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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— 314 —<br />
(George says he did not “refuse”; he simply told <strong>the</strong> man he<br />
had not got it.)<br />
Third s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>:<br />
(a) Travell<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> carriage of superior class to that for which<br />
ticket was held.<br />
(b) Refus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to pay difference when demanded by an official.<br />
(Aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> George disputes <strong>the</strong> accuracy of <strong>the</strong> report.<br />
He turned his pockets out, and offered <strong>the</strong> man all he had,<br />
which was about eightpence <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> German m<strong>on</strong>ey. He offered<br />
to go <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to a third class, but <strong>the</strong>re was no third class. He offered<br />
to go <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> goods van, but <strong>the</strong>y would not hear of<br />
it.)<br />
Fourth s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>:<br />
(a) Occupy<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g seat, and not pay<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for same.<br />
(b) Loiter<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about corridor. (As <strong>the</strong>y would not let him sit<br />
down without pay<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and as he could not pay, it was difficult<br />
to see what else he could do.)<br />
But explanati<strong>on</strong>s are held as no excuse <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Germany; and his<br />
journey from Carlsruhe to Baden was <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> most expensive<br />
perhaps <strong>on</strong> record.<br />
Reflect<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> case and frequency with which <strong>on</strong>e gets<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to trouble here <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Germany, <strong>on</strong>e is led to <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> that<br />
this country would come as a bo<strong>on</strong> and a bless<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong> average<br />
young Englishman. To <strong>the</strong> medical student, to <strong>the</strong> eater of<br />
d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ners at <strong>the</strong> Temple, to <strong>the</strong> subaltern <strong>on</strong> leave, life <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> L<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong><br />
is a wearisome proceed<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. The healthy Brit<strong>on</strong> takes his pleasure<br />
lawlessly, or it is no pleasure to him. Noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that he may<br />
do affords to him any genu<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e satisfacti<strong>on</strong>. To be <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> trouble of<br />
some sort is his <strong>on</strong>ly idea of bliss. Now, England affords him<br />
small opportunity <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> this respect; to get himself <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to a scrape<br />
requires a good deal of persistence <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> part of <strong>the</strong> young<br />
Englishman.<br />
I spoke <strong>on</strong> this subject <strong>on</strong>e day with our senior churchwarden.<br />
It was <strong>the</strong> morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of <strong>the</strong> 10th of November, and we were<br />
both of us glanc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, somewhat anxiously, through <strong>the</strong> police<br />
reports. The usual batch of young men had been summ<strong>on</strong>ed