III


MANHOOD--FIRST VISIT TO EUROPE

Irving's health, always delicate, continued so much impaired when he came
of age, in 1804., that his brothers determined to send him to Europe.
On the 19th of May he took passage for Bordeaux in a sailing vessel,
which reached the mouth of the Garonne on the 25th of June. His
consumptive appearance when he went on board caused the captain to say to
himself, "There's a chap who will go overboard before we get across;" but
his condition was much improved by the voyage.

He stayed six weeks at Bordeaux to improve himself in the language, and
then set out for the Mediterranean. In the diligence he had some merry
companions, and the party amused itself on the way. It was their habit
to stroll about the towns in which they stopped, and talk with whomever
they met. Among his companions was a young French officer and an
eccentric, garrulous doctor from America. At Tonneins, on the Garonne,
they entered a house where a number of girls were quilting. The girls
gave Irving a needle and set him to work. He could not understand their
patois, and they could not comprehend his bad French, and they got on
very merrily. At last the little doctor told them that the interesting
young man was an English prisoner whom the French officer had in custody.
Their merriment at once gave place to pity. "Ah! le pauvre garcon!" said
one to another; "he is merry, however, in all his trouble." "And what