In this first walk he
found that, during his illness, Port Antonio had reverted to her
original condition of complete isolation from the world, the press-
boats had left her wharves, the correspondents had departed from the
veranda of her only hotel, the war was over, and the Peace
Commissioners had sailed for Paris. Channing expressed his great
gratitude to the people of the hotel and to the Fruit Company's
doctor. He made it clear to them that if they ever hoped to be paid
those lesser debts than that of gratitude which he still owed them,
they must return him to New York and Newspaper Row. It was either
that, he said, or, if they preferred, he would remain and work out
his indebtedness, checking bunches of bananas at twenty dollars a
month. The Fruit Company decided it would be paid more quickly if
Channing worked at his own trade, and accordingly sent him North in
one of its steamers. She landed him in Boston, and he borrowed five
dollars from the chief engineer to pay his way to New York.
It was late in the evening of the same day when he stepped out of the
smoking-car into the roar and riot of the Grand Central Station.
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