The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-01
MARK TWAIN.


Netdelbcrg.
One day IL occurred to me tina, IL had been
many years since the world had been at
forded the spectacle of man adventurous
enough to undertake n journey through |
Europe on foot. After much thought, de-
cided that was a person fitted to furnish to |
mankind this spectacle. So | determined TO |
do it. This was in March, 1878.
looked about me for the right sort of per- |
son TO accompany inc in the capacity of agent |
and finally hired a Mr.. Harris for this ser
vice.
1t was also my purpose to study art while
in Europe. Mr.. Harris was in sympathy with
me in this. He was as much OF an enthusiast
in art as | was. and not less anxious to learn
to paint. desired to learn the German Ian
guage; so did Harris.
Toward the middle of April we sailed in the
Holsatia, Capt. Brandt, and had a very pleas
ant trip indeed.
After a brief rest at Hamburg, we made
preparations for a long pedestrian trip south
ward in the soft spring weather, but at the
last moment we changed the programme. for
private reasons, and took the express train.
We made n short halt at Frankfort the
Main, and found it an interesting city.
would have liked to visit the birthplace OF
Gutenberg, but it could not be done, as no
memorandum of the site of the house has
been kept. So we spent an hour in the
Goethe mansion instead. The city permits
this house to belong to private parties, in
stead of grazing and Identifying herself with
the honor of possessing and protecting it.
Frankfort is one of the sixteen cities which
have the distinction of being the place where
the following incident occurred CHARLIE
magne, while chasing the Saxons, Gas he
said,) or being chased by them, Gas they
said.) arrived at the bank Of the river at
dawn. in a fog. The enemy was either be-
fore him or behind him; but in any case he
wanted to get across, very badly. He would
| have given anything for a guide, but none
was to had. Presently he saw a deer, fol-
| lowed by her Young, approach the water.
He watched her. Judging that she would
| seek ford. and he was right. She waded
over, and the army followed. So great
| Frankish victory or defeat was gained or
| avoided and in order to commemorate the
episode. Charlemagne commanded city to
he built there, which he named Frankfort
the ford of the Franks. None of the other
cities where this event happened were named
from it. This is good evidence that Frank
| fort was the first place il occurred at.
| Frankfort has another distincton-itis the
birthplace of the German alphabet: or at
least of the German word for lphabet-Buck-
stabep. They say that the first movable types
| were made on birch sticks Bml&iGbep-
hence the name.
was taught lesson in political economy
in Frankfort. had brought from home a
box containing thousand very cheap
cigars. By way of experiment, stepped
into little shop in queer old back street,
took four gaily decorated boxes of wax
matches and three cigars, and laid down a
| silver piece worth As cents. The man gave
me 43 cents change.
In Frankfort everybody wears clean clothes,
and think we noticed that this strange
thing was tho case in Hamburg, too, and in
the villages along the road. Even in the
narrowcst and poorest and most ancient
quarters of Frankfort neat and clean clothes
were the rule. The little children of both
sexes were nearly always nice enough to take
into a body's lap. And as for the uniforms
of the soldiers, they were newness and bright
ness carried to perfection. One could never
detect a sinirch or grain of dust upon them
The street-car conductors and drivers wor,
pretty uniforms which seemed to be lust out
of the bandbox, and their manners were as
fine as their clothes.
In one of the shops had the luck To stun
ble upon a book which has charmed III,
nearly to death 1t is entitled "The Legend,
of the Rhine from Basic to Rotterdam, by Il
]. Kiefer; Translated by i. w. Garnhan
b. A."
} All tourists mention the Rhine legends-iI
that sort of way which quietly pretends tina
the mentioner has been familiar with them al
: his life, and that the reader cannot possible h,
ignorant of them-but no tourist ever tell
them. So this little book fed me in yer,
, hungry place: and |, in my turn, intend I,
, feed my reader, with one or two little lunche
+ from the same larder. ! shall not mar Garn
hams translation by mcddling with its Eng
, /, lisb for the most toOthsome thing about j
, is its quaint fashion of building English sen
fences on the German plan, and punctuatinl
r them according to no plan at all.
$ In the chapter devoted to "Legends o
-. Frankfort " | find the following:
:" In Frankfort at the Romer was q grea
\ mask ball. at the coronation festival, and il
the illuminated saloon, the changing musi
invited to dance, and splendidy appeare
o the rich toilettes and charms of the ladies
: and the festively- costumed Princes an
Knights. All seemed pleasure, Joy, an
roguish gayety, only one of the numerou
Y guests had gloomy exterior; but exactl
. the black armor in which he walked abou
j excited general attention, and his tall figure
I. as well as the noble propriety of his move
4 ments, attracted especially the regards of tn
5 ladies. Who the Knight was Nobod
o could guess, for his Vizier was well closed
. | ana llOtnlhE Hltht MN TetbpnlEHDIe. ITOu
Il and yet modest he advanced to the Empress
% bowed on one knee before her seat, an
% begged lor the favor of waltz with tn
% Queen of the festival. And she allowed hi
n request. With light and graceful steps h
~ danced through the long saloon, with til
n sovereign who thought never to have toun
% a more dexterous and excellent dancer. Bu
also by the grace of his manner and fin
" conversation he knew to win the Queen, an
. she graciously accorded him u second dane
" for which he begged, a third, and iourtl
N as well as others were not refused him. Ho
e all regarded the happy dancer, how man
u envicd him the high favor; how increase
l. curiosity, who the masked knight could IN
Y Also the Emperor became more aud moi
~ excited with curiosity, and with great gu
ic pense one awaited the hour, when accordiu
y to mask law, each masked guest must maxi
" himself known, This moment came In
, although all others had unmasked Il
= secret knight still refused Ia allow his le
!, lures to he seen, till at last the Queen drive
II by uiiosity, and veXed at tn" obstinate n
{ fusal commanded him to open his Vizie
= lie opened it, and none of the high ladi,
" and knights knew him. But from I'll
le crowded spectators, officials advanced, wi
u recognized the black dancer, and horror an
i terror spread in the saloon, ~ they sal
N who the supposed knight was. II was II
N executioner OF Bergen. But glowing wit
II rage, the King commanded 10 seize the Grim
II nal and lead him to death, who had ventur,
~ TO dance, with the Queen; 50 disgraced Il
III Empress, and .insulted the crown. III
u culpable threw himself at the feet OF Il
cs Emperor, and said
p "Indeed | have heavily sinnei against u
y noble guests assembled here, but mo
or heavily against you my sovereign and n
al queen The Queen is insulted by n
at haughtiness equal to treason, but no punisl
n. ment even blood, will not he able to was
he out the disgrace, which you have suffered |
lI me. Therefore oh King allow iue to propo
10 a remedy, TO elIace the shame, and to rend
d il as il not done. Draw your sword n
ne knight me, then | will throw down Ii
oi gauntlet, to every one who dares to spec
IT, disrespectiully of my king.
10 WThe Emperor was surprised at this bo