The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-23
"BAD PEPPERS"

"YoU see, I want to strike down to Bad
Peppers"
These words were pronounced by the third
person at my right on the bench. The bench,
1t must be explained was covered with red
velvet, and situated in the cabin of steam
er. And the steamer was the Weser, bound
for Bremen.
could not imagine at the moment what
bad Peppers" meant; and the remark-ut-
tered at our first dinner on board-came out
with such ludicrous distinctness, in the
midst of the clatter at table, that made
haste to observe the individual from whom
1t proceeded. beheld a rough but impress
i've head, with cheeks of settled red, and
beetling grizzly hair, looking out over the
board in logged, half-perpleXed, but good
humored way, though the owner of the head
was evidently unconscious that he had said
any thing open to comment. He was man,
| should say, of forty-siX; but as l looked at
him now in the glare of the sky-light above,
there was so marked simplicity and frank
ness in his face that could not help mag
lnlng the short gray curls turned to golden
brown, and feeling the momentary pity that
comes over one in looking at an elderly per-
son VINO reminds one of childhood, yet is so
bopelessly far removed from it. felt lit
tie sorry for man with this kind of face
attempting so large task as crossing the
ocean to Europe,and was little amused at
the idea, too.
friend FearlOe, who sat on this side of him:
but l observed that he was watched with a
certain patronlzing scrutiny by a Young
German opposite.
Eyes, you see I couldn't get rid of this
rheumatism anywhere" he continued, "and
So took friends advice and started for Eu-
rope. They say that Bad Peppers will fix up
the worst case you ever saw better than any
amount of medicine. Anyway, I'm going to
try it,"
Peppers as a cure for rheumatism! What
could he mean? And if this was to be the
remedy, why go to Europe to try it? But he
proceeded:
'And that's the reason, you see, why I
want to strike right down to Bad Peppers. -
Inc mystery began to grow less opaque.
Possibly he might mean by "strike down"
that he wished to reduce his diet to the arti-
Gle IN question; but [ thought it more likely
that Bad Peppers was place which he had
made his objective point. determined to ask
tearloe at the earliest opportunity, and
therefore drew him away as soon as dinner
was over.
"Who is your new acouaintances in
quired.
:" He reports himself as Steven Steavens, a
wholesale grocer from Philadelphia.
And he's going to Europe to cure his
rheumatism? Europe ought to be flattered,
certainly" said 1; and l am afraid we both
laughed rather scornfully at our unsuspect-
part of the deck with fierce meerschaum
pipe in his mouth. "But tell me what he
means by this Bad Peppers. Is it place?
Pm sure Inever heard of one by that name"
"Of COURSE" said Fearloe, it's place,
but that isn't the right name. He means a
resort of some note for invalids in the canton
of St. Gall, Switzerland-Bad Pfeiffers, or
Pfeiffers's Baths-south of the Lake of Con-
stance, and near the Rhine: very pictur-
esque spot, too"
"You've been there, them"
Yes" answered Fearloe, who, I may re-
mark by the way, had been nearly every
where-out OF America. He was one of
those Yankees of the later generation who
are born with genius for belying their own
nationality.
You speak so well of the place." I con-
tinued, after pause, "that Ive great
advise it?''
"By all means, Middleby, after you've
seen the Exposition. Paris will be hot, and
you will need change Of some sort.
81 hope it won't be change to rheuma-
tism," replied, with another laugh. l had
not noticed that Steayens had come nearer to
us. as spoke; but the word "rheumatismo
seemed to attract him, and reused the only
association with the Old World which he as
yet enjoyed.
"You gentlemen have been to Europe be-
fore? he said, advancing, and taking me in
with half-inquiring nod, as my acquaint-
ance with so foreign-looking a person as
Fearoe was sufficient guarantee of my expe-
rience in travelling. "Now / would consider
1t favor, gentlemen, if you would come
down with me to the smoking-room. We
can have little something to drink, and
then we can talk this thing over"
Fearloe smiled condescendingly.
In the smoking-room we found the young
German who had cast his critical eve upon
SteaVens at dinner He introduced himself
as Herr Scharach.
Saint from Philadelphia, are youY'
queried Steavens, in a friendly tone, imply
ing that the other probably was from that
city. 1--WE have good many Germans
there"
"No," said Scharlach, ''Brazil.,
"Now, here" said our cOnfiding acquaint-
ance, after we had pledged one another in
out on the briny deep" here's list of
places my friend made out that want to
kind of take in on my way to the springs and
back" And he produced from his pocket
book narrow, crumpled white paper, on
which were peaciled the weighty names of
burg, Dresden, Antwerp, Heidelberg and
Munich. l give them in the order in which
they occurred. 60 suppose that's all right,
amt it?'' he concluded, glancing at each OF
us in turn, as if the success Of his tour de-
pended on our good opinion.
why, yes" said Fearloe, "the places
are all right, but you'll have to travel a
good deal to include them all. 1 don't see
how you're to get at them on the way to the
baths"
sob, of course l shall have to branch off
little; but then the distances over there
don't compare with ours" continued Steav-
ems, hopefully.
"I'm not so sure of that" rejoined my
friend, with malicious air of there being
some slight room for doubt. "Your first
jaunt, from Paris to Rome, will be five hum
bred miles-ive times as far as from Phila-
delphia to New York. After that you must
count at least a thousand to Madrid, thous-
and more from there to Vienna, and then
twelve hundred, or over, to St. Peters,
buroV Steavens almost turned MALE He