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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— 386 —<br />
Possibly, he will have his outer walls pa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ted by <strong>the</strong> local artist:<br />
a sangu<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ary battle, a good deal <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terfered with by <strong>the</strong> fr<strong>on</strong>t<br />
door, tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g place below, while Bismarck, as an angel, flutters<br />
vaguely about <strong>the</strong> bedroom w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows. But for his Old Masters<br />
he is quite c<strong>on</strong>tent to go to <strong>the</strong> public galleries; and “<strong>the</strong> Celebrity<br />
at Home” not hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g as yet taken its place am<strong>on</strong>gst <strong>the</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stituti<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>rland, he is not impelled to waste his,<br />
m<strong>on</strong>ey turn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his house <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to an old curiosity shop.<br />
The German is a gourmand. There are still English farmers<br />
who, while tell<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g you that farm<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g spells starvati<strong>on</strong>, enjoy<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir seven solid meals a day. Once a year <strong>the</strong>re comes a week’s<br />
feast throughout Russia, dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g which many deaths occur from<br />
<strong>the</strong> over-eat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of pancakes; but this is a religious festival, and<br />
an excepti<strong>on</strong>. Tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g him all round, <strong>the</strong> German as a trencherman<br />
stands pre-em<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ent am<strong>on</strong>g <strong>the</strong> nati<strong>on</strong>s of <strong>the</strong> earth. He<br />
rises early, and while dress<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tosses off a few cups of coffee,<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r with half a dozen hot buttered rolls. But it is not until<br />
ten o’clock that he sits down to anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that can properly be<br />
called a meal. At <strong>on</strong>e or half-past takes place his chief d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ner.<br />
Of this he makes a bus<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ess, sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at it for a couple of hours.<br />
At four o’clock he goes to <strong>the</strong> café, and eats cakes and dr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ks<br />
chocolate. The even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g he devotes to eat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g generally — not a<br />
set meal, or rarely, but a series of snacks, — a bottle of beer and<br />
a Belegte-semmel or two at seven, say; ano<strong>the</strong>r bottle of beer<br />
and an Aufschnitt at <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>atre between <strong>the</strong> acts; a small bottle<br />
of white w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e and a Spiegeleier before go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g home; <strong>the</strong>n a<br />
piece of cheese or sausage, washed down by more beer, previous<br />
to turn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> for <strong>the</strong> night.<br />
But he is no gourmet. French cooks and French prices are<br />
not <strong>the</strong> rule at his restaurant. His beer or his <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>expensive<br />
native white w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e he prefers to <strong>the</strong> most costly clarets or<br />
champagnes. And, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>deed, it is well for him he does; for <strong>on</strong>e is<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k that every time a French grower sells a bottle<br />
of w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e to a German hotel- or shop-keeper, Sedan is rankl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d. It is a foolish revenge, see<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that it is not <strong>the</strong> German<br />
who as a rule dr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ks it; <strong>the</strong> punishment falls up<strong>on</strong> some