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
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
— 264 —<br />
route between L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong> and Rome, he loses his luggage <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Switzerland,<br />
or is nearly shipwrecked off Dover. If I counsel him <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<strong>the</strong> purchase of a camera, he gets run <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> by <strong>the</strong> German police<br />
for photograph<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g fortresses. I <strong>on</strong>ce took a deal of trouble to<br />
expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> to a man how to marry his deceased wife’s sister at<br />
Stockholm. I found out for him <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong> boat left Hull and<br />
<strong>the</strong> best hotels to stop at. There was not a s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gle mistake from<br />
beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to end <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> with which I supplied<br />
him; no hitch occurred anywhere; yet now he never speaks<br />
to me.<br />
Therefore it is that I have come to restra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> my passi<strong>on</strong> for<br />
<strong>the</strong> giv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong>; <strong>the</strong>refore it is that noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong><br />
nature of practical <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structi<strong>on</strong> will be found, if I can help it,<br />
with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>se pages.<br />
There will be no descripti<strong>on</strong> of towns, no historical rem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>iscences,<br />
no architecture, no morals.<br />
I <strong>on</strong>ce asked an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>telligent foreigner what he thought of<br />
L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong>.<br />
He said: “It is a very big town.”<br />
I said: “What struck you most about it?”<br />
He replied: “The people.”<br />
I said: “Compared with o<strong>the</strong>r towns — Paris, Rome, Berl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>,<br />
— what did you th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k of it?”<br />
He shrugged his shoulders. “It is bigger,” he said; “what<br />
more can <strong>on</strong>e say?”<br />
One anthill is very much like ano<strong>the</strong>r. So many avenues,<br />
wide or narrow, where <strong>the</strong> little creatures swarm <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> strange<br />
c<strong>on</strong>fusi<strong>on</strong>; <strong>the</strong>se bustl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g by, important; <strong>the</strong>se halt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to powwow<br />
with <strong>on</strong>e ano<strong>the</strong>r. These struggl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with big burdens;<br />
those but bask<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> sun. So many granaries stored with<br />
food; so many cells where <strong>the</strong> little th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs sleep, and eat, and<br />
love; <strong>the</strong> corner where lie <strong>the</strong>ir little white b<strong>on</strong>es. This hive is<br />
larger, <strong>the</strong> next smaller. This nest lies <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> sand, and ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
under <strong>the</strong> st<strong>on</strong>es. This was built but yesterday, while that was<br />
fashi<strong>on</strong>ed ages ago, some say even before <strong>the</strong> swallows came;<br />
who knows?