The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-10-26

0Elhuu ZOE al OuGluS anu III part IOT
health. They know no English and We
but little of their tongue, and yet to our
surprise and delight we discover that we
can communicate with them. Our first
attempts produce ludicrous misapprehen-
sions, which break down all barriers of
reserve between strangers. Two of the
women and one Of the men are unusually
bright and observant they "catch on,n
as we say, to our half expressed ideas,
and pleasant evening Is the result.
They are eager to know all we can tell
them about our own country and people,
and we are equally inquisitive about
theirs, and especially their home city,
Zurick, the largest and in some ways the
most import city of Switzerland, ipswhirh,
to our regret, we staid but two hours.
Sunday We spend quietly In rest and In
writing letters to home friends. Monday
we run along and around the north shore
of the lake, through orchards and beauti-
full meadows, to Lucerne, reaching it at
midday, run of fifteen miles to compass
not more than half that distances In a
straight line. At Lucerne we are 10 one
of the most popular centers of tourist
travel In Switzerland. We hear English
spoken everywhere, on the streets and In
many of the stores and shops, and feel
quite at home. Lucerne Is an old city of
about 80, 900 Inhabitants, and yet the
many hotels and pensions of recent cree
ton, many of them palatial, to accommo-
date tourist travel, give a fresh, up-to-
date appearance to the city quite pleasant
to see. The old part Of the town has pc
culiar interest for Americans, as all old
countries and places have, coming as we
do from country where everything Is
new. After two days. waiting for delayed
letters, our patient waiting rewarded by
"a stack of Them" we are off on Wednes-
day for Interlaken, by way Of the Bennig
Jars, forty-five miles. The roads are
good, but the grades SO heavy that for
ten miles up, over and down we measure
loft by foot rule" and when night comes
find ourselves at Brienz, on the lake OF
the same name, instead of at Interlaken.
This does not disturb us, however, for
we are living on the road, and where night
overtakes US we are at home, an ideal
way of travelling we think, especially in
territory where wayside inns abound, as
10 the countries we have ridden In since
landing at Rotterdam.
On the morrow, refreshed and rested,
we ride along the beautiful west shore OF
Lake Brienz, passing many farmers driv-
ing the pick of their herds and fiocks to
market, passing the herds with difficulty
In the narrow road sometimes, for COWS
and steers and sheep and goats, punching
together on the road, are not 80 easily
passed by the cycler. Reaching Inter-
laken at 10 a. M, we leave most of our
baggage and ride on up to Grindelnald,
and after two hours down and up to Lau-
terbranneD, where we pass the night and
have a beautiful view of the Stanbach
Falls and of the snow-draped Jung Vrow
by moonlight, vision long to be remem-
bered. Sept. 22d we run down to Inter.
laken, resume our baggage and are OF
for Thun, along the right shore of Lake
Thun. Hardly mile is passed before
an accident to one Of our wheels takes ue
back to Interlaken, where we have to
wait three hours for repairs. While wait.
ing we wander about the old streets OF
the town, which are full of buyers. and
sellers, for 1t is market day, and so the
best possible opportunity to study Swiss
life and people. Here are displayed In
profusion the products of forge, factory
and farm. Here are farm utensils and
articles for home use, hinges, locks, shov.
els, spades, hooks, rakes, hob-nails and
nails with spurs, so that the farmer may
stand securely and NOW on a hillside
sleeper than a house roof, buckets, tubs
and back baskets, the last article ever on
the back Of Swiss peasant, man or wo.
man, boy or girl, for burden bearing &c
constantly on back as to raise the query
whether they are not born so, as we some.
times say of some fortunate man that he
was born with silver spoon in his mouth
Ready made clothing of all sorts, chiefly
for hard service and rough usage, articles
for adornment, too, for hard as the Swiss
peasants life Is he preserves still the In.
stinct Of beauty; miscellaneous articles
too numerous too mention, and yet q
mere list of them would fill pages of this
letter, and set forth better than could be
done la any other way, perhaps, the real
life of this interesting people, telling Ii
concrete form the story of their hard life
It's privations, labors, self-denial, hopes
and ambitions. With eyes and ears we
take In for three hours the strange, In.
structive scene, listen with interest to the
iargon of cries and inarticulate sounds Of
men and beasts, and at last, riding away
with mended wheel, are even thankful fol
the detention.
Along the shore of Lake Thun we ride
to gluten, a little village perched above
the lake on the hillside. Here, halting
for the night, we discover that tire
must be telegraphed for from Genoa
which necessitates two days Of delay.
Two DAYS we wait without grumbling. FOL
the beautiful lake. the gently rising hills
beyond and the far of snow-capped peaks
OF the Blumlisalp fill our eyes and hearts
with sweet content. In due time, reeted
and ready for new scenes and experiences
we ride on down the lake through Thun
and on through sleepy old villages and
I past smiling farms into Bern, of which
will tell you In my next.
II -
Il When n married woman talks of Neg