Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-04
LittIeness Of Our Life Plane is
Most KeenIy Felt,
Especially After Leaving Behind Paris
and So Much Unseen.
Alpine Stocks Chosen and Put to Use ScaIin!
Dizzy and slippery Heights.

| tiS 10 the !iliIlu SO Is the UOuy, ma.
be found in the IL hours ride from
Paris to Berne. The same amount o
heat, smoke and cinders, on any les
interesting route, would have beer
simply uncomfortable but as we were OF
our way to Switzerland, and every mile
brought to us new and more wonderful
pictures, we did not notice blackenel
. hands and faces, or realize weary
. frames. 1t was wrench past compre
hension, leaving Paris with 50 much
unseen that we longed to see, and lik,
the Scottish Queen we gazed and gaZec
at la belle France while it's smallest
portion remained in sight We passed
the woods of Fontainebleau, whose
! charms we could not fathom until an
other visit; we flew by many a little
village and hamlet, and then gradually
the country changed; plains gave way
TO hills. hills to mountains. Higher
ana higher our train assembled and
glorious vistas stretched far on either
| side. over mountain gorges we sped,
gazing far down on valleys beneath.
then without warning we would dart
| INTO yawning tunnel. to emerge as
suddenly on some view of lake. noun :
tain and canton, still more beautiful.
our railway carriage had a narrow
| passage with windows close together,
| and from 2 O'Clock till 8, we were
| springing almost necessarily from side
| TO side, fearful that the least bit Of
| the unequalled panorama might escape
| us. Through narrow openings we
| caught sight of water then all was
| darkness for a moment. to reveal later
Lake Neuchatel. and, bordering H.
miles of vineyards, with the streets and
| houses of NeuchateI
| A short distance farther on Berne
| was reached. and our journey ended
| for the day.
| The following morning we saw the
city in holiday attire. from every win
dow fiuttered flag. and banners OF
red and blue black. white and yellow.
were stretched across the streets
fountains We're decorated with flowers
the streets filed with women, their
black velvet peasant waists trimmed
with large silver filigree buttons. and
long chains Of silver festooned under
The arms from front to back making
them the envy of their visitors. All
this brightness meant that the annual
Schutzenfest or shooting match. which
n, |
this year. to be celebrated at Berne |
The men in ribbonned hats. with guns |
slung across their shoulders. looked |
stlikingly handsome, hurdy-gurdies |
played, the merry GO round was filled |
with laughing children. and all COM |
bined to give us a vivid idea of a |
swiss festival Why, we asked, will !
woman imagine a vain thing?'' Our
common sense said, bears will not be |
rampant in Berne. except carved in |
wood. mounted in gold and silver or |
peering at one from every article in
shop windows; but nevertheless in our
inmost hearts, we believed that the |
bear pit would be filled with the
clumsy animals. Where are they? we
kept asking, not considering the six
animal specimens that did their best /
level on all fours, on two hind feet with |
front paws ridiculously waving in tn
air, begging for sweets or on their
backs. swapping with their open jaws
the food thrown to them--to convince
us they We're the real article and that /
quality not quantity was what we
ought to desire. Poor painting Bruins.
Captivity was too much in evidence to
make watching them an enjoyment,
and with one more cherished illusion
dispelled. we hurried to our train.
No tourist, we believe. who visits
Switzerland fails to take the steamer
trip on Lake Thun to Interlaken. Our
afternoon was unusual so an English
woman told us who was sojournins
among the Alps. 1T is in fact she
said. the first bright, cloudless day for
weeks" and such a vision as we had of
the snow capped Jungfrau, was compen-
sation for crossing the Atlantic The
turquoise blue of lake and sky, the
wooded mountains. with those fascin-
ating Swiss chalets perched upon their
sides, and towering above all those
peaks covered with never-melting
snow, could anything on this earth be
more beautiful. grand and awe-inspir-
ing? Interlalen, the busiest gayest
of little places tucked in among those
mighty mountains, the shops. enticing
with their lovely articles the last
centime from our pocket books. we
found it all as we had dreamed for
years it would be; we had lakes. val
leys and mountains to our hearts con-
tent, and literally. with our menu. for
at table d'hote first one guest left the
table and then another till all stood
entranced before the Jungfrau Queen
whose brow was glowing with "a light
that never was on sea or land" but
which sometimes falls to mortals to be-
hold among those Alpine heights. The
setting sun. as he sank from sight
threw back rosy radiance that colored
snowy peak with lght-celestial, and
left us feeling we had almost seen into
the heaven of heavens and caught a
glimpse of glory ineffable. Our only
disappointment throughout our trip
has been that we could not see every
thing, and our great difficulty, to make (
choice among the many tempting ex-
cursions offered.
Our Sunday was spent in state of in ;
decision, as to whether we would on the {
following day. take the absolutely per- !
pendicular railway to the Schynegge
Pass land gain the view of our life" or ,
climb the Mettenberg. with n small party ,
led by the professor. We retired leaving {
the burden of decision on the weather's /
shoulders. The day dawned somewhat /
dull. but promised fair. and we decided /
upon the climb. That drive through the S