Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-05-31
NO 129.
(Con,inued.
MY TRIP TO EUROPE.
SWITZERLAND No MoRk.

| 'no more have pathos of their own to
many hearts. The Ephesians, when Paul took
his final leave Of them, .'sorrow ell most of all
| that they should see his face no more" \
Scotch poet has infused into his farewell 10
| Lochaber" touching sadness, depicting one
bidding aiieu to his native glens, lochs and
mountains. who in his grief cries out,
TO Lochabcr more, to Lochaher no more,
Wen maybe -cturn 10 Lochabcr no more"
The memory of the delightful days and weeks
we have spent in Switzerland. is mingled
with the unwelcomc thought, that most Of us
will see its grand and beautiful scenery no
more. Ba>le, with its quaint old cathedral,
its pleasant parks and gardens, and its inter-
estng mission school Luccrnc, with its four
armed lake, its Pilatus and Righi views, aud
its gigantic sculpturcd lion, at once noble
and pathetic; Rigbi, grand and glorious, with
its diversified surroundings; the narrow val
leys shut in by snow crowned ridges the zig
gag roads slowly creeping up and down the
mountain passes; the Rhone glacier. where
rill; the wild and singular gorge Of Trient;
the dark and solemn Tctc Noir pass; the
mountain walls and frowning cliffs that guard
the approach to Chamoun, and the charming
valley itself, (not in Switzerland, but part
and parcel of the same Alpine family; the
mighty monarch of mountains, sublime, sky
piercing, sovereign Mont Blanc; Geneva,
with its lake of wondrous beauty; lovely
Lausanne; sad, historic Chillon. teaching
wholesome lessons to the visitor Berne, with
its pleasant arcadcs, its oddly carved foun-
tains, its ingenious clock, its bears of wood,
iron and stone. in the streets, in the shops
and everywhere; picturesque Frciburgh;
charming Giessbach with its ilumincd water
fall the sky-born cascade of Staubbach.
blown to dust as it ascends; delightful Inter
laken, nesting down amongst the lakes and
mountains that close it in; the quaint old
streets and buildings of Neucbatel; the ro-
mantle lakes, the crystal cascades, the gla-
ciers forever forming, forever dissolving, the
lofty submits white with eternal snow, all the
grand, lovely, strange, picturesque, unique,
ever varying. ever charming scenery of
Switzerland, we bid them all farewell
RURAL PARADISE.
We left Ncuchatel for Paris about ) o'clock
in the afternoon. The railroad runs at first
amongst the ridges and ravincs of the Jura
mountains. Rocky cliffs on one or both sides,
Il rapid succession of tunnels. some longer
and some shorter, diversified by occasional
green and pleasant valleys, and constantly
shifting mountain scenery. characterized the
route. Travelling upon the slope of the
mountains, we came along side Of one beauti-
tul valley. 20 OF 30 miles in length, and two
or three wide. with little river to water II,
and between the hills that rose on either
hand, were five six neat and pretty viii
lagos. surrounded by broad fields, weh culti-
waited, and fertile with hay and grain. Hun
dreds of men and women were seen at work,
gathering in their harvest Apparently shut
out from the outside world by surrounding
heights. they constituted n little world by
themselves, a seeming rural paradise. Luck
lily. we had no time to investigate more deep
ly, or the charm might have been disspatcd.
A Nronr RIpE.
Our cars were Of the English fashion, each
compartment having eight seats, with head
rests and elbow rests. In these we were to
| travel $50 miles in II hours. When you are
in compartment, you are to stay there you
have no conductor coming along from time
| to time TO examine and punch your ticket, no
news vender with morning or evening papers
| or books. no boys with fruit or packages Of
candy or nuts.
| We had five ladies and three gentlemen in
sation and viewing the scenery whilst daylight
lasted. As we proceed through the east part
| of France. the appearance Of the country
was very pleasant. without anything grand
or striking, the fields and houses looked at.
tractive, and indicated comfort and prosper
ity. When it grew dark. one of the ladies
proposed singing the doxology, "Praise God
from whom all blessings flow" This was
followed by Nearer, my God, to Thee" and
such other hymns and songs rs they could
call TO mind. most Of the party being singers
| At last we settled ourselves to sleep as best
we could. each leaning against his or her cor
| ner, and eDdeavoring TO rest as comfortably
in a sitting or leaning posture. The motion
Of the ears. the frequent stops at the way sta
tions. the Whistles bells and outcries, inter-
fered essentially with our attempt To gain
much rest
About midnight VIC reached Dion. large
city in Eastern France, with an immense
railway station. Here we made stop of 20
minutes. Most Of the party got out, walked
around awhile, and were refreshed by the
change. After this, as this train travels ex-
press from DUohn to Paris, there were less
interruptions. and we got some sleep leaning
up against our respective corners. would
not however recommend this mode of travel
as promising the acme Of felicity to the pas
senger. Sancho Panza invoked ''blessings
on the man who invented Sleep but let us
give our benson to the one~wbO. after man.
kind had slept on the bare ground, or mats,
or loose straw, for thousands of years, devised
the happy substitute of comfortable beds.
MogSISG DAVIS.
II was perhaps o'clock, when ! opened
my eyes. and discovered the advent Of dawn.
The spectacle Of our eight passengers, asleep
in their various awkward and uneasy pos
lures. would, if photographed, have made the
fortune Of the artist, but was not = whit
more ludicrous than may be seen every night
in our own country in a night train. We
were now some Is miles from Paris. The
Landscape was fiat, with fruittrees, and fields
welPtilled. Our road was partly along the
banks of river, either the Seine or one Of
its tributaries. In due time the sun began
to show itself above the horizon, bat soon
disappeared again behind the distant hills, ~
the cars rushed on their course, and thus by
curious combination of circumstances, the
sun seemed to rise and set three times in
rapid succession. About i've O'Clock We
passed through the royal forest Of Fontnine-
L