The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-07-02
NO. 27.


friend, Mr.. Fanton, with whom he had
greatly enjoyed Rome. The fact that he
was friend of John Fanton, whom L
had known for years, and who was the
last to bid me goodbye in Rome, was
recommendation enough for any stran-
ger, and constituted us friends at once.
1 forgot all about Aunt Edith g advice to
have "nothing to do with foreigners
but placed at once the most unlimited
confidence in Herr Schwager, who from
the beginning of our acquaintance at
tached himself in most brotherly way
to our fortunes, proving himself in ev-
cry particular rare honor to his sex.
However gross and brusque the German
character may be, must for ever make
an exception of our Herr, whose genuine
politeness, delicacy of kindness, refine
ment and manliness have rarely seen
equalled aud never excelled.
Kate kept up her banter about the
"horrid Germans" for which she had
abundant reason in our journey from
Gratz to Vienna. We had hoped to
have compartment to ourselves, to
which end Herr Schwager, had expend-
ed a florin; but at the last moment a
portly Gratzian entered and settled him
self by one of the windows which would
command the Semmering Pass. He too
spoke some English, and endeavored to
be sociable. AS we neared the pass he
insisted upon my taking his seat the bet
ter to see the marvellous scenery, with
which he was already familiar. had
been too long on the Continent not to
have become suspicious of q voluntary
sacrifice on the part of European. 1t
invariably means something; it covers
an drrjere pensee. He offers you q pa
per to read or peach or a pear to eat, or
buys bouquet of flowers at station,
and you accept the proffer of either he
takes advantage of the obligation under
which he has placed you and proceeds
generally to smoke ,remarking for FORMS
sake that he "hopes it is not offensive"
while you, under the burden of his kind
ness, smile fashionable lie, and reply,
mot in the least" So our CRATER with
drew to the farther end of the seat and
began to smoke a most villainous cigar,
and continued to smoke, lighting an
other when one was finished. L soon
began to succumb to the poisonous
effects of the close atmosphere, for, al
though we kept our windows open--it
was the middle of June-the CRATER
with true German caution kept his firm
ly closed. But the effect upon Katewas
even worse, and her pallid face plainly
told how much she was suffering. We
cast entreating looks upon Herr
Schwager, who never smoked, but un-
derstood our annoyance without know
ing just how to ask the CRATER to cease.
We poked our heads out of the window,
opened cologne-bottles and INDUCED in
various manifestations of disgust; but
to no purpose; the Austrian smoked on.
Finally, when he began on the fourth
cigar, Kate, whose patience was utterly
exhausted, begged me to ask him to stop.
1 naturally demurred, being under obli-
cation to him, and replied, "you're the
sicker, Kate; you tell him."
When suddenly she lifted her pale face
and shouted at him, "Oh, you horrid
German! we are nearly smoked to death!
For mercy's sake, stopl"
"Ah, pardon!" he replied unconcern-
edly, taking the cigar from his mouth
and putting it in his pocket.
Herr Schwager's amusement was
boundless, and our satisfaction also, as
we had no more smoke on the road to
Vienna.
The landlord of the Hotel W, to
whom we were recommended, received
us with pleasant cordiality, and at the
same time apologized because he could
not give us the rooms engaged for us
until the next day; so we were tempo
rarily lodged in large room leading
from an ante-room designed for SER
vant-an arrangement which is COM
mon in Austrian hotels. On the follow
ing morning, as Kate was waiting half
dressed in the ante-room for the kam-
mer-madchen to bring her warm water,
who should walk in upon her, sans cere-
monte, but long, black-gowned priest !
He stared at her, nonchalantly looked
about the room, and walked out with
never word. She might have regarded
the intrusion as mistake If like visit
from the same parsonage had not been
made at the same hour next morning in
our own rooms, to which we were that