The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-10-18
A Travellers Difficulty.

A Travellers Difficulty.
Although exceedingly desirous of ar
irving with the greatest possible expedi.
tion at the Lake of Constance, necessity
compelled me to stop at Vadutry. Ever
since we set ont it had been raining in
torrents, and the horse and driver OBJ
stinatcly refused to stir one step further
the beast because the mud reached his
flank, and the man because he was wet
to the skin. Under these circumstances
it would have been cruel to insist on com
| pliance with my wishes.
Indeed, it requires this philanthropic
consideration to induce me to enter the
wretched inn before which my vehicle had
drawn up. Hardly had | stepped into
the narrow passage that conducted to the
/ kitchen, which served also rs the common
reception-rUom for travellers, than | was
nearly choked by the odor of sour crout,
announcing before hand like cards at the
doors of certain restaurants, the bill of
fare for my dinner. Now | must say of
sour-crout what certain abbe said of
founders, that if there were on the earth
nothing but sour-crout and myself, the
world would soon come to an end.
began to recall my German vocabu-
larry, and apply it to the bill of fare of n
village house of entertainment. The
precaution was by no means unnecessary,
for | was hardly seated at table, where
two wagoners, the first comers, kindly
made room for me at one end, than they
brought me soup-plate filled with this
delectahe food. Fortunately, | was pre-
pared for the abominable joke, and |
pushed away the plate, which smoked
like Vesuvius, saying, "Nnchguf' mot
good) so vehementlj that they could not
mistake my being full.blooded Saxon.
A German always fancies that he has
misunderstood when any one objects to
sour-crout, especially when the dislike is
expressed in his own language you may
imagine then their astoni,hment, to Use a
familiar German phrase, rose mountain
high.
~ IDDultli VI SIltHCc, vi iUSOlulc
nmazcment ensued. SUCH as follows the
uiterance of some blasphemous impreca-
ton, and during which my hostess seemed
to be industrlously occupied in collecting
her senses. The result OF her reflections
WAS Il phrase uttered in voice so low
that it was perfectly unintelligible TO me,
but which | interpreted, by the express
sion of countenance which accompanied
it, to mean, "Well, my lord, if you do
not like sour-crout, what is there, then,
that yon DO like ?"
"1HeS. dieSeS ausgeaOmmen, which |
translate for the benefit of those who may
not be as learned Jas myself-"Any thing
except that"
Probably disgust produced in me the
same effect as on Juvenal, with this diff
ference; his disgust burst out in satire,
mine was exhibited in the tone of my
voice. | was made aware of this by the
submissive air with which the landlady
removed the offensive sour-crout. anX-
iously awaited the second course, anus
ing myself, to kill time, by making boil
uses out of my bread, and tasting, with
sundry wry faces, kind of paltry wine,
which, because it was III bottle with a
lon. neck. and had IN abominable taste
of flint they had the assurance TO label
Rheni,h WINE.
"Well," said | to my hostess.
"Wcll," was the reply.
"My supper"
go. certainly" and she reappearcd
with the detestable sour-crout
concluded if did not do Justice TO it
in some way. she would pursue me until
the day of judgment, TO escape this
threatened fate, | called dog of the st.
Bernard species, who was seated on his
hind-legs before a fire sufficient TO roast
an OK, and perseveringly roasting his
muzzle and his paws. The instant he
perceived my good intentions, he quilted
the chimney, approached me, and with
three laps of his huge tongue the subject
of controversy disappeared.
"Well done," said ], patting my de-
livercr when he had finished, and hand
ed the empty pllte to the landlady.
Sand you :" said she.
81 | will dine on something else. "
"But | have nothing else"
"What!" exclaimed |, with the Gag
erness of hungry man, shave you nc
eggs ?"
no"
"Cutlets, then ?"
no"
"Potatoes ,"
"No."
"Some -" A bright idea flashed
across my brain-I remembered that |
had been told by no means to pass
through that region without eating
mushrooms, renowned for their peculiar
excellence twenty miles around But
alas when l wished to profit by this
fortunate reminiscence, / could not re-
member the German word. Here was
an insuperable difficulty TO overcome, or
else must 60 fasting TO bed. paused
with open mouth AT the indefinite pro-
noun, some.
"Some-some," mechanically reitera-
ted the dame.
"What do you call it in German p
Some
"Yes, zounds Sdne-n At this
moment my eyes fell accidentally on my