The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-11-17
A HOLIDAY DIVERSION.

And so all had to do was to go into
the country and enjoy myself for six
weeks-that is what it came to.
Why, if anyone had struck me with a
feather at the moment the doctor uttered
his verdict 1 should certainly have been
knocked down; fortunately no such
atrocity was attempted, so maintained
as erect a posture as my enfeebled health
would allow until the eminent icentiate
of the College of Physicians, whom was
consulting, begged me toresume my seat.
You are utterly smoke-dried, he
said.
London or tobacco?" 1 inquired.
Both, he answered. No physic;
fresh air is all you want-mountain air
if possible; perfect rest and quiet; abb
stemious habits, early hours and no to-
bacco"
But" feebly protested, 81 don't
care about the country how am to fill
up my timer"
" Nonsense; you know nothing of it,
from your own showing; and as to occu-
patton, anything will do, so that you
keep clear of your ledgers. Fish, sketch,
idle, read poetry and light novels; go and
steep yourself in greenery, refresh your
senses with rural sights and sounds; go
and look at trees and fields, listen to the
birds and the music of the running
waters; follow this out and you will be a
different man in six weeks"
"And them" l blankly inquired.
"Then? o then," he answered, "get
married and settle down"
1t certainly was fortunate was not
standing up at that moment, for it would
not have needed touch of the afore-
said feather to have laid me low. AS it
was | sank back in my chair aghast.
"Get married." | thought; | who was
utterly insensible to female attractions,
and who had been always taught to have
an eye to the main chance and regard
matrimony as clog, unless associated
with a great heiress. get married on a
salary of $500 year? Whew!
| left Saville row with scarce another
word, convinced that for real, downright,
impractical men there were none to COM
pare with doctors.
Thus took the plunge and within five
days found myself at a snug little inn in
North Wales, hard by celebrated spot
known as the Devils Bridge" a few
miles inland from Aborystwith.
confess at once to having been lit
tie astonished and pleased at the beauty
of the scenery. The unexpected novel
ty, l felt, would keep me going for some
time.
The change soon refreshed me. l was
astonished at feeling neither dull mol
lonely-for the tourist season had hardly
set in, and had the little inn well-nigf
to myself. So wandered about anC
gazed wonderingly on all l saw, especial
ly at the deep, craggy, wooded gorge o.
mountain riverbed across which Hi
Satanic Majesty's engineering skill wal
supposed to have been displayed.
As stood looking down upon it from
the bridge near the inn it certainl,
seemed to me a wondrously romanti,
spot. Steep, rock-bound banks, crowned
with trees, hemmed in the rushing, foam
ing river, its channel becoming irregu
larry narrower and more precipitous a
it reached the head of the valley in tn
depth of which it lay. Here there was
waterfall, as | then thought, of stupen
dous magnitude, and yet a little higher u
a second, still larger. AS l made m
way down to the river by a well-wor
path through wood, the sound of tn
descending waters, as, waited on tn
soft summer breeze, it rose and fell /
liquid cadence, fascinated me from tn
very first. At distance it was but
murmur; but as / drew nearer l SCENE
to fancy that melodies innumerable wer
growing out of it-wild, unequal melC
dies, that touched chords in my natur
of the existence of which had hilbert
been ignorant. had cared no more fc
music than for any other of the refining
softening influences of life, and no
there seemed to be awakening in me a
entirely new man. | did not know my
self, and the fascination led me on irr,
sistibly.
Now l would stop and tilt my hea
from side to side, listening to the vari
ties of sound | thus gained. Then, aft
advancing little to increase the strengt
of tone, l would retreat so that the del