights to his many cares. Our eldest daughter, Evangel, who had cheerfully shared all the home burdens, married, and moved away. Added to all, his nervous system was still suffering from the effects of the smallpox, which he had in 1879. His friends observed his failing health, and after a time succeeded in inducing him to accept the invitation of Mr. Charles Potter to go to Europe.

In the following pages Dr. A. H. Lewis enables the reader to follow our travelers from point to point and gather a reflection of those experiences which brought them the richly-earned rest, opportunities, and pleasure. To recall this journey was a never-failing source of pleasure to President Allen, as well as of profit to his friends.

"THE CRAM CLUB."

A special expression of personal regard for President Allen was made by Charles Potter, Jr., Plainfield, N. J., in the spring of 1882. Noticing that he was weary from overwork and anxiety, Mr. Potter decided that an extended rest, and change of scene, would be a means of profit and pleasure to the President, and a lasting benefit to the University. This resulted in his making President Allen his guest for a European trip. At the same time George H. Babcock, of Plainfield, determined to make the same trip, with A. H. Lewis as his guest. So it came about that a party of four congenial spirits entered upon an experience which proved pleasant, profitable, and beneficial in the highest degree. It deepened friendships already existing, and strengthened ties which have continued to hold the group in closest union. The " calling home" of President Allen breaks the circle, and the remaining ones (one of whom writes these lines) feel the deeper loneliness because so much of what is brightest and best in the memory of those days, was contributed by him, whom all so sincerely mourn.

Before the outward ocean voyage was completed, the party was informally organized for literary purposes as "The Cram Club." The itinery determined upon included Ireland, Scotland, England, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland. President Allen's choices touching scenes of scientific and historic interest, formed a large factor in determining the places to be visited. Every facility was furnished for the ease and comfort of the Club. Times and methods of travel were chosen which would accomplish the purpose of enjoying the best in natural scenery, art, literature, science, and religion which the Old World can offer, and yet conduce to the greatest physical comfort and health of the party. President Allen entered into it all with the zest of a scholar, the enthusiasm of a specialist, in many departments, and the untrammeled enjoyment which comes where common choices and growing friendships crown all plans and all purposes. From time to time each member of

the Club wrote letters to the Sabbath Recorder.

His let

The purpose of this chapter will be served best by permitting the reader to catch glimpses of the trip, and especially of President Allen, through extracts from these letters. ters, which were fewer than his friends wished (he hoped to write more after reaching home), will be given nearly in full. Extracts from those of the other members will be given only when necessary to let the readers see more of the president, the worthy "Nestor" of the Club, than they would otherwise do. His signature, "Prex," appears with his letters.

Of the opening of the voyage, one wrote:

"On the 13th of June a party of weary workers embarked on the steamship Arizona, for a summer's rest in foreign lands. After the enthusiastic "Godspeeds" had been said by loving friends, their floral tributes duly admired, and the city of New York had faded into the distance, an account was taken of the party, to know who was who.

"The names adopted were 'Prex,' 'Parson,' 'Press,' and 'Pundit,' the latter because of the outrageous way in which he punned it. As an expression of the compression of so much multum in parvo, we dubbed ourselves the 'Cram Club,' a name which, no doubt, the steward thought we richly deserved before the voyage was over. The two 'Profs.,' at least, expected to return home crammed full of information on a variety of subjects.

OUTWARD BOUND.

"Our good ship carried us so smoothly and steadily we found it hard to realize that we were rushing through the water at the rate of twentyseven feet per second. Old ocean presented her calmest aspect all the way, doubtless lulled to rest by the venerable appearance and flowing beards of several of the party, enough like Neptune to have been his sons; and, as a consequence, instead of sorrowful stories of seasick sufferings, we have the pleasure to report that the Cram Club were on duty at every meal during the voyage.

"On the morning of the eighth day out, while we were at breakfast, word came that land was in sight. True, however, to the traditions of the Club, all sat through the remainder of the meal, without missing a dish, and then, seizing their fieldglasses, rushed upon deck. Two sharp peaks slowly coming out of the misty distance and the dim outline of a range of mountains were all that could be seen. We soon found, however, we were off the Skelligs, on the coast of Ireland, some sixty miles

north of our course, owing to the fogs, which had hidden the sun for three days. Old Sol, however, now put in an appearance, and a more delightful sail was never enjoyed by a happier crowd than was on the Arizona that morning. Prex's and Parson's noses had put on their brightest bloom during the voyage, and now, joined with their genial smile and beaming countenances, added brilliancy to the occasion, like Jupiter and Mars among the starry hosts.

QUEENSTOWN.

"At Queenstown we only stopped long enough to telegraph home' to make a hasty visit to the Cathedral, to experience the sensation of being foreigners in a foreign land, and to get a taste of the irrepressible Irish beggar in the old hags who persisted in forcing upon us sprigs of shamrock, when we took a small steamer up the charming river Lee to Cork. In the early evening, amid beauties of hill and verdure rarely surpassed, past castle and moat, and villa and cottage, queer-looking sails and swift-gliding steamers, with the added charm of a bright-eyed Irish maiden, with the richest of brogues, to rehearse the traditions of the river-thus passed our first evening as foreigners."

THE TRIP NORTHWARD.

Another member of the Club described the trip nothward, from which the following touches are taken:

"Five miles out from Cork we pass in sight of the famous Blarney Castle, built in 1446, by McCarthy, then one of the petty kings of Ireland, of which it had five. In it is the famous Blarney stone, which tradition says lent to him who kissed it a free tongue. It is so located in the wall that those who kissed it had to climb down to it head first, or be let down by the heels by an assistant. To accomplish this, the women were put into sacks, which, tied around the neck, left only the head out; but the sacks were few and expensive, and the arch enemy did not invent paper sacks and sell them for a half cent each, until after the castle became a ruin, and this practice had fallen into disuse, which accounts for the fact that so few Irish women can use their tongues glibly(?).

"Farther on, while two of our Club were taking observations with their glasses, they uttered a scream of delight, for they had discovered another 'ruin.' A little farther on, and another came into view. Both seemed to be the lower portion of what might, in some remote age, have been towers, say twenty-five feet square, and of unknown height, but for the present, perhaps fifteen feet high. In our compartment of the car