Jennie, Charles, Hermann, and Emily in St. Louis (date unknown). 

Upon reaching deck, I found it very wet, it was raining and rather windy. The wind increased during the day to almost a storm, and the ship rolled from one side to another, the waves sometimes breaking over the promenade deck.

We did not move about very much and did not go down to dinner but had it brought up to us. This is a lazy life, all you think about is eating and all you do is “Sleep.”

Early to bed, and they say it was a rough night, but mama and I slept soundly.

It is pleasant to be awakened by music. On Sunday, the band, which is composed of the stewards of the second cabin, played a German choral, “Beliehl du Deine Wege.” This morning, the Cornetist gave us quite a nice morning call.

Upon opening our “Grub satchel,” I discovered that the cork had come out of the bottle of unfermented wine, and we had a nice mess in the grip.

We are gradually forming acquaintances. At our table there are, besides us five, a Mr. Wegmann (an architect), his wife and his father. Very nice people.

The sea is still smooth, but I am still pale and cannot get any enjoyment out of my cigar. We are still connected with the land by “Wireless.” Our operator has connection with two land points and four steamers, which is truly wonderful. Our captain is a jovial man and has a chat with us every morning. This day he distributed “Souvenir ribbons” with the name of the steamer.

I arose at 6:30 and took a walk around the promenade deck. By 7 o’clock I was ready for my breakfast, which I enjoyed. All three sat around all morning and took lunch at 1 o’clock.
After lunch we “Sat around thinking” and sometimes “We just sat.” Dinner time found the two girls ready to go down, but Mama and Miss M. preferred to have their dinner brought up and Mother “Took the lead” by having her first Munchener. We all took a good walk and a Munchener after which we enjoyed a good night’s rest.
Editor’s note: A Munchener is a dark-brown lager in a style that was developed in Munich.

I arose at 7 o’clock and had breakfast alone, as Mama and Emily did not care to come in. It stormed so bad that people could not sit on the starboard side and had to come to our side. We got out a second batch of letters which we had not been able to read yesterday.

No lunch for any of us for we all felt too “Queer” to think of eating. At 3 o’clock I paid my first tribute to Neptune, sneaked to one side and looked over the rail. The others “Held out” bravely. Had a grouch all afternoon and went to bed early with the “Safety-can” fastened to the side of my bunk.

Got up for dinner, but did not go to dinner. We all went to bed at 8 o’clock, it was storming, raining and lightning and things were flying around “Some!” Emily wanted to know whether the ship was sinking and I kept wondering whether my stomach was sinking or coming up.

The Jacobys regularly sent postcards to Miss Josephine Hunt, a good friend of the family. Miss Hunt gathered the postcards into an album that she returned to the Jacobys, giving them a pictorial account of their travels. 

Last Saturday on land. I arose early and by 8:30 went to the Astor Hotel to call for Grace and Miss Moran, who went with me to our hotel, where we waited for Mr. Owen to turn up at 9:25. We walked to the tunnel entrance on 23rd Street, and it did not take us long to get to Hoboken. Here we were met by men who carried our luggage to the steamer.

At the boat we met Hutty’s and found in our cabin flowers from “Our boy,” from the “Two families in Cincinnati,” from Uncle Ed. and Uncle Charlie,” etc., twenty-six letters and fourteen postal cards., two telegrams, etc.

The boat was crowded with people, and I was too late to get my chairs on the starboard side but procured five good seats in a corner of the dining room from where we can overlook the entire room which the girls enjoy. We are next to the Captain’s table.

Our boat started punctually at 11 o’clock with the band playing, the people cheering and waving their handkerchiefs, and I hastened below to have a chance to get my mail off with the pilot. So I did not see much of the harbor, which I regretted as I have not had a good look at New York for some years. But I came up in time to see the Statue of Liberty.

We all took lunch at 1 o’clock, which we enjoyed very much. We sat around until dinner time at 7 o’clock and wondered at the deep blue sea, the sea gulls which followed our ship and the many new sights connected with an ocean voyage.

We have a small, but very comfy cabin. I slept in the upper bunk and Schatzie below me. Emily slept on the side of the ship and, not being used to the noise of the waves, she did not sleep much.