Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-09-18

plausible obsequiousness, ''rob" you,
''hold up" the tourist to a more or less
degree; but the sensation might be
termed delightful alongside of the one
created by the cold-blooded, conceited
German you are thrown with, and who
shows that he only suffers an English
speaking person to touch his naughty
earth because he (the Euglishman or
American) is separating himself from
much filthy lucre. But enough of this.
If we should expand any further we
might not be permitted to land again in
the Kaiserland should fate throw us
unwillingly that way, and certainly our
chances are forever gone of becoming
ambassador to the Court of William.
We only touched this disagreeable
country in high places, and would not
advise any friends to visit it. If they
should, then scoot up the Rhine and
skip for the nearest border, where you
will be lucky if you don't scrap with
the gruff officer that turns all your duds
Iup-sidedown in looking for contraband
goods. Into and out of Germany we
found the toughest customs officers.
Every train near the border is paraded
by soldiers with clanking arms, looking
for comrades leaving without permit or
for deserters. The whole thing has a
rough, massive, martial air that does
not leave pleasant flavor on the senses,
a feeling as if the uncouth Gaul and
Teuton of C@sar's time had not yet
worn off. No wonder the impetuous
French keep out of this country, for
they would be in hot water all the time
to travel it.
After cumming" the streets during
afternoon and night and putting in a
good nights rest, we awake Sunday
morning to battle in Cologne Maybe
it is because everybody here bathes in
Cologne and the outlet is into the Rhine
that the poet poked fun at this town
The River Rhine. as is well known,
Doth wash your City of Cologne;
But tell me- nympths what power divine
Shall henceforth wash the River Rhiner'
After stop at the chapel within the
court we hastened out to the Dom
Cathedral, the great attraction of the
town. With spire nearly five hundred
feet high and hundreds of smaller ones.
with shelves and inches outside filled
with marble and stone statues of the
apostles, saints, popes and other celeb
rites, with griffins and goblins and
hideous imps peeking out from every
Granny, crack and corner, this great
monster of building tolls the time of
ages gone, when feudal lords held sway
in these lands and when castles, not
courts, dealt out ''justice" by the might
of the sword But we have told before
of these enormous and costly edifices,
such as men are not today fools enough
to spend their millions in money and
several ordinary lifetimes ppon to con-
struct. Within we saw the body of a
young girl before one of the dozen or
so affairs, laid out for burial Around
it and upon the altar were numerous
white candles of all sizes burning:
before the chancel knelt in grief some
ten or fifteen friends or relatives, and
every now and then one would get up
and purchase another taper of the girl
who stood at the foot of the bier selling
them for the priests. The more candles
that lighted up this dark nook in the
spoolSy edifice the better chance the
soul had of getting out of purgatory
into heaven, so we were informed. We
got mixed in the way we entered the
awful and expansive building, so by the
time we found way out, around and
among groups of votaries before this
or that altar, we had the "creeps" sure
enough. We didn't worship there, for
we did not know how to begin, and were
little fearful of how we might take
up. So when we got out into air that
was not musty, but was bustling, we
jumped car. to go wherever it did.
We girdled the city, viewed the fine
bridges and vigorous boats battling
against the current of the Rhine, and
were finally dumped at the Geological
Gardens. We followed the crowd and
went in We fed the elephants, poked
the monkeys, scampered the seals and
pitied the one, poor, lone mocking bird
that was all drawn up with cold in the
great aviary where were condors, eagles,
sparrows and what-not. AS we had
been shivering ever since leaving our
Southland we sympathized with our
song mocking and wished we could take
him home with US, where he might
revive. He will not live much longer
here. Sunday is day of rest and en-
Joyment. On all sides are gardens
crowded with the German, his wife and
children, all drinking beer or something
else. Yonder are merry-go- rounds,
swings, punch-and-judy and other shows,
all running full blast. In Britain, Hol-
land and Switzerland only do we find
the Sabbath largely observed.
After running the gauntlet of our
hotel satellites the next morning, we
boarded our open-deck steamer up the
Rhine. Nothing here is closed;' they
are fresh air advocates and the rose on
the cheeks of men and women is almost
deformity in intensity. If we poor shiv
ering things should close the windows
OF our room, the moment we stepped
out the maid would throw them open
Nevertheless the steamer had a smoke
stack, and grating from her boiler, anC