The Henson Journals

[17]

Friday, August 23rd, 1901.

Common affliction is the parent of mutual acquaintance. The American discussed with me our experiences of the night. He had crossed the Atlantic 12 times, & never known a worse passage. The Captain said this was the first bad weather of the season: & that, sometimes, Lake Wetter was so violent that the steamer was delayed several days. The scenery thro' which we crawled was extremely pleasing – sometimes we moved along a slow & curving stream overhung to the water's edge with woods; at intervals we came out into lakes studded with pine–clad islands: about 5 p.m. we reached the Baltic, & found ourselves steaming close in shore among innumerable islets. The sunset was glorious. Hanging vapours, tinged with crimson which deepened into purple, hung above the belt of brilliantly–lighted sky, which marked the departure of the Sun: then, against the brilliance, a long & varied line of pine–woods, & then, the light–tipped wavelets rippling to the steamer–side. It was worth being ill last night in order to witness this splendour. The American exchanged cards with me. His name is Mr. J. F. Anderson Jr. New York City, U.S.A.: & he is the chairman of the Church–Committee of a huge Congregational Church in Brooklyn.

In the course of the day I read 'Rhoda Fleming' [Geo. Meredith], and finished it early next morning. A powerful & melancholy book.

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