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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— 289 —<br />
Forest. The last time I walked down it some hundreds of Italian<br />
workmen were encamped <strong>the</strong>re hard at work, tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />
wild little Wehr <strong>the</strong> way it should go, brick<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> banks for it<br />
here, blast<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> rocks for it <strong>the</strong>re, mak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g cement steps for it<br />
down which it can travel soberly and without fuss.<br />
For <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Germany <strong>the</strong>re is no n<strong>on</strong>sense talked about untrammelled<br />
nature. In Germany nature has got to behave herself,<br />
and not set a bad example to <strong>the</strong> children. A German poet,<br />
notic<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g waters com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g down as Sou<strong>the</strong>y describes, somewhat<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>exactly, <strong>the</strong> waters com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g down at Lodore, would be too<br />
shocked to stop and write alliterative verse about <strong>the</strong>m. He<br />
would hurry away, and at <strong>on</strong>ce report <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> police. Then<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir foam<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g and <strong>the</strong>ir shriek<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g would be of short durati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
“Now <strong>the</strong>n, now <strong>the</strong>n, what’s all this about?” <strong>the</strong> voice of<br />
German authority would say severely to <strong>the</strong> waters. “We can’t<br />
have this sort of th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, you know. Come down quietly, can’t<br />
you? Where do you th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k you are?”<br />
And <strong>the</strong> local German council would provide those waters<br />
with z<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>c pipes and wooden troughs, and a corkscrew staircase,<br />
and show <strong>the</strong>m how to come down sensibly, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> German<br />
manner.<br />
It is a tidy land is Germany.<br />
We reached Dresden <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> Wednesday even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and stayed<br />
<strong>the</strong>re over <strong>the</strong> Sunday.<br />
Tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong>e c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> with ano<strong>the</strong>r, Dresden, perhaps,<br />
is <strong>the</strong> most attractive town <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Germany; but it is a place to be<br />
lived <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> for a while ra<strong>the</strong>r than visited. Its museums and galleries,<br />
its palaces and gardens, its beautiful and historically rich<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment, provide pleasure for a w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ter, but bewilder for a<br />
week. It has not <strong>the</strong> gaiety of Paris or Vienna, which quickly<br />
palls; its charms are more solidly German, and more last<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. It<br />
is <strong>the</strong> Mecca of <strong>the</strong> musician. For five shill<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dresden, you<br />
can purchase a stall at <strong>the</strong> opera house, toge<strong>the</strong>r, unfortunately,<br />
with a str<strong>on</strong>g dis<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong> ever aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> to take <strong>the</strong> trouble of<br />
sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g out a performance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> any English, French, or, American<br />
opera house.