The Progress., 1892-07-02

OHt MiSS btFCHmnfc, " you please,
sir"
Nv route to Italy was rather round
about one. Instead f4unning down to
M&rSeilleS. and SO on via Civita Vecchi3
20 Rome. ! set off eastward ard crossed
Germany, passing through Cologne,
I'rankfoTt-on-the-M Main and Nuremberg.
thence / proceeded to Lcipsic, and at
length brought up il Dresden. 1t was
my intention TO 60 from there southwark
through Switzerland to Venice. and thus
to mako my approach to the Eternal
City.
Dresden, however. detained me longer
than expected. 1t WAS in August that
l reached it; there were not many
people in town, but | was delighted
win the gallery, with the picturesque
sweep of the river and with the green
shade and good nusic of the Grosser
garten. There We're several charming
drives. too, in the neiShbOrhood: and rs
for the bocr. itfAls really revelation
10 man whoAed never known any
thing less heavy and solid than Allsopp's
pale ale.
had put up at the Hotel de Sake, a
broalsided old building on one side Of IL
large. irregular PLAT" called, | be-
heve, the Neulnarkt. My landlord, who
was a young gentleman of great per-
Foaal attractions, interested himself
good deal about my amusements: and
one day he happened to ask me whether
had visited Il region known rs Saxon
Switzerland. This. it appeared, was Il
mountainous district some twenty miles
up the El6e. il which WAS solved the
problem of putting the greatest amount
Of romantic picturesqueness into the
smallest possible compass. 1t was a
land Of savage rocks. wild precipices
and profound gorges, conveniently
grouped within the limits Of a good |
days tramp. 1t comprised all the sub |
lime and startling features of your Yo- |
scmite valley III California, with an |
area about equal to the summit of one |
Of the table bluffs in that region.
l packed my valise for n sojourn of
two or three days among these pocket |
Alps. put my diamonds III that secure
inner pocket and took drosl,y for
the railway station. The trip to
Schandau (the principal village of
saxon SwitZerland) can also be made
by steamer. but after DISCUSSING the
pros and cons of rival routes with my
most OF the hotel the evening previous.
l had decided to so by rail, which pro-
vides nearly half rs much pretty scenery
rs the river road, and takes up less than
Il fourth as much time
l alghted at the station door some
what late, and having given my trunl,
in charge of a porter was hurrying to
get my ticket, when my attention was
caught by Il young lady who was stand
ing on the platform in an attitude that
bespoke suspense and anxiety Her veil
was down, but from the slender ele-
gance of her figure and the harmonious
perfection of her costume | could not
doubt that her face was beautiful. Eyi-
IDENTIFY she WIS not German: had she
been a thought less t;lStefully dressed
should have said she was an English
SirE As Ii WAS she might be either an
Austrian or an American. Even then
rather inclined to the latter hypothesis.
She appeared to be entirely alone. but
she was scanning with i'll concealed
eaSerness the crowd that was entering
the station Us if IN search of Il familiar
face. When her glance fell upon me !
that she took an iinpulsive step
IN my direction, but che checked herself
and looked away While
was hastily debating within myself
whether or not it would be "the thing"