Page:Percival Lowell - an afterglow.djvu/90

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Percival Lowell


HOTEL LAFAYETTE


Got here to find myself in the midst of the football rush. Not a room to be had at the Walton, the Stafford or the Bellevue; and at first only a dirty little out of the way bathroom here, minus towels, a mirror or natural light. On the other hand it was two bathrooms in one, for the floor above was so cracked that the contents of a higher tub came down in showers into this. Thus were things equalized.

To add to my miseries I discovered that the soles of my boots were too thin for comfortable treading of the cold world. So I went out and purchased a pair of "gums" which looked small when on my feet and huge off them, over there in the corner. For I have at last fallen upon my feet, having secured by chance the corner room up one flight, giving on Broad and Sansom Streets, open-eyed to all there is to see and flooded with sunshine. It is so good I shall continue to perch here, going over to the Walton for meals, mail and music.

I must have left a table of Jupiter's family of comets—one page, in my writing, in the depths of my desk; also a table of an X, etc., by Mr. Manson, the second set. You will know it by its being in two sheets, the numbers in the left hand column corresponding to those in my table.

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