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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<strong>the</strong>ir shocked expressi<strong>on</strong>, that <strong>the</strong>y are talk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g scandal about<br />
you. Maybe a cow will c<strong>on</strong>descend to give a glance <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
This Noah’s Ark arrangement it is, I suppose, that gives to<br />
<strong>the</strong> Black Forest home its dist<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ctive scent. It is not a scent you<br />
can liken to any <strong>on</strong>e th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. It is as if you took roses and Limburger<br />
cheese and hair oil, some hea<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>on</strong>i<strong>on</strong>s, peaches<br />
and soapsuds, toge<strong>the</strong>r with a dash of sea air and a corpse,<br />
and mixed <strong>the</strong>m up toge<strong>the</strong>r. You cannot def<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e any particular<br />
odour, but you feel <strong>the</strong>y are all <strong>the</strong>re — all <strong>the</strong> odours that <strong>the</strong><br />
world has yet discovered. People who live <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>se houses are<br />
f<strong>on</strong>d of this mixture. They do not open <strong>the</strong> w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow and lose<br />
any of it; <strong>the</strong>y keep it carefully bottled up. If you want any<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r scent, you can go outside and smell <strong>the</strong> wood violets and<br />
<strong>the</strong> p<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es; <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>side <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>the</strong> house; and after a while, I am told,<br />
you get used to it, so that you miss it, and are unable to go to<br />
sleep <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> any o<strong>the</strong>r atmosphere.<br />
We had a l<strong>on</strong>g walk before us <strong>the</strong> next day, and it was our desire,<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore, to get up early, even so early as six o’clock, if that<br />
could be managed without disturb<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> whole household. We<br />
put it to our hostess whe<strong>the</strong>r she thought this could be d<strong>on</strong>e.<br />
She said she thought it could. She might not be about herself<br />
at that time; it was her morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g for go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> town, some<br />
eight miles off, and she rarely got back much before seven; but,<br />
possibly, her husband or <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> boys would be return<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
home to lunch about that hour. Anyhow, somebody should be<br />
sent back to wake us and get our breakfast.<br />
As it turned out, we did not need any wak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. We got up at<br />
four, all by ourselves. We got up at four <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> order to get away<br />
from <strong>the</strong> noise and <strong>the</strong> d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> that was mak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g our heads ache.<br />
What time <strong>the</strong> Black Forest peasant rises <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> summer time I<br />
am unable to say; to us <strong>the</strong>y appeared to be gett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up all night.<br />
And <strong>the</strong> first th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> Black Forester does when he gets up is<br />
to put <strong>on</strong> a pair of stout boots with wooden soles, and take a<br />
c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>al round <strong>the</strong> house. Until he has been three times<br />
up and down <strong>the</strong> stairs, he does not feel he is up. Once fully<br />
awake himself, <strong>the</strong> next th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g he does is to go upstairs to <strong>the</strong>