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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— 302 —<br />
his mouth, and tear his clo<strong>the</strong>s from him. Later, we came to<br />
understand a part of what he said, and this led to <strong>the</strong> discovery<br />
of his sec<strong>on</strong>d fail<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.<br />
It would seem he had lately <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vented a hair-restorer, which<br />
he had persuaded a local chemist to take up and advertise.<br />
Half his time he had been po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g out to us, not <strong>the</strong> beauties<br />
of Prague, but <strong>the</strong> benefits likely to accrue to <strong>the</strong> human<br />
race from <strong>the</strong> use of this c<strong>on</strong>cocti<strong>on</strong>; and <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
agreement with which, under <strong>the</strong> impressi<strong>on</strong> he was wax<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
eloquent c<strong>on</strong>cern<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g views and architecture, we had met his<br />
enthusiasm he had attributed to sympa<strong>the</strong>tic <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> this<br />
wretched wash of his.<br />
The result was that now <strong>the</strong>re was no keep<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g him away<br />
from <strong>the</strong> subject. Ru<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed palaces and crumbl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g churches he<br />
dismissed with curt reference as mere frivolities, encourag<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
a morbid taste for <strong>the</strong> decadent. His duty, as he saw it, was<br />
not to lead us to dwell up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> ravages of time, but ra<strong>the</strong>r to<br />
direct our attenti<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> means of repair<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>m. What had<br />
we to do with broken-headed heroes, or bald-headed sa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ts?<br />
Our <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest should be surely <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g world; <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> maidens<br />
with <strong>the</strong>ir flow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tresses, or <strong>the</strong> flow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tresses <strong>the</strong>y might<br />
have, by judicious use of “Kophkeo,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> young men with<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir fierce moustaches — as pictured <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> label.<br />
Unc<strong>on</strong>sciously, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his own m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, he had divided <strong>the</strong> world<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to two secti<strong>on</strong>s. The Past (“Before Use”), a sickly, disagreeable-look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />
un<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g world. The Future (“After Use”) a<br />
fat, jolly, God-bless-everybody sort of world; and this unfitted<br />
him as a guide to scenes of mediaeval history.<br />
He sent us each a bottle of <strong>the</strong> stuff to our hotel. It appeared<br />
that <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> early part of our c<strong>on</strong>verse with him we had, unwitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gly,<br />
clamoured for it. Pers<strong>on</strong>ally, I can nei<strong>the</strong>r praise it nor<br />
c<strong>on</strong>demn it. A l<strong>on</strong>g series of disappo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tments has disheartened<br />
me; added to which a permanent atmosphere of paraff<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, however<br />
fa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t, is apt to cause remark, especially <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> case of a<br />
married man. Now, I never try even <strong>the</strong> sample.<br />
I gave my bottle to George. He asked for it to send to a man