Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 238 —<br />
lers. It commenced “On a Steam-boat,” and term<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ated “At <strong>the</strong><br />
Doctor’s”; its l<strong>on</strong>gest chapter be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g devoted to c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a railway carriage, am<strong>on</strong>g, apparently, a compartment load<br />
of quarrelsome and ill-mannered lunatics: “Can you not get<br />
fur<strong>the</strong>r away from me, sir?” — “It is impossible, madam; my<br />
neighbour, here, is very stout” — “Shall we not endeavour to<br />
arrange our legs?” — “Please have <strong>the</strong> goodness to keep your<br />
elbows down” — “Pray do not <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>venience yourself, madam,<br />
if my shoulder is of any accommodati<strong>on</strong> to you,” whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tended to be said sarcastically or not, <strong>the</strong>re was noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicate — “I really must request you to move a little, madam,<br />
I can hardly brea<strong>the</strong>,” <strong>the</strong> author’s idea be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, presumably, that<br />
by this time <strong>the</strong> whole party was mixed up toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
floor. The chapter c<strong>on</strong>cluded with <strong>the</strong> phrase, “Here we are<br />
at our dest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong>, God be thanked! (Gott sei dank!)” a pious<br />
exclamati<strong>on</strong>, which under <strong>the</strong> circumstances must have taken<br />
<strong>the</strong> form of a chorus.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> book was an appendix, giv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> German<br />
traveller h<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts c<strong>on</strong>cern<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> preservati<strong>on</strong> of his health and<br />
comfort dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his sojourn <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> English towns, chief am<strong>on</strong>g<br />
such h<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g advice to him to always travel with a supply of<br />
dis<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fectant powder, to always lock his bedroom door at night,<br />
and to always carefully count his small change.<br />
“It is not a brilliant publicati<strong>on</strong>,” I remarked, hand<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />
book back to George; “it is not a book that pers<strong>on</strong>ally I would<br />
recommend to any German about to visit England; I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k it<br />
would get him disliked. But I have read books published <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong> for <strong>the</strong> use of English travellers abroad every whit as<br />
foolish. Some educated idiot, misunderstand<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g seven languages,<br />
would appear to go about writ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>se books for <strong>the</strong><br />
mis<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> and false guidance of modern Europe.”<br />
“You cannot deny,” said George, “that <strong>the</strong>se books are <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
large request. They are bought by <strong>the</strong> thousand, I know. In<br />
every town <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Europe <strong>the</strong>re must be people go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about talk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
this sort of th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.”<br />
“Maybe,” I replied; “but fortunately nobody understands