Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-05


vineyards on the Northern shore went
up, then in turn the mountains would
rise whilst the villages and vineyards
went down. | looked at the groom.
With every heave of the boat he drew a
long breath. He was experiencing the
sickening sensation of rising as light as
soap bubble and dropping back rs
heavy as a lump of lead he paid no at
tention to my approach. saw his
terrible error and STOPPING over SAID TO
him, "You should not have come up
here. think you had better go below
lie did not even turn his eyes; the man
was actually oblivious to my presence.
| repeated what had said. He then
looked up at me as though to say, how
will | ever get there? interpreted
his look. took his arm and helped him
down. He asked me to help his wife
down also. ] went back for her. She
was willing TO GO, yes, wanted to go,
but instinctively clung to the rail as
drowning person clings to a life pre-
server. doubted myself the propriety
of her letting 60, as ! thought of her
getting away from me and bouncing
over the rails into the boiling lake, or
dashing about the little deck like Hugo's
carronade. However she reluctantly
loosened her grasp and we started.
There are difficult things one may be
called upon TO perform in this life and
| am willing to concede that helping a
fat woman down stairs under ordinary
circumstances is not one of them but
when it comes to conducting one hun
dred and fifty pounds of limp female
adipose tissue, with just enough of life
in it to make it cumbersome, down a
steep narrow stairway with the steps
under your feet performing an almost
vertical movement of about thirty de.
grees every three seconds, that say Is
no bagatelle. The moment | arrived
at the foot OF the stairway with my
charge she threw herself forward on to
one Of the wet plush covered seats be.
side her mate, and as | had cautioned
them not to look at the lake both sat
for some time with closed eyes but
human endurance could brave it no
longer. A few whispers, and simultane-
ously they staggered TO opposite sides OF
the boat and looked long and languidly
into the water. We were approaching
land. They were too much engaged to
notice it, and with dropping figurehead
on each side the little craft rolled in. As
the pier was struck they raised their
heads, the groom rushed over TO the
bride, there was a momentary counsel
OF war and both started for solid earth.
They had forgotten their umbrella and
| carried it out TO them and said "this
is not Chillon - With q dazed manner
the groom thanked me and replied,
Eyes Monsieur, | know, but -
adieu r. Both of them quickly turned
their backs TO the water ~ though they
never wanted to see it again. Jumped
on the boat as she st.rted off The wind
and rain had ceased and the agitated
lake was rapidly calming down. We
climbed TO the hurricane deck and seat.
ed ourselves. The air was fresh and the
scenery magnificent; along the southern
shore the precipitous cliffs seemed TO
rise darker and more massive in the
clearing atmosphere whilst on the north.
ern shore, the Swiss villages like collec.
tions of toy houses were scattered along
the waters edge. Aswe glided forward,
the stiffness OF nature was broken only
by the constant thud of our little en-.
CINE. Opposite Nevay the pilot tdrned
the boat in; we touched n moment and
then steamed on. Soon rising from the
water against a back ground of green
wooded hills the castle Of Chillon came
in view with its gray white walls, and
cluster of conical and pyramidal cap
ped towers, the front towards the open
lake duplicated on the clear surface
that had already lost every vestige Of
its wrath and lay before us as smooth
as glass.
As we approached recalled the poets
description OF the prisoner clambering
up to his dungeon window and feasting
his long restricted vision upon the tall
mountans-the lake and the isle.
turned, it was all before me. the latter
far out seeming scarcely more than a
sand bar with few trees rising from it.
Byron, in his journal. says, "Went to
Chillon, through scenery worthy of
know not whom, went over the castle
of Chillon again. on our return met an
English party in a carriage lady in it
fast asleep-fast asleep in the most anti
narcotic spot in the world-escellent
| remember ut Chamouni in the very
eyes Of Mont Blanc, hearing another
woman, English. also exclaim to her
party. Did YOU ever see any thing more
| 7paif-as If it was Highgate or Hsmp.
stead, or Brompton or Hayes. Rural =
quotha '-Rocks, pines. torrents. glsc.
iers, clouds and SUBMITS Of eternal
snow far above them-and rural"
We landed and followed pathway
along the hill side to the castle. As we
crossed the wooden bridge connecting
il with the shore n party was about
forming to he escorted through by one
of the guardians, great awkward Swiss,
with good natured face, and wearing
a pair of soiled blue pantaloons. prolif
ically adorned with patches, and having
on no coat. lie had. it was evident,
been interrupted in the midst of other
work to 90 over the building and de.
scribe il. ne he had more than likely
done half dozen times = day for the
past decade. lie was hardly we'll start
ed before concluded that he was about
IN ahoSv ina how nuicklv IL was t,oaaihla