Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-08

are not able to build for ourselves ca
thedral and q ruined castle, It will prove
that we are slngularly unobservant have
seen so many OF both these specimens OF
ancient architecture that feel as II could
make either with both eyes ehut. After
climbing to the top OF Cologne cathedral,
the second tallest building in the world, I
believe; oh, how my legs did ache! and
after a glorious day on the Rhine, whisk-
ing by countless castles OF every pattern
and variety, to say nothing Of a special
visit to Heidelberg castle, wi, h careful in
specton of every dungeon and battlement,
| feel that l have acquired the cathedral
castle recipe But l won't give 1t away.
1t is too precious.
Such a glorious day as that was on the
Rhine. Red-covered Baedeker had warned
us that 1t would prove disappointment;
that our own Hudson river was quite as
beautiful. And so, indeed, 1t is, some parts
of it, more beautiful than come parts OF
the Rhine. But we can bsast no castles,
frowning and grand, the now abandoned
nests Of those old river birds OF prey, the
robber barons, who spread terror along the
banks Of the river and made commerce a
trade OF peril. Neither have we the beau
tiful vineyards, terraced along the sIoping
mountain sdee, green in the sun aud
sweetly smelling, as the steamer passes.
And as for the fair famous Lorelei, less
dangerous siren rock than we had ex-
pected, now that the whirlpool has been
diverted by prosaic, but necessary, blast
ing, and as for the ecores OF tiny islands
floating in the river bed, each with its
centuries old beautiful tradition we have
none OF these. And our Palisades which
surpass almost anything in the way CT cliffs
OF which the Rhine can boast, these are fast
being mined away for building OF sky
scrapers in New York.
StrnsburE's wonderful Clock.
Strasburg was another cathedral-heav-
ems! what scores of them I have scent
From toddehood l had longed to see that
wondroua living clock, and when found
myself going up the steps that led to that
mystic place l felt quite childs thrill
OF eager anticipation. 1t was an hour be-
fore noon; we came in time to hear the
chimes at II o'clock, and already the daily
crowd had begun to gather to wait for
the great event Of midday 1t is a curious
thing to see the thousands OF people from
all over the world, men and women, priests
in cassock and hat, barefoot friars and
little chapel in a corner Of the great cathe-
dral, standing patiently against the stone
wallc, huddled and crowded by the doors
for a tedious hour, only to see a piece OF
wonderful mechanism perftrm its daily
work 1t was throng OF grownup chill
dren, gazing with open-mouthed expectancy
at a huge children's toy
A few minutes before the hour a hush fell
could hear pin drop anywhere in the vast
building Then, at the first stroke Of the
cherub on his gong, little rustic of excite
ment ran around the throng. In the second
tier Of images are the quarter hours-in-
fancy, youth, manhood and age, one NOV
ing into place as the cherub below strikes
the corresponding quarter on his gong. Old
Time, a grizzly skeleton in the midst OF
the quarter hours, struck the twelve strokes
on his double gong and age moved into
place, signaling the end of the hour. I'm
mediately the tier above began the great
event Of the day, the procession of the
twelve apostles, one for each consummated
hour. The figure of the Saviour stands on
a dais in the middle and, as each figure
passes, it turns and faces him, making
low obeisance. AS Peter passes, the cock
a monstrous figure on the pinnacle of the
assembled multitude. And this was the end
OF the show. The lowest tier OF figures
with it's series of twelve heather deities
symbolzing the months Of the year, did not
change, for it was not yet the end Of the
month. At midnight OF December would
see the whole mechanism in motion at its
greatest glory. 1t was a wonderful toy and
went away much excited and elated in
mind anxious to tell some other child all
about the fairy work I had just seen.
Storks and Things.
Strasburg is a most quaint old town. We
strayed through the narrow streets, where
the houses overhang so far that the second
stories seem trying to kiss one another over
your head We went down on the queer
little bridges which span the river and we
saw the women washing clothes there in
the floating houses, swashing the linen back
and forth in the dirty water, then hauling
it back and pounding 1t in the tubs, gos-
siping at the top of their lungs all the
while.
And we saw the storks' nests builded on
the chimney pots. 1t was almost too unreal
to believe that we were actually seeing
those storks. But it was SO and people had
not deceived us.
Germany is dear land OF sentiment and
romance. One can well see how man born
to part Inheritance Of the Rhine could never
after quite forget his vaterland. And yet,
despite the legends and the beauty, the
and beer and pretzels and sauer-
kraut, / am glad the storks did not drop
me down one OF these dirty little chimneys,
as they might just as easily have done, when
l was baby. / have no desire to be a
subject Of the handsome emperor. America
is good enough for me.