The Portland daily press., 1890-09-11
VACATION IN SWITZERLAND.
Lake Ieman and Around There-A
Trip to the Prison Of ChiIlon.
Correspondence of the Press.]
La CHABLIERE, LAUSANNE,
Switzerland. Ana. 18. 1900


In the yearly exhibition of modern paint
iDgs in Munich, remember few of those
pale, but vivid landscape effects which we
associate with the latest school of French
painting, and which, to eyes accustomed
only to our New England coloring, seem
rather an effect of art than reproduction of
nature. Here, on the shore of Lake Leman,
have learned to understand them. This
afternoon, under these arcades of brilliant
foliage, the sunshine is supdued to won
derful pale green light; through the vista of
branches see girlsh figure in fluttering
blue gown; and the picture is completed.
Outside the shaded aisles, the scarlet bego-
MAS and geraniums on the lawn are blazing
in the sun; but the roses are dropping their
heads for this sun has scorching heat. The
lake, as look down the terraced slopes to
| its broad expanse, is the color of the summer
sky, with duivering white streaks, like the
white clouds above. The Savoy Alps oppo-
| site are wrapped in hot blue haze. At sum-
| set the outlines will grow clearer. and, if we
are fortunate, we shall see the snowy crown
of Mont Blanc. We shall watch the sun 60
ing down and the moon coming mp over the
mountains; and as the realities of daylight
grow dim, fancies will rise; the shadows in
the park will turn to forms-fair French
women of the olden time and stately cava-
Tiers. At the old stone table under the great
horsechestnut tree, Madame de Recamier is
holding her court; and in the circle about
her is Voltaire, and the host of La Cha bliere,
BENJAMIN Constant. These were no fancies
century ago. This old Swiss villa was once
the home of Benjamin Constant, and here
he entertained as guests the wise and the fair
of his time.
La Chabliere of today is lovely picture
of country life in French Switzerland.
Around the cid stone mansion cluster its de-
tendencies; it stands proudly in their midst
among its ancestral trees, looking over its
gardens, its fields of yellow grain and terraced
vineyards. The grain is ripe now. The
broad field which we passed last night in our
walk. is cut today; and in another from
which its harvest has been already gathered
In, we saw women and children cleaning
mere babies, some of these cleaners. toddling
over the stubble and picking up the yellow
stalks one by one into their blue aprons.
The pred0minance Of blue in the landscape
here is very noticeable. I wonder if the
peasants have chosen the colcr of their gar
ments from the blue sky, the blue lake. the
blue Alps. and the brilliant chiccory blossoms
which border the roadside? at any rate,
see the laborers everywhere in blue blouses,
the women in blue dresses, and the children
In long sleeved aprons of the same color. The
scythes with which the men NOW are odd.
Short and heavy. with straight handles,
those who WELD them must stoop, and cut a
narrow swath. fancy New England boy
would complain of days moving like this.
But here the women NOW too-the whole
family has a hand in the having One can
not deny that this is picturesque-it is poeti-
cal, too, In certain way. When Alois stops
TO lean upon his scythe for moments rest.
he can look over the glitteriIg lake to the
Recovered Diablerets; he can also, which
under the big straw hat of Marie, who is
"raking after" But for the other side, does
somebody sayY the practical side? This let
ter is no place to discuss w0men's rights or
wrongs. Out on summer vacation one may
be excused from being practical.
We had been waiting for a clear day to 20
to Chillon. Every day in the week that we
had been here had been sunny, but the
mountains have provoking way of hiding
their heads In haze. morning came at last
Wnen we decided 1t was no use to wait lon
ger. We would see Chillop, if we could not
see the mountains. From LaChabliere down
into the busy little town of Lausanne is a
half hours walk. Up the bills is always
stone houses and white pavements, is hot
and Ouchy, the port of Lausanne, quarter
Oh mile below, is hotter still. think one
Is apt to imagine Switzerland cool. We may
nave heard that the shores of Lake Geneva
arg not, but the fact is not impressed upon
u Ast, I'll we have felt their burning sunlight.
t anu IL Is hard to believe how in the noun
erad =, ~ tne little valleys among snow COW
ave. peatRs, TINS Swiss sun can burn. Shall
iu Sses forget the scorching heat through
which we came down from the Rhone Ola
cIeL-Snat precarious descent over rocks. ice
s1OW RSoa and the capIcous waters Of the
ing for us at oncbv but s, the steamer is wait
be to leave the glaring quay. where We shaii
be landed after ten minutes in the E,oi ia,i
!atre, or slow elevator arrangement known
In Engllsh as rack and pinion railway" a
favorite means OF transportation in this land
of perpendicular hillsides.
The little steamer was crowded that mora
ing. Tourists were In the majority, in every
variety Of costume, and speaking every Ian
guage- French, German, English and Ameri-
can-the two latter perhaps, having the as
tendency. l find never-failing source of
amusement in observing the different species
of the genus traveller, unmisakeable and of
infinite variety; and as we steamed out upon
the lake, my attention was divided between
its blooming shores and the analysis of sew
eral new specimens. These shores are famil- |
lar, from song, story and picture; but how
all pales before the realty The first time |
that looked Gown into the clear DEPTHS, |
they were green, like the purest malachite; |
now they were blue, blue so brilliant that |
the sky itself whitened against them. Boats |
with ''goose-wing" sails, graceful as the |
white gulls following them, fitting here and |
there. Terrilet. the landing for ,Chillon,
had passed, to be keeping holiday. Even |
the grim old castle looked very cheerful
among the green vineyards. 1t may be sup
posed to have forgotten its early history, and
to be enjoying serene old age, ,undisturbed
to the portals. am glad that we landed on
Inc stone steps from little boat, instead Of |
from on this obstrusive tramway. 1t was very