21.03.2013 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

— 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

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!