第2章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Diary of a Pilgrimage",免费读到尾

  Itwasnogoodthesepeoplepretendingthattheydidnotunderstandtheirownlanguage,andputtingmeoffthatway。Theyhadgottounderstanditthistime。Thiswasnomerequestionofcoffeeandrolls;thiswasaseriousbusiness。IwouldmakethatwaiterunderstandmyScandinavian,ifIhadtohammeritintohisheadwithhisowncoffee-pot!

  Iseizedhimbythearm,and,inScandinavianthatmusthavebeenquitepatheticinitstragicfervour,Iaskedhimifhehadseenmyfriend——myfriendB。

  Themanonlystared。

  Igrewdesperate。Ishookhim。Isaid:

  \"Myfriend——big,great,tall,large——ishewhere?Haveyouhimtoseewhere?Here?\"

  (IhadtoputitthatwaybecauseScandinaviangrammarisnotastrongpointwithme,andmyknowledgeoftheverbsisasyetlimitedtothepresenttenseoftheinfinitivemood。Besides,thiswasnotimetoworryaboutgraceofstyle。)

  Acrowdgatheredroundus,attractedbytheman’sterrifiedexpression。Iappealedtothemgenerally。Isaid:

  \"MyfriendB。——head,red——boots,yellow,brown,gold——coat,littlesquares——nose,much,large!Ishewhere?Himtosee——anybody——

  where?\"

  Notasoulmovedahandtohelpme。Theretheystoodandgaped!

  Irepeateditalloveragainlouder,incaseanybodyontheoutskirtsofthemobhadnotheardit;andIrepeateditinanentirelynewaccent。IgavethemeverychanceIcould。

  Theychattedexcitedlyamongthemselves,and,thenabrightideaseemedtostrikeoneofthem,alittlemoreintelligent-lookingthantherest,andherushedoutsideandbeganrunningupanddown,callingoutsomethingveryloudly,inwhichtheword\"Norwegian\"

  keptonoccurring。

  Hereturnedinafewseconds,evidentlyexceedinglypleasedwithhimself,accompaniedbyakindly-lookingoldgentlemaninawhitehat。

  Waywasmadeinthecrowd,andtheoldgentlemanpressedforward。

  Whenhegotnear,hesmiledatme,andthenproceededtoaddresstomealengthy,butnodoubtkindlymeant,speechinScandinavian。

  Ofcourse,itwasallutterlyunintelligibletomefrombeginningtoend,andmyfaceclearlyshowedthis。IcangraspawordortwoofScandinavianhereandthere,ifpronouncedslowlyanddistinctly;

  butthatisall。

  Theoldgentlemanregardedmewithgreatsurprise。Hesaid(inScandinavian,ofcourse):

  \"YouspeakNorwegian?\"

  Ireplied,inthesametongue:

  \"Alittle,averylittle——VERY。\"

  Heseemednotonlydisappointed,butindignant。Heexplainedthemattertothecrowd,andtheyallseemedindignant。

  WHYeverybodyshouldbeindignantwithmeIcouldnotcomprehend。

  ThereareplentyofpeoplewhodonotunderstandScandinavian。ItwasabsurdtobevexedwithmebecauseIdidnot。Idoknowalittle,andthatismorethansomepeopledo。

  IinquiredoftheoldgentlemanaboutB。Hedidunderstandme。I

  mustgivehimcreditforthat。Butbeyondunderstandingme,hewasofnomoreusethantheothers;andwhytheyhadtakensomuchtroubletofetchhim,Icouldnotimagine。

  Whatwouldhavehappenedifthedifficultyhadcontinuedmuchlonger(forIwasgettingthoroughlywildwiththelotofthem)Icannotsay。Fortunately,atthismomentIcaughtsightofB。himself,whohadjustenteredtheroom。

  IcouldnothavegreetedhimmoreheartilyifIhadwantedtoborrowmoneyofhim。

  \"Well,IAMgladtoseeyouagain!\"Icried。\"Well,thisIS

  pleasant!IthoughtIhadlostyou!\"

  \"Why,youareEnglish!\"criedouttheoldgentlemaninthewhitehat,inverygoodSaxon,onhearingmespeaktoB。

  \"Well,Iknowthat,\"Ireplied,\"andI’mproudofit。HaveyouanyobjectiontomybeingEnglish?\"

  \"Notintheleast,\"heanswered,\"ifyou’donlytalkEnglishinsteadofNorwegian。I’mEnglishmyself;\"andhewalkedaway,evidentlymuchpuzzled。

  B。saidtomeaswesatdown:

  \"I’lltellyouwhat’sthematterwithyou,J。——youknowtoomanylanguagesforthiscontinent。Yourlinguisticpowerswillbetheruinofusifyoudon’tholdtheminabit。Youdon’tknowanySanscritorChaldean,doyou?\"

  IrepliedthatIdidnot。

  \"AnyHebreworChinese?\"

  \"Notaword。\"

  \"Sure?\"

  \"Notsomuchasafullstopinanyofthem。\"

  \"That’sablessing,\"saidB。,muchrelieved。\"Youwouldbetryingtopalmoffoneorotherofthemonsomesimple-mindedpeasantforGerman,ifyoudid!\"

  Itisawearisomejourney,throughthelong,hothoursofthemorning,toCologne。Thecarriageisstifling。Railwaytravellers,Ihavealwaysnoticed,regardfreshairaspoison。Theyliketoliveontherefuseofeachother’sbreath,andcloseupeverywindowandventilatortight。Thesunpoursdownthroughglassandblindandscorchesourlimbs。Ourheadsandourbodiesache。Thedustandsootdriftinandsettleonourclothes,andgrimeourhandsandface。Wealldozeandwakeupwithastart,andfalltosleepagainuponeachother。Iwake,andfindmyneighbourwithhisheaduponmyshoulder。Itseemsashametocasthimoff;helookssotrustful。Butheisheavy。Ipushhimontothemantheotherside。Heisjustashappythere。Werollabout;andwhenthetrainjerks,webutteachotherwithourheads。Thingsfallfromtherackuponus。Welookupsurprised,andgotosleepagain。Mybagtumblesdownupontheheadoftheunjustmaninthecorner。(Isitretribution?)Hestartsup,begsmypardon,andsinksbackintooblivion。Iamtoosleepytopickupthebag。Itliesthereonthefloor。Theunjustmanusesitforafootstool。

  Welookout,throughhalf-closedeyes,upontheparched,level,treelessland;uponthelittlepatchworkfarmsofcornandbeetroot,oatsandfruit,growingundivided,sidebyside,eachlookinglikealittlegardendroppeddownintotheplain;uponthelittledullstonehouses。

  Asteepleappearsfarawayuponthehorizon。(Thefirstthingthatweaskofmenistheirfaith:\"Whatdoyoubelieve?\"Thefirstthingthattheyshowusistheirchurch:\"THISwebelieve。\")Thenatallchimneyrangesitselfalongside。(Firstfaith,thenworks。)

  Thenaconfusedjumbleofroofs,outofwhich,atlast,standforthindividualhouses,factories,streets,andwedrawupinasleepingtown。

  Peopleopenthecarriagedoor,andlookinuponus。Theydonotappeartothinkmuchofus,andclosethedooragainquickly,withabang,andwesleeponcemore。

  Aswerumbleon,thecountryslowlywakes。RudeV-shapedcarts,drawnbyyokedoxen,andevensometimesbycows,waitpatientlywhilewecrossthelong,straightroadsstretchingbareformanyamileacrosstheplain。Peasantstrudgealongthefieldstowork。

  Smokerisesfromthevillagesandfarm-houses。Passengersarewaitingatthewaysidestations。

  Towardsmid-day,onlookingout,weseetwotinyspiresstandingsidebysideagainstthesky。Theyseemtobetwins,andgrowtallerasweapproach。IdescribethemtoB。,andhesaystheyarethesteeplesofCologneCathedral;andweallbegintoyawnandstretch,andtocollectourbagsandcoatsandumbrellas。

  HALFOFSATURDAY24TH,ANDSOMEOFSUNDAY,25TH

  DifficultyofKeepingthisDiary。——ABigWash。——TheGermanBed。——ItsGoingsOn。——MannersandCustomsoftheGermanArmy。——B。’sBesettingSin。——CologneCathedral。——ThoughtsWithoutWords。——ACuriousCustom。

  Thisdiaryisgettingmixed。Thetruthis,Iamnotlivingasamanwhokeepsadiaryshouldlive。Iought,ofcourse,tositdowninfrontofthisdiaryateleveno’clockatnight,andwritedownallthathasoccurredtomeduringtheday。Butateleveno’clockatnight,Iaminthemiddleofalongrailwayjourney,orhavejustgotup,oramjustgoingtobedforacoupleofhours。Wegotobedatoddmoments,whenwehappentocomeacrossabed,andhaveafewminutestospare。Wehavebeentobedthisafternoon,andarenowhavinganotherbreakfast;andIamnotquitesurewhetheritisyesterdayorto-morrow,orwhatdayitis。

  Ishallnotattempttowriteupthisdiaryintheorthodoxmanner,therefore;butshallfixinafewlineswheneverIhavehalf-an-hourwithnothingbettertodo。

  WewashedourselvesintheRhineatCologne(wehadnothadawashsincewehadleftourhappyhomeinEngland)。Westartedwiththeideaofwashingourselvesatthehotel;butonseeingthebasinandwaterandtowelprovided,Idecidednottowastemytimeplayingwiththem。AswellmightHerculeshaveattemptedtotidyuptheAugeanstableswithasquirt。

  Weappealedtothechambermaid。Weexplainedtoherthatwewantedtowash——tocleanourselves——nottoblowbubbles。Couldwenothavebiggerbasinsandmorewaterandmoreextensivetowels?Thechambermaid(astaidoldladyofaboutfifty)didnotthinkthatanythingbettercouldbedoneforusbythehotelfraternityofCologne,andseemedtothinkthattheriverwasmorewhatwewanted。

  Ifanciedthattheoldsoulwasspeakingsarcastically,butB。said\"No;\"shewasthinkingofthebathsalongsidetheriver,andsuggestedthatweshouldgothere。Iagreed。Itseemedtomethattheriver——theRhine——would,ifanythingcould,meetthecase。

  Thereoughttobeplentyofwaterinitnow,aftertheheavyspringrains。

  WhenIsawit,Ifeltsatisfied。IsaidtoB。:

  \"That’sallright,oldman;that’sthesortofthingweneed。ThatisjustthesizedriverIfeelIcangetmyselfcleaninthisafternoon。\"

  IhaveheardagooddealinpraiseoftheRhine,andIamgladtobeabletospeakwellofitmyself。Ifounditmostrefreshing。

  Iwas,however,sorrythatwehadwashedinitafterwards。IhaveheardfromfriendswhohavetravelledsinceinGermanythatwecompletelyspoiledthatriverfortherestoftheseason。Notforbusinesspurposes,Idonotmean。Thebargetraffichasbeen,comparativelyspeaking,uninterferedwith。Butthetouristtradehassufferedterribly。PartieswhousuallygouptheRhinebysteamerhave,afterlookingattheriver,gonebytrainthisyear。

  TheboatagentshavetriedtopersuadethemthattheRhineisalwaysthatcolour:thatitgetslikethatowingtothedirtandrefusewasheddownintoitduringitscourseamongthemountains。

  Butthetouristshaverefusedtoacceptthisexplanation。Theyhavesaid:

  \"No。Mountainswillaccountforagooddeal,weadmit,butnotforallTHAT。WeareacquaintedwiththeordinaryconditionoftheRhine,andalthoughmuddy,andattimesunpleasant,itispassable。

  Asitisthissummer,however,wewouldprefernottotraveluponit。Wewillwaituntilafternextyear’sspring-floods。\"

  Wewenttobedafterourwash。TotheblaseEnglishbed-goer,accustomedallhislifetothesameoldhackneyedstyleofbednightafternight,thereissomethingverypleasantlypiquantabouttheexperienceoftryingtosleepinaGermanbed。Hedoesnotknowitisabedatfirst。Hethinksthatsomeonehasbeengoingroundtheroom,collectingallthesacksandcushionsandantimacassarsandsucharticlesthathehashappenedtofindabout,andhaspiledthemuponawoodentrayreadyformoving。Heringsforthechambermaid,andexplainstoherthatshehasshownhimintothewrongroom。Hewantedabedroom。

  Shesays:\"ThisISabedroom。\"

  Hesays:\"Where’sthebed?\"

  \"There!\"shesays,pointingtotheboxonwhichthesacksandantimacassarsandcushionsliepiled。

  \"That!\"hecries。\"HowamIgoingtosleepinthat?\"

  Thechambermaiddoesnotknowhowheisgoingtosleepthere,neverhavingseenagentlemangotosleepanywhere,andnotknowinghowtheysetaboutit;butsuggeststhathemighttrylyingdownflat,andshuttinghiseyes。

  \"Butitisnotlongenough,\"hesays。

  Thechambermaidthinkshewillbeabletomanage,ifhetuckshislegsup。

  Heseesthathewillnotgetanythingbetter,andthathemustputupwithit。

  \"Oh,verywell!\"hesays。\"Looksharpandgetitmade,then。\"

  Shesays:\"Itismade。\"

  Heturnsandregardsthegirlsternly。Isshetakingadvantageofhisbeingalonelystranger,farfromhomeandfriends,tomockhim?

  Hegoesovertowhatshecallsthebed,andsnatchingoffthetop-

  mostsackfromthepileandholdingitup,says:

  \"Perhapsyou’lltellmewhatthisis,then?\"

  \"That,\"saysthegirl,\"that’sthebed!\"

  Heissomewhatnonplussedattheunexpectedreply。

  \"Oh!\"hesays。\"Oh!thebed,isit?Ithoughtitwasapincushion!

  Well,ifitisthebed,thenwhatisitdoingouthere,onthetopofeverythingelse?YouthinkthatbecauseI’monlyaman,Idon’tunderstandabed!\"

  \"That’stheproperplaceforit,\"respondsthechambermaid。

  \"What!ontop?\"

  \"Yes,sir。\"

  \"Well,thenwherearetheclothes?\"

  \"Underneath,sir。\"

  \"Lookhere,mygoodgirl,\"hesays;\"youdon’tunderstandme,orI

  don’tunderstandyou,oneortheother。WhenIgotosleep,Ilieonabedandpulltheclothesoverme。Idon’twanttolieontheclothes,andcovermyselfwiththebed。Thisisn’tacomicballet,youknow!\"

  Thegirlassureshimthatthereisnomistakeaboutthematteratall。Thereisthebed,madeaccordingtoGermannotionsofhowabedshouldbemade。Hecanmakethebestofitandtrytogotosleepuponit,orhecanbesulkyandgotosleeponthefloor。

  Heisverymuchsurprised。Itlookstohimthesortofbedthatamanwouldmakeforhimselfoncominghomelatefromaparty。Butitisnousearguingthematterwiththegirl。

  \"Allright,\"hesays;\"bringmeapillow,andI’llriskit!\"

  Thechambermaidexplainsthattherearetwopillowsonthebedalready,indicating,asshedoesso,twoflatcushions,eachoneayardsquare,placedoneontopoftheotheratoneendofthemixture。

  \"These!\"exclaimsthewearytraveller,beginningtofeelthathedoesnotwanttogotobedatall。\"Thesearenotpillows!Iwantsomethingtoputmyheadon;notathingthatcomesdowntothemiddleofmyback!Don’ttellmethatI’vegottosleeponthesethings!\"

  Butthegirldoestellhimso,andalsoimpliesthatshehassomethingelsetodothantostandtherealldaytalkingbed-gossipwithhim。

  \"Well,justshowmehowtostart,\"hesays,\"whichwayyougetintoit,andthenIwon’tkeepyouanylonger;I’llpuzzleouttherestformyself。\"

  Sheexplainsthetricktohimandleaves,andheundressesandcrawlsin。

  Thepillowsgivehimagooddealofworry。Hedoesnotknowwhetherheismeanttositonthemormerelytoleanupagainstthem。Inexperimentinguponthispoint,hebumpshisheadagainstthetopboardofthebedstead。Atthis,hesays,\"Oh!\"andshootshimselfdowntothebottomofthebed。Hereallhistentoessimultaneouslycomeintosharpcontactwiththeboardatthebottom。

  Nothingirritatesamanmorethanbeingrappedoverthetoes,especiallyifhefeelsthathehasdonenothingtodeserveit。Hesays,\"Oh,damn!\"thistime,andspasmodicallydoublesuphislegs,thusgivinghiskneesaviolentblowagainsttheboardatthesideofthebed。(TheGermanbedstead,beitremembered,isbuiltintheformofashallow,openbox,andthevictimisthuscompletelysurroundedbysolidpiecesofwoodwithsharpedges。Idonotknowwhatspeciesofwooditisthatisemployed。Itisextremelyhard,andgivesforthacuriousmusicalsoundwhenstrucksharplywithabone。)

  Afterthisheliesperfectlystillforawhile,wonderingwhereheisgoingtobehitnext。Findingthatnothinghappens,hebeginstoregainconfidence,andventurestogentlyfeelaroundwithhisleftlegandtakestockofhisposition。

  Forclothes,hehasonlyaverythinblanketandsheet,andbeneaththesehefeelsdecidedlychilly。Thebediswarmenough,sofarasitgoes,butthereisnotenoughofit。Hedrawsituproundhischin,andthenhisfeetbegintofreeze。Hepushesitdownoverhisfeet,andthenallthetoppartofhimshivers。

  Hetriestorollupintoaball,soastogetthewholeofhimselfunderneathit,butdoesnotsucceed;thereisalwayssomeofhimleftoutsideinthecold。

  Hereflectsthata\"bonelesswonder\"ora\"manserpent\"wouldbecomfortableenoughinthisbed,andwishesthathehadbeenbroughtupasacontortionist。Ifhecouldonlytiehislegsroundhisneck,andtuckhisheadinunderhisarm,allwouldyetbewell。

  Neverhavingbeentaughttodoanyreallyusefultrickssuchasthese,however,hehastobecontenttoremainspreadout,warmingabitofhimselfatatime。

  Itis,perhaps,foolishofhim,amidsomanyrealtroubles,toallowamereaestheticalconsiderationtoworryhim,butasheliesthereonhisback,lookingdownathimself,thesightthathepresentstohimselfconsiderablyannoyshim。Thepuffed-upbed,restingonthemiddleofhim,giveshimtheappearanceofamansufferingfromsomemonstrousswelling,orelseofsomeexceptionallywell-developedfrogthathasbeenturnedupthewrongwayanddoesnotknowhowtogetontoitslegsagain。

  Anothervexationthathehastocontendwithis,thateverytimehemovesalimborbreathesextrahard,thebed(whichisonlyofdown)

  tumblesoffontothefloor。

  YoucannotleanoutofaGermanbedtopickupanythingoffthefloor,owingtoitsbox-likeformation;sohehastoscrambleoutafterit,andofcourseeverytimehedoesthishebarksbothhisshinstwiceagainstthesidesofthebed。

  Whenhehasperformedthisfeatforaboutthetenthtime,heconcludesthatitwasmadnessforhim,amererawamateuratthebusiness,tothinkthathecouldmanageacomplicated,trickybedofthissort,thatmusttakeevenanexperiencedmanallheknowstosleepinit;andgetsoutandcampsonthefloor。

  Atleast,thatiswhatIdid。B。isaccustomedtoGermanbeds,anddoubledhimselfupandwentofftosleepwithouttheslightestdifficulty。

  Wesleptfortwohours,andthengotupandwentbacktotherailway-station,wherewedined。Therailwayrefreshment-roominGermantownsappearstobeasmuchpatronisedbytheinhabitantsofthetownasbythetravellerspassingthrough。Itisregardedasanordinaryrestaurant,andusedassuchbythecitizens。Wefoundthedining-roomatColognestationcrowdedwithCologneists。

  Allclassesofcitizenswerethere,butespeciallysoldiers。Therewereallsortsofsoldiers——soldiersofrank,andsoldiersofrankandfile;attachedsoldiers(verymuchattached,apparently)andsoldiersunattached;stoutsoldiers,thinsoldiers;oldsoldiers,youngsoldiers。Fourveryyoungsoldierssatoppositeus,drinkingbeer。Ineversawsuchyoungsoldiersoutbythemselvesbefore。

  Theyeachlookedabouttwelveyearsold,butmayhavebeenthirteen;

  andtheyeachlooked,also,readyandwillingtostormabattery,iftheorderweregiventothemtodoit。Theretheysat,raisingandloweringtheirhugemugsofbeer,discussingmilitarymatters,andrisingeverynowandagaintogravelysalutesomeofficerashepassed,andtoreceiveasgravelyhisgravesaluteinreturn。

  Thereseemedtobeadealofsalutingtobegonethrough。Officerskeptenteringandpassingthroughtheroominanalmostcontinualstream,andeverytimeonecameinsightallthemilitarydrinkersandeatersroseandsaluted,andremainedatthesaluteuntiltheofficerhadpassed。

  Oneyoungsoldier,whowastryingtoeataplateofsoupnearus,I

  feltquitesorryfor。Everytimehegotthespoonnearhismouthanofficerinvariablyhoveinview,anddownwouldhavetogothespoon,soupandall,anduphewouldhavetorise。Itneverseemedtooccurtothesillyfellowtogetunderthetableandfinishhisdinnerthere。

  Wehadhalf-an-hourtosparebetweendinnerandthestartingofourtrain,andB。suggestedthatweshouldgointothecathedral。ThatisB。’soneweakness,churches。Ihavethegreatestdifficultyingettinghimpastachurch-door。Wearewalkingalongastreet,arminarm,talkingasrationallyandevenasvirtuouslyasneedbe,whenallatonceIfindthatB。hasbecomesilentandabstracted。

  Iknowwhatitis;hehascaughtsightofachurch。Ipretendnottonoticeanychangeinhim,andendeavourtohurryhimon。Helagsmoreandmorebehind,however,andatlaststopsaltogether。

  \"Come,come,\"Isaytohim,encouragingly,\"pullyourselftogether,andbeaman。Don’tthinkaboutit。Putitbehindyou,anddeterminethatyouWON’Tbeconquered。Come,weshallberoundthecornerinanotherminute,whereyouwon’tbeabletoseeit。Takemyhand,andlet’srun!\"

  Hemakesafewfeeblestepsforwardwithme,andthenstopsagain。

  \"It’snogood,oldman,\"hesays,withasicklysmile,sofullofpathosthatitisimpossibletofinditinone’shearttofeelanythingbutpityforhim。\"Ican’thelpit。Ihavegivenwaytothissortofthingtoolong。Itistoolatetoreformnow。Yougoonandgetadrinksomewhere;I’lljoinyouagaininafewminutes。

  Don’tworryaboutme;it’snogood。\"

  Andbackhegoeswithtotteringsteps,whileIsadlypassonintothenearestcafe,and,overaglassofabsintheorcognac,thankProvidencethatIlearnttocontrolmycravingforchurchesinearlyyouth,andsoamnotnowlikethispoorB。

  Inalittlewhilehecomesin,andsitsdownbesideme。Thereisawild,unhealthyexcitementinhiseye,and,underadefiantairofunnaturalgaiety,heattemptstohidehisconsciousnessofguilt。

  \"Itwasalovelyaltar-cloth,\"hewhisperstome,withanenthusiasmthatonlymakesonesorrowforhimthemore,soutterlyimpossibledoesitcauseallhopeofcuretoseem。\"Andthey’vegotacoffininthenorthcryptthatissimplyapoem。Ineverenjoyedasarcophagusmoreinallmylife。\"

  Idonotsaymuchatthetime;itwouldbeuseless。Butafterthedayisdone,andwearestandingbesideourlittlebeds,andallaroundisassilentasonecanexpectittobeinanhotelwherepeopleseemtobearrivingallnightlongwithheavyluggage,andtobeall,moreorless,introuble,Iarguewithhim,andgentlyreprovehim。Toavoidtheappearanceofsermonisingasmuchaspossible,Iputitonmeregroundsofexpediency。

  \"Howarewetofindtime,\"Isay,\"togotoalltheplacesthatwereallyoughttogoto——toallthecafesandtheatresandmusic-hallsandbeer-gardensanddancing-saloonsthatwewanttovisit——ifyouwastehalfthepreciousdayloafingaboutchurchesandcathedrals?\"

  Heisdeeplymoved,andpromisestoswearoff。Hevows,withtearsinhisvoice,thathewillneverenterachurch-dooragain。Butnextmorning,whenthetemptationcomes,allhisgoodresolutionsaresweptaway,andagainheyields。Itisnogoodbeingangrywithhim,becauseheevidentlydoesreallytry;butthereissomethingaboutthemereodourofachurchthathesimplycannotwithstand。

  Notknowing,then,thatthisweaknessofhisforchurcheswassostrong,ImadenoobjectiontotheproposedvisittoCologneCathedral,and,accordingly,towardsitwewendedourway。B。hasseenitbefore,andknowsallaboutit。Hetellsmeitwasbegunaboutthemiddleofthethirteenthcentury,andwasonlycompletedtenyearsago。Itseemstomethattheremusthavebeengrossdelayonthepartofthebuilder。Why,aplumberwouldbeashamedtotakeaslongasthatoverajob!

  B。alsoassertsthatthetwotowersarethehighestchurchtowersintheworld。Idisputethis,anddeprecatethetowersgenerally。B。

  warmlydefendsthem。HesaystheyarehigherthananybuildinginEurope,excepttheEiffelTower。

  \"Oh,dearno!\"Isay,\"therearemanybuildingshigherthantheyinEurope——tosaynothingofAsiaandAmerica。\"

  Ihavenoauthorityformakingthisassertion。Asamatteroffact,Iknownothingwhateveraboutthematter。ImerelysayittoirritateB。Heappearstotakeasortofpersonalinterestinthebuilding,andenlargesuponitsbeautiesandadvantageswithasmuchfervourasifhewereanauctioneertryingtoselltheplace。

  Heretortsthatthetowersare512feethigh。

  Isay:

  \"Nonsense!Somebodyhasimposeduponyou,becausetheyseeyouareaforeigner。\"

  Hebecomesquiteangryatthis,andsayshecanshowmethefiguresintheguide-book。

  \"Theguide-book!\"Ireply,scornfully。\"You’llbelieveanewspapernext!\"

  B。asksme,indignantly,whatheightIshouldsaytheyare,then。I

  examinethemcriticallyforafewminutes,andthengiveitasmyopinionthattheydonotexceed510feetattheveryoutside。B。

  seemsannoyedwithme,andweenterthechurchinsilence。

  Thereislittletobesaidaboutacathedral。Excepttotheprofessionalsightseer,oneisverymuchlikeanother。Theirbeautytomelies,notinthepaintingsandsculpturetheygivehouseroomto,norinthebonesandbric-a-bracpiledupintheircellars,butinthemselves——theirechoingvastness,theirdeepsilence。

  Abovethelittlehomesofmen,abovethenoisyteemingstreets,theyriselikesomesoftstrainofperfectmusic,cleavingitswayamidthejangleofdiscordantnotes。Here,wherethevoicesoftheworldsoundfaint;here,wherethecity’sglamourcomesnotin,itisgoodtorestforawhile——ifonlythepesteringguideswouldleaveonealone——andthink。

  ThereismuchhelpinSilence。Fromitstouchwegainrenewedlife。

  SilenceistotheSoulwhathisMotherEarthwastoBriareus。Fromcontactwithitwerisehealedofourhurtsandstrengthenedforthefight。

  Amidthebabeloftheschoolswestandbewilderedandaffrighted。

  Silencegivesuspeaceandhope。Silenceteachesusnocreed,onlythatGod’sarmsarearoundtheuniverse。

  HowsmallandunimportantseemallourfretfultroublesandambitionswhenwestandwiththeminourhandbeforethegreatcalmfaceofSilence!Wesmileatthemourselves,andareashamed。

  Silenceteachesushowlittleweare——howgreatweare。Intheworld’smarket-placeswearetinkers,tailors,apothecaries,thieves——respectableorotherwise,asthecasemaybe——mereatomsofamightymachine——mereinsectsinavasthive。

  ItisonlyinSilencethatitcomeshometousthatwearesomethingmuchgreaterthanthis——thatweareMEN,withalltheuniverseandalleternitybeforeus。

  ItisinSilencewehearthevoiceofTruth。Thetemplesandthemartsofmenechoallnightanddaytotheclamourofliesandshamsandquackeries。ButinSilencefalsehoodcannotlive。YoucannotfloatalieonSilence。Aliehastobepuffedaloft,andkeptfromfallingbymen’sbreath。LeavealieonthebosomofSilence,anditsinks。Atruthfloatstherefairandstately,likesomestoutshipuponadeepocean。Silencebuoysheruplovinglyforallmentosee。Notuntilshehasgrownworn-outandrotten,andisnolongeratruth,willthewatersofSilencecloseoverher。

  Silenceistheonlyrealthingwecanlayholdofinthisworldofpassingdreams。Timeisashadowthatwillvanishwiththetwilightofhumanity;butSilenceisapartoftheeternal。Allthingsthataretrueandlastinghavebeentaughttomen’sheartsbySilence。

  Amongallnations,thereshouldbevasttemplesraisedwherethepeoplemightworshipSilenceandlistentoit,foritisthevoiceofGod。

  Thesefairchurchesandcathedralsthatmenhaverearedaroundthemthroughouttheworld,havebeenbuiltashomesformerecreeds——thisoneforProtestantism,thatoneforRomanism,anotherforMahomedanism。ButGod’sSilencedwellsinallalike,onlydrivenforthattimesbythetinklingofbellsandthemumblingofprayers;

  and,inthem,itisgoodtositawhileandhavecommunionwithher。

  Westrolledround,beforewecameout。Justbytheentrancetothechoiranofficialstoppedme,andaskedmeifIwantedtogoandseealotoffal-lalthingshehadgotonshow——relicsandbones,andoldmasters,andsuch-likeWardour-streetrubbish。

  Itoldhim,\"No\";andattemptedtopasson,buthesaid:

  \"No,no!Youdon’tpay,youdon’tgointhere,\"andshutthegate。

  HesaidthissentenceinEnglish;andtheprecisionandfluencywithwhichhedelivereditrathersuggestedtheideathatitwasaphrasemuchinrequest,andonethathehadhadagooddealofpracticein。

  ItisveryprevalentthroughoutGermany,thiscustomofnotallowingyoutogointoseeathingunlessyoupay。

  ENDOFSATURDAY,24TH,ANDBEGINNINGOFSUNDAY,25TH——CONTINUED

  TheRhine!——HowHistoryisWritten。——ComplicatedVillages。——HowaPeacefulCommunityWasVeryMuchUpset。——TheGermanRailwayGuard。——

  HisPassionforTickets。——WeDiffuseComfortandJoyWhereverWeGo,GladdeningtheWeary,andBringingSmilestoThemthatWeep。——

  \"Tickets,Please。\"——HuntingExperiences。——ANaturalMistake。——FreeAcrobaticPerformancebytheGuard。——TheRailwayAuthorities’LittleJoke。——WhyWeShouldThinkoftheSorrowsofOthers。

  Wereturnedtothestationjustintimetosecurecomfortableseats,andat5。10steamedoutuponourfifteenhours’runtoMunich。FromBonntoMayencethelinekeepsbythesideoftheRhinenearlythewholeoftheway,andwehadasplendidviewoftheriver,withtheold-worldtownsandvillagesthatclusterrounditsbank,themistymountainsthatmakeearlytwilightuponitsswiftlyrollingwaves,thecastledcragsandprecipicesthatriseupsheerandmajesticfromitsmargin,thewoodedrocksthathangwiththreateningfrownaboveitssombredepths,theruinedtowersandturretsthatcapeachpointalongitsshores,thepleasantislesthatstudlikegemsitsbroadexpanseofwaters。

  Fewthingsinthisworldcomeuptoexpectation,especiallythosethingsofwhichonehasbeenledtoexpectmuch,andaboutwhichonehasheardagooddeal。Withthisphilosophyrunninginmyhead,I

  waspreparedtofindtheRhineamuchover-ratedriver。

  Iwaspleasantlydisappointed。Thepanoramawhichunfoldeditselfbeforeoureyes,aswespedalongthroughthequiettwilightthatwasdeepeningintostarrynight,waswonderfullybeautiful,entrancingandexpressive。

  Idonotintendtodescribeittoyou。Todojusticetothetheme,IshouldhavetobeevenamorebrilliantandpowerfulwriterthanI

  am。Toattemptthesubject,withoutdoingitjustice,wouldbeawasteofyourtime,sweetreader,andofmine——astillmoreimportantmatter。

  Iconfessitwasnotmyoriginalintentiontoletyouoffsoeasily。

  Istartedwiththeideaofgivingyouarapidbutglowingandeloquentword-pictureofthevalleyoftheRhinefromColognetoMayence。Forbackground,IthoughtIwouldsketchinthehistoricalandlegendaryeventsconnectedwiththedistrict,andagainstthis,foraforeground,Iwoulddraw,invividcolours,themodernaspectofthescene,withremarksandobservationsthereon。

  Herearemyroughnotes,madeforthepurpose:-

  Mems。forChapteronRhine:\"ConstantinetheGreatusedtocomehere——sodidAgrippa。(N。B。——TryandfindoutsomethingaboutAgrippa。)CaesarhadagooddealtodowiththeRhine——alsoNero’smother。\"

  (Tothereader。——Thebrevityofthesememorandarenderstheirimport,attimes,confusing。Forinstance,thismeansthatCaesarandNero’smotherbothhadagooddealtodowiththeRhine;notthatCaesarhadagooddealtodowithNero’smother。IexplainthisbecauseIshouldbesorrytoconveyanyfalseimpressionconcerningeithertheladyorCaesar。Scandalisathingabhorrenttomynature。)

  Notescontinued:\"TheUbiididsomethingontherightbankoftheRhineatanearlyperiod,andafterwardswerefoundontheotherside。(ExpecttheUbiiwereatribe;butmakesureofthis,astheymightbesomethinginthefossilline。)ColognewasthecradleofGermanart。Talkaboutartandtheoldmasters。Treattheminakindlyandgentlespirit。Theyaredeadnow。SaintUrsulawasmurderedatCologne,witheleventhousandvirginattendants。Theremusthavebeenquiteapartyofthem。Drawpowerfulandpatheticimaginarypictureoftheslaughter。(N。B。——Findoutwhomurderedthemall。)SaysomethingabouttheEmperorMaximilian。Callhim’themightyMaximilian。’MentionCharlemagne(agooddealshouldbemadeoutofCharlemagne)andtheFranks。(FindoutallabouttheFranks,andwheretheylived,andwhathasbecomeofthem。)SketchthevariouscontestsbetweentheRomansandtheGoths。(Readup’Gibbon’forthis,unlessyoucangetenoughoutofMangnall’sQuestions。)Givepicturesqueaccount——withcomments——ofthebattlesbetweenthecitizensofCologneandtheirhaughtyarchbishops。

  (N。B。——LetthemfightonabridgeovertheRhine,unlessitisdistinctlystatedsomewherethattheydidn’t。)BringintheMinne-

  singers,especiallyWaltervonVogelweid;makehimsingunderacastle-wallsomewhere,andletthegirldie。TalkaboutAlbertDurer。Criticisehisstyle。Sayit’sflat。(Ifpossible,findoutifitISflat。)\"TherattowerontheRhine,\"nearBingen。

  Describetheplaceandtellthewholestory。Don’tspinitouttoolong,becauseeverybodyknowsit。\"TheBrothersofBornhofen,\"

  storyconnectedwiththetwincastlesofSterrenbergandLiebenstein,ConradandHeinrich——brothers——bothloveHildegarde。

  Shewasverybeautiful。HeinrichgenerouslyrefusestomarrythebeautifulHildegarde,andgoesawaytotheCrusades,leavinghertohisbrotherConrad。Conradconsidersoverthematterforayearortwo,andthenHEdecidesthathewon’tmarryhereither,butwillleaveherforhisbrotherHeinrich,andHEgoesofftotheCrusades,fromwhencehereturns,afewyearslateron,withaGrecianbride。

  ThebeautifulH。,muddledupbetweenthepairofthem,andthevictimoftoomuchgenerosity,getssulky(don’tblameher),andshutsherselfupinalonelypartofthecastle,andwon’tseeanybodyforyears。ChivalrousHeinrichreturns,andiswildthathisbrotherC。hasnotmarriedthebeautifulH。Itdoesnotoccurtohimtomarrythegirleventhen。Thefeverishyearningdisplayedbyeachofthesetwobrothers,thattheotheroneshouldmarrythebelovedHildegarde,isverytouching。Heinrichdrawshissword,andthrowshimselfuponhisbrotherC。tokillhim。ThebeautifulHildegarde,however,throwsherselfbetweenthemandreconciliatesthem,andthen,convincedthatneitherofthemmeansbusiness,andnaturallydisgustedwiththewholeaffair,retiresintoanunnery。

  Conrad’sGrecianbridesubsequentlythrowsherselfawayonanotherman,uponwhichConradthrowshimselfonhisbrotherH。’sbreast,andtheysweareternalfriendship。(Makeitpathetic。Pretendyouhavesatamidtheruinsinthemoonlight,andgivethescene——withghosts。)\"Rolandseck,\"nearBonn。TellthestoryofRolandandHildegunde(seeBaedeker,p。66)。Don’tmakeittoolong,becauseitissomuchliketheother。Describethefuneral?The\"WatchTowerontheRhine\"belowAudernach。Query,isn’tthereasongaboutthis?Ifso,putitin。CoblentzandEhrenbreitstein。Greatfortresses。Callthem\"theFrowningSentinelsoftheState。\"MakereflectionsontheGermanarmy,alsoonwargenerally。ChataboutFredericktheGreat。(ReadCarlyle’shistoryofhim,andpickouttheinterestingbits。)TheDrachenfels。QuoteByron。Moraliseaboutruinedcastlesgenerally,anddescribethemiddleages,withyourviewsandopinionsonsame。\"

  Thereismuchmoreofit,butthatissufficienttoletyouseetheschemeIhadinmyhead。Ihavenotcarriedoutmyscheme,because,whenIcametoreflectuponthematter,itseemedtomethattheideawoulddevelopintosomethingthatwouldbemoreinthenatureofahistoryofEuropethanachapterinatourist’sdiary,andI

  determinednottowastemytimeuponit,untiltherearoseagreaterpublicdemandforanewHistoryofEuropethanthereappearstoexistatpresent。

  \"Besides,\"Iarguedtomyself,\"suchaworkwouldbejusttheverythingwithwhichtobeguilethetediumofalongimprisonment。AtsomefuturetimeImaybegladofalabourofthismagnitudetooccupyaperiodofinvoluntaryinaction。\"

  \"Thisisthesortofthing,\"Isaidtomyself,\"tosaveupforHollowayorPentonville。\"

  Itwouldhavebeenaveryenjoyableridealtogether,thatevening’sspinalongthebanksoftheRhine,ifIhadnotbeenhauntedatthetimebytheideathatIshouldhavetowriteanaccountofitnextdayinmydiary。Asitwas,Ienjoyeditasamanenjoysadinnerwhenhehasgottomakeaspeechafterit,orasacriticenjoysaplay。

  Wepassedsuchoddlittlevillageseveryhereandthere。Littleplacessocrowdedupbetweentherailwayandtheriverthattherewasnoroominthemforanystreets。Allthehouseswerejumbleduptogetherjustanyhow,andhowanymanwholivedinthemiddlecouldgethomewithoutclimbingoverhalftheotherhousesintheplaceI

  couldnotmakeout。Theywerethesortofvillageswhereaman’smother-in-law,comingtopayhimavisit,mightwanderaroundallday,hearinghim,andevennowandthenseeinghim,yetneverbeingabletogetathiminconsequenceofnotknowingthewayin。

  Adrunkenman,livinginoneofthesevillages,couldneverhopetogethome。Hewouldhavetositdownoutside,andwaittillhisheadwasclear。

  Wewitnessedtheopeningscenesofaveryamusinglittlecomedyatoneofthetownswherethetraindrewup。Thechiefcharacterswereplayedbyanactiveyounggoat,asmallboy,anelderlymanandawoman,parentsofthesmallboyandownersofthegoat,andadog。

  Firstweheardayell,andthen,fromoutacottageoppositethestation,boundedaninnocentandhappygoat,andgambolledaround。

  Alongrope,oneendofwhichwasfastenedtohisneck,trailedbehindhim。Afterthegoat(inthedoublesenseofthephrase)cameachild。Thechildtriedtocatchthegoatbymeansoftherope,caughtitselfintheropeinstead,andwentdownwithabumpandascreech。Whereuponastoutwoman,theboy’smotherapparently,ranoutfromthecottage,andalsomadeforthegoat。Thegoatflewdowntheroad,andthewomanflewafterit。Atthefirstcorner,thewomantrodontherope,andthenSHEwentdownwithabumpandascreech。Thenthegoatturnedandranupthestreet,and,asitpassedthecottage,thefatherranoutandtriedtostopit。Hewasanoldman,butstillseemedtohaveplentyofvigourinhim。Heevidentlyguessedhowhiswifeandchildhadgonedown,andheendeavouredtoavoidtheropeandtoskipoveritwhenitcamenearhim。Butthegoat’smovementsweretooerraticforhim。Histurncame,andhetrodontherope,andwentdowninthemiddleoftheroad,oppositehisowndoor,withathudthatshookusallupagainsteachotheraswestoodlookingoutofthecarriage-window,andsatthereandcursedthegoat。Thenoutranadog,barkingfuriously,andhewentforthegoat,andgottheendoftheropeinhisteethandheldontoitlikegrimdeath。Awaywentthegoat,athisendoftherope,and,withhim,thedogattheotherend。

  Betweenthem,theykepttheropeaboutsixinchesabovetheground,andwithittheyremorselesslymoweddowneverylivingthingtheycameacrossinthatoncepeacefulvillage。Inthecourseoflessthanhalfaminutewecountedfourteenpersonssittingdowninthemiddleoftheroad。Eightofthemwerecursingthegoat,fourwerecursingthedog,andtwoofthemwerecursingtheoldmanforkeepingthegoat,oneofthesetwo,andthemoreviolentone,beingtheman’sownwife。

  Thetrainleftatthisjuncture。Weentreatedtherailwayofficialstoletusstopandseetheshowout。Theplaywasbecomingquiteinteresting。Itwassofullofmovement。Buttheysaidthatwewerehalf-an-hourlateasitwas,andthattheydarednot。

  Weleanedoutofthewindow,andwatchedforaslongaswecould;

  andafterthevillagewaslosttoviewinthedistance,wecouldstill,bylisteningcarefully,hearthethuds,asoneafteranotheroftheinhabitantssatdownandbegantoswear。

  Atabouteleveno’clockwehadsomebeer——youcangenerallyobtainsuchlightrefreshmentasbottledbeerandcoffeeandrollsfromtheguardonathroughlong-distancetraininGermany——tookoffourboots,andsaying\"Good-night\"toeachother,madeagreatshowofgoingtosleep。Butweneversucceededingettingthere。Theywantedtoseeone’stickettoooftenforonetogetfairlyoff。

  Everyfewminutes,soitseemedtome,thoughinrealitytheintervalsmayperhapshavebeenlonger,aghostlyfacewouldappearatthecarriage-window,andasktoseeourtickets。

  WheneveraGermanrailway-guardfeelslonesome,anddoesnotknowwhatelsetodowithhimself,hetakesawalkroundthetrain,andgetsthepassengerstoshowhimtheirtickets,afterwhichhereturnstohisboxcheeredandrefreshed。Somepeopleraveaboutsunsetsandmountainsandoldmasters;buttotheGermanrailway-

  guardtheworldcanshownothingmoresatisfying,moreinspiring,thanthesightofarailway-ticket。

  NearlyalltheGermanrailwayofficialshavethissamecravingfortickets。Ifonlytheygetsomebodytoshowthemarailway-ticket,theyarehappy。Itseemedaharmlessweaknessoftheirs,andB。andIdecidedthatitwouldbeonlykindtohumourtheminitduringourstay。

  Accordingly,wheneverwesawaGermanrailwayofficialstandingabout,lookingsadandweary,wewentuptohimandshowedhimourtickets。Thesightwaslikearayofsunshinetohim;andallhiscarewasimmediatelyforgotten。Ifwehadnotaticketwithusatthetime,wewentandboughtone。Ameresinglethirdtothenextstationwouldgladdenhimsufficientlyinmostcases;butifthepoorfellowappearedverywoe-begone,andasifhewantedmorethanordinarycheeringup,wegothimasecond-classreturn。

  ForthepurposeofourjourneytoOber-Ammergauandback,weeachcarriedwithusafoliocontainingsometenortwelvefirst-classticketsbetweendifferenttowns,coveringinalladistanceofsomethousandmiles;andoneafternoon,atMunich,seeingarailwayofficial,acloak-roomkeeper,whotheytoldushadlatelylosthisaunt,andwholookedexceptionallydejected,IproposedtoB。thatweshouldtakethismanintoaquietcorner,andbothofusshowhimallourticketsatonce——thewholetwentyortwenty-fourofthem——

  andlethimtaketheminhishandandlookatthemforaslongasheliked。Iwantedtocomforthim。

  B。,however,advisedagainstthesuggestion。Hesaidthatevenifitdidnotturntheman’shead(anditwasmorethanprobablethatitwould),somuchjealousywouldbecreatedagainsthimamongtheotherrailwaypeoplethroughoutGermany,thathislifewouldbemadeamiserytohim。

  Soweboughtandshowedhimafirst-classreturntothenextstationbutone;anditwasquitepathetictowatchthepoorfellow’sfacebrightenupatthesight,andtoseethefaintsmilecreepbacktothelipsfromwhichithadsolongbeenabsent。

  Butattimes,onewishesthattheGermanrailwayofficialwouldcontrolhispassionfortickets——or,atleast,keepitwithinduebounds。

  Eventhemostkindly-heartedmangrowstiredofshowinghisticketalldayandnightlong,andthemiddleofawearisomejourneyisnotthepropertimeforamantocometothecarriage-windowandclamourtoseeyour\"billet。\"

  Youarewearyandsleepy。Youdonotknowwhereyourticketis。

  Youarenotquitesurethatyouhavegotaticket;orifyoueverhadone,somebodyhastakenitawayfromyou。Youhaveputitbyverycarefully,thinkingthatitwouldnotbewantedforhours,andhaveforgottenwhere。

  Thereareelevenpocketsinthesuityouhaveon,andfivemoreintheovercoatontherack。Maybe,itisinoneofthosepockets。Ifnot,itispossiblyinoneofthebags——somewhere,orinyourpocket-book,ifyouonlyknewwherethatwas,oryourpurse。

  Youbeginasearch。Youstandupandshakeyourself。Thenyouhaveanotherfeelallover。Youlookroundinthecourseoftheproceedings;andthesightofthecrowdofcuriousfaceswatchingyou,andofthemaninuniformwaitingwithhiseyefixedseverelyuponyou,conveytoyou,inyourthenstateofconfusion,themomentaryideathatthisisapolice-courtscene,andthatiftheticketisfounduponyou,youwillprobablygetfiveyears。

  Uponthisyouvehementlyprotestyourinnocence。

  \"ItellyouIhaven’tgotit!\"youexclaim;——\"neverseenthegentleman’sticket。Youletmego!I——\"

  Herethesurpriseofyourfellow-passengersrecallsyoutoyourself,andyouproceedonyourexploration。Youoverhaulthebags,turningeverythingoutontothefloor,mutteringcursesonthewholerailwaysystemofGermanyasyoudoso。Thenyoufeelinyourboots。Youmakeeverybodynearyoustanduptoseeiftheyaresittinguponit,andyougodownonyourkneesandgrovelforitundertheseat。

  \"Youdidn’tthrowitoutofthewindowwithyoursandwiches,didyou?\"asksyourfriend。

  \"No!DoyouthinkI’mafool?\"youanswer,irritably。\"WhatshouldIwanttodothatfor?\"

  Ongoingsystematicallyoveryourselfforaboutthetwentiethtime,youdiscoveritinyourwaistcoatpocket,andforthenexthalf-houryousitandwonderhowyoucametomissitonthepreviousnineteenoccasions。

  Meanwhile,duringthistryingscene,theconductoftheguardhascertainlynottendedtoallayyouranxietyandnervousness。Allthetimethatyouhavebeenlookingforyourticket,hehasbeendoingsillytricksonthestepoutside,imperillinghislifebyeverymeansthatexperienceandingenuitycansuggest。

  Thetrainisgoingattherateofthirtymilesanhour,theexpressspeedinGermany,andabridgecomesinsightcrossingovertheline。Onseeingthisbridge,theguard,holdingonbythewindow,leanshisbodyasfarbackaseveritwillgo。Youlookathim,andthenattherapidly-nearingbridge,andcalculatethatthearchwilljusttakehisheadoffwithoutinjuringanyotherpartofhimwhatever,andyouwonderwhethertheheadwillbejerkedintothecarriageorwillfalloutside。

  Whenheisthreeinchesoffthebridge,hepullshimselfupstraight,andthebrickwork,asthetraindashesthrough,killsaflythatwastrespassingontheupperpartofhisrightear。

  Then,whenthebridgeispassed,andthetrainisskirtingtheveryedgeofaprecipice,sothatastonedroppedjustoutsidethewindowwouldtumblestraightdown300feet,hesuddenlyletsgo,and,balancinghimselfonthefoot-boardwithoutholdingontoanything,commencestodanceasortofTeutoniccellar-flap,andtowarmhisbodybyflinginghisarmsaboutinthemannerofcabmenonacoldday。

  ThefirstessentialtocomfortablerailwaytravellinginGermanyistomakeupyourmindnottocarearapwhethertheguardgetskilledinthecourseofthejourneyornot。AnytenderfeelingtowardstheguardmakesrailwaytravellingintheFatherlandasimpletorture。

  Atfivea。m。(howfairandsweetandfreshtheearthlooksintheearlymorning!Thoselazypeoplewholieinbedtilleightorninemisshalfthebeautyoftheday,iftheybutknewit。ItisonlywewhoriseearlythatreallyenjoyNatureproperly)Igaveuptryingtogettosleep,andmademywaytothedressing-roomattheendofthecar,andhadawash。

  Itisdifficulttowashintheselittleplaces,becausethecarsshakeso;andwhenyouhavegotbothyourhandsandhalfyourheadinthebasin,andareunabletoprotectyourself,thesidesoftheroom,andthewater-tapandthesoap-dish,andothercowardlythings,takeameanadvantageofyourhelplessnesstopunchyouashardasevertheycan;andwhenyoubackawayfromthese,thedoorswingsopenandslapsyoufrombehind。

  Isucceeded,however,ingettingmyselffairlywetallover,evenifIdidnothingelse,andthenIlookedaboutforatowel。Ofcourse,therewasnotowel。Thatisthetrick。Theideaoftherailwayauthoritiesistolurethepassenger,byprovidinghimwithsoapandwaterandabasin,intogettinghimselfthoroughlysoaked,andthentoletitdawnuponhimthatthereisnotowel。Thatistheirnotionoffun!

  Ithoughtofthehandkerchiefsinmybag,buttogettothemI

  shouldhavetopasscompartmentscontainingladies,andIwasonlyinearlymorningdress。

  SoIhadtowipemyselfwithanewspaperwhichIhappenedtohaveinmypocket,andamoreunsatisfactorythingtodryoneselfuponI

  cannotconceive。

  IwokeupB。whenIgotbacktothecarriage,andpersuadedhimtogoandhaveawash;andinlisteningtothedistantsoundofhisremarkswhenhelikewisediscoveredthattherewasnotowel,therecollectionofmyowndiscomfiturepassedgentlyaway。

  Ah!howtrueitis,asgoodpeopletellus,thatinthinkingofthesorrowsofothers,welearntoforgetourown!

  ForfiftymilesbeforeonereachesMunich,thelandisflat,stale,andapparentlyveryunprofitable,andthereislittletointerestthelooker-out。Hesitsstraininghiseyestowardsthehorizon,eagerlylongingforsomesignofthecitytocomeinsight。

  Itliesverylow,however,anddoesallitcantoescapeobservation;anditisnotuntilheisalmostwithinitsstreetsthathediscoversit。

  THERESTOFSUNDAY,THE25TH

  WeSeekBreakfast。——IAirMyGerman。——TheArtofGesture。——TheIntelligenceofthePremiereDanseuse。——PerformanceofEnglishPantomimeinthePyrenees。——SadResultTherefrom。——The\"GermanConversation\"Book。——ItsNarrow-mindedViewofHumanWantsandAspirations。——SundayinMunich。——HansandGretchen。——HighLifev。

  LowLife。——\"ABeer-Cellar。\"

  AtMunichweleftourluggageatthestation,andwentinsearchofbreakfast。Ofcourse,ateighto’clockinthemorningnoneofthebigcafeswereopen;butatlength,besidesomegardens,wefoundanold-fashionedlookingrestaurant,fromwhichcameapleasantodourofcoffeeandhotonions;andwalkingthroughandseatingourselvesatoneofthelittletables,placedoutunderthetrees,wetookthebilloffareinourhands,andsummonedthewaitertoourside。

  Iorderedthebreakfast。IthoughtitwouldbeagoodopportunityformetotrymyGerman。Iorderedcoffeeandrollsasagroundwork。Igotoverthatpartofmytaskveryeasily。WiththepracticeIhadhadduringthelasttwodays,Icouldhaveorderedcoffeeandrollsforforty。ThenIforagedroundforluxuries,andorderedagreensalad。IhadsomedifficultyatfirstinconvincingthemanthatitwasnotaboiledcabbagethatIwanted,butsucceededeventuallyingettingthatsillynotionoutofhishead。

  IstillhadalittleGermanleft,evenafterthat。SoIorderedanomelettealso。

  \"Tellhimasavouryone,\"saidB。,\"orhewillbebringingussomethingfullofhotjamandchocolate-creams。Youknowtheirstyle。\"

  \"Oh,yes,\"Ianswered。\"Ofcourse。Yes。Letmesee。WhatistheGermanforsavoury?\"

  \"Savoury?\"musedB。\"Oh!ah!hum!BotheredifIknow!Confoundthething——Ican’tthinkofit!\"

  Icouldnotthinkofiteither。Asamatteroffact,Ineverknewit。WetriedthemanwithFrench。Wesaid:

  \"Uneomeletteauxfinesherbes。\"

  Ashedidnotappeartounderstandthat,wegaveithiminbadEnglish。Wetwistedandturnedtheunfortunateword\"savoury\"intosoundssoquaint,sosad,sounearthly,thatyouwouldhavethoughttheymighthavetouchedtheheartofasavage。ThisstoicalTeuton,however,remainedunmoved。Thenwetriedpantomime。

  Pantomimeistolanguagewhatmarmalade,accordingtothelabelonthepot,istobutter,\"anexcellent(occasional)substitute。\"Butitspowersasaninterpreterofthoughtarelimited。Atleast,inreallifetheyareso。Asregardsaballet,itisdifficulttosaywhatisnotexplainablebypantomime。Ihaveseenthebadmaninaballetconveytothepremieredanseusebyasubtlemovementoftheleftleg,togetherwithsomeslightassistancefromthedrum,theheartrendingintelligencethattheladyshehadbeenbroughtuptobelievewashermotherwasinrealityonlyherauntbymarriage。

  Butthenitmustbeborneinmindthatthepremieredanseuseisaladywhosequicknessofperceptionisaltogetherunique。Thepremieredanseuseknowspreciselywhatagentlemanmeanswhenhetwirlsroundforty-seventimesononeleg,andthenstandsonhishead。Theaverageforeignerwould,inallprobability,completelymisunderstandtheman。

  Afriendofmineonce,duringatourinthePyrenees,triedtoexpressgratitudebymeansofpantomime。Hearrivedlateoneeveningatalittlemountaininn,wherethepeoplemadehimverywelcome,andsetbeforehimtheirbest;andhe,beinghungry,appreciatedtheirkindness,andateamostexcellentsupper。

  Indeed,soexcellentamealdidhemake,andsokindandattentivewerehishoststohim,that,aftersupper,hefelthewantedtothankthem,andtoconveytothemsomeideaofhowpleasedandsatisfiedhewas。

  Hecouldnotexplainhimselfinlanguage。HeonlyknewenoughSpanishtojustaskforwhathewanted——andeventodothathehadtobecarefulnottowantmuch。Hehadnotgotasfarassentimentandemotionatthattime。Accordinglyhestartedtoexpresshimselfinaction。Hestoodupandpointedtotheemptytablewherethesupperhadbeen,thenopenedhismouthandpointeddownhisthroat。

  Thenhepattedthatregionofhisanatomywhere,soscientificpeopletellus,suppergoesto,andsmiled。

  Hehasarathercurioussmile,hasmyfriend。Hehimselfisundertheimpressionthatthereissomethingverywinninginit,though,also,asheadmits,atouchofsadness。Theyuseitinhisfamilyforkeepingthechildreninorder。

  Thepeopleoftheinnseemedratherastonishedathisbehaviour。

  Theyregardedhim,withtroubledlooks,andthengatheredtogetheramongthemselvesandconsultedinwhispers。

  \"Ievidentlyhavenotmademyselfsufficientlycleartothesesimplepeasants,\"saidmyfriendtohimself。\"Imustputmorevigourintothisshow。\"

  AccordinglyherubbedandpattedthatpartofhimselftowhichI

  havepreviouslyalluded——andwhich,beingamodestandproperlybrought-upyoungman,nothingonearthshallinducemetomentionmoreexplicitly——withgreaterenergythanever,andaddedanotherinchortwoofsmile;andhealsomadevariousgracefulmovementsindicative,ashethought,offriendlyfeelingandcontentment。

  Atlengtharayofintelligenceburstuponthefacesofhishosts,andtheyrushedtoacupboardandbroughtoutasmallblackbottle。

  \"Ah!that’sdoneit,\"thoughtmyfriend。\"Nowtheyhavegraspedmymeaning。AndtheyarepleasedthatIampleased,andaregoingtoinsistonmydrinkingafinalfriendlybumperofwinewiththem,thegoodoldsouls!\"

  Theybroughtthebottleover,andpouredoutawineglassful,andhandedittohim,makingsignsthatheshoulddrinkitoffquickly。

  \"Ah!\"saidmyfriendtohimself,ashetooktheglassandraisedittothelight,andwinkedatitwickedly,\"thisissomerareoldspiritpeculiartothedistrict——someoldheirloomkeptspeciallyforthefavouredguest。\"

  Andheheldtheglassaloftandmadeaspeech,inwhichhewishedlonglifeandmanygrand-childrentotheoldcouple,andahandsomehusbandtothedaughter,andprosperitytothewholevillage。Theycouldnotunderstandhim,heknew;buthethoughttheremightbethatinhistonesandgesturesfromwhichtheywouldgatherthesenseofwhathewassaying,andunderstandhowkindlyhefelttowardsthemall。Whenhehadfinished,heputhishanduponhisheartandsmiledsomemore,andthentossedtheliquoroffatagulp。

点击下载App,搜索"Diary of a Pilgrimage",免费读到尾