Switzerland Township (part 2 of 2)

At Bologna the signs of mourning for the murdered king began, and from here to Venice, flags were at half-mast, and a silent, respectful bearing was shown on all sides. The railroad runs through a wonderfully fertile plain crossing a number of small rivers and respectable creeks, and at Ferrara, the Po, the largest and best-known river of Italy, if we may except the Tiber. A short stop was made at Padua, some twenty-five miles from Venice, but not long enough to see the city. Nevertheless the eye wistfully sought the spires and domes and trees locate the old university from which graduated Savonarola, Tasso, Petrarch, and Galileo. On we pressed over a regular Western prairie and at last dashed out into the sea. Venice is located on a hundred islands, the nearest one to the shore being more than two miles away. This the railroad approaches over a long bridge consisting of two hundred and twenty-two arches and embankments. As the train started out on its sea voyage, the tall buildings and steeples of the city lifting their lofty heads out of the water appeared strange indeed. Soon the station was reached. There r bustle, so common to all other rail the breathing of the engine and I hum of voices, which seemed to be frightened at their own sound. We walked to the front, passed outside the station, and came sudden stop. There was the Grand canal of feet on a stone pavement, no cab drivers pushing f 1 for recognition .and a chance to drive us to our hotel. painful. In a few seconds, it seemed like minutes, a nicely dressed gentleman stepped up and said: " I hav( ndolas for your party." Then fill a Scioto river boatman with envy. But where were we going? There we sat on our cushioned seats as helpless as children, while our gondolier, in white pants, red shirt waist, and blue cap, stood on the boat behind us, and with his single oar sent it skimming over the water like a swan. We followed the Grand canal for a short distance and then shot into a watery alley, across ponds perhaps I should say, and soon came out again into the Grand canal, which runs through the city in the form of a large letter " S." No voices of people talking on the sidewalks are to be heard, for the simple reason that there are no sidewalks. The houses rise out of the water, their marble steps washed by the waves produced by our passing boat. Soon we pulled up alongside the marble steps of a substantial looking old building where we read in large letters, " Grand Hotel." We did not grab our satchels, jump out or rush up to the steps to be the first to register, nothing of the kind. We simply waited until our turn came, and then stepped out with the polite assistance of the porter and took our time like everybody else.

I have not yet decided whether Venice is a good place for boys and girls or not. In the first place, there is not much room for running or playing, and I am sure that a football would soon become water-soaked. There are no horses or cows and not even a dog has come under my notice. Think of a city without dogs - that certainly would be no place for boys. There are no doubt hundreds of children in Venice who have never seen a horse. The city has its pets, however, they are the thousands of pigeons has bushels of fun, and the pigeons get plenty to eat. But even boys and girls would not want to feed pigeons all the time. You would enjoy boat riding, of course, but then you would have to sit so still that I imagine that you would soon want to get out and wade. But if you wish to become a sailor, then Venice is the place for you, for it is pre-eminently the city of the sea.

I have said that the city is built on a hundred islands. To be a little more exact, there are one hundred and seventeen islands. A strange place in which to build a city ! But when we understand the facts, it does not seem so strange. Over fourteen hundred years ago, Italy was overrun by fierce barbarians from the north, who spared neither property nor life. To escape the sword of these barbarians, a few men fled with their families to these low and uninhabited islands of the Adriatic. At first they lived by fishing and came to love their island homes.

Their sons built boats and soon began to carry on trade. As the years rolled by, the barbarians were driven back over the mountains to the north, and a town sprang up on these little islands wThich carried on a trade with the mainland. The Venetian boys were so accustomed to the water that they made the best of sailors. Thus her merchants were able to send ships and trade with all cities on the sea, and brought merchandise and riches to the city of Venice. Soon solid foundations were sunk in the sand at great expense and marble palaces sprang up at the very edge of the water. It is said that the foundations of Venice cost more than

Venice

There are two places of special interest in Venice - St. Mark's square and the Rialto. The main street is the Grand canal. We can hardly call it a street, but it answers the same purpose for large boats which stop at frequent stations, run up and down at regular intervals like the street cars on High street in Columbus or Broadway in New York. The gondolas would correspond to the carriages, cabs, and buggies. But there is nothing to take the place of the bicycle, as everybody must ride in a boat or swim. As stated before, the Grand canal is in the form of a huge r " S," and is about two miles long, and from one hundred and fifty feet to one hundred and eighty feet wide. A beautiful sheet of water, fairly alive with boats and gondolas. One hundred and forty or more liquid streets branch off from the Grand canal and wind through the city in different directions.

. Mark's square is the great central point of the city. It is surrounded by old-time palaces, St. Mark's cathedral, and the palace of the Doges. In one corner stands the course, it is like walking up hill, but is not very steep. The view from the top is well worth all the effort which it costs to make the ascent. Beneath you lies the decaying old city, its liquid streets and moldering palaces spread out like a map before you. Stretching along for several miles and lying but a short distance east of the city is a long, narrow sand bank which shuts off the Atlantic proper from the lagoon in which the city is built. Wonderful city - for more than three hundred years the chief seaport of the world! Just across the long bridge is the main land of Italy. As the eye sweeps northward, the Tyrolese Alps of Austria are in view, while in the dim distance eastward across the Adriatic the outlines of the Istrian Alps are faintly seen. But here is St. Mark's with its five domes, one large one in the center and four smaller ones representing each of them an arm of the cross, and its Gothic pinnacles, a strange combination of Mohammedan and Christian architecture nowThere else to be found. A fine description of this church is given by Ruskin in "Stones of Venice/' vol. II. I have said that there are no horses in Venice. I will have to take that back. Here standing over the entrance to the cathedral, there are four as fine as I have ever seen. They are travelers, too. Their first trip was from Rome to Constantinople with Constantine the Great. They remained in that city for nine hundred years, looking out over the Bosphorus. Then when Constantinople fell they were brought to Venice and stood over the portal at St. Mark's for five hundred years. When Napoleon conquered Italy about one hundred years ago, he drove them off to of St. Mark's. How old are these hon will ask? I do not know; but it is certain that they were carried to Rome during the days of Nero and attached to Ins golden chariot. They are made of br and are likely to last for thousands of years to come. So that it happens that while Venice has no living horses, she lias the most interesting bronze statues of horses in the world. Uppose that the amount of wealth spent in adorning St. 's will never he known, but with all the precious lor d marbles from Ephesus, Smyrna, ntinople, and even Jerusalem; with all its decorations of gold, the worshiping soul can get no nearer its maker in St. Mark's, often called the "Church i than in td most modest chapel in the city of Columl I should like to take you through the palace oi the [> (dukes), but time will net permit. It is full of Venetian The royal rooms, council chambers, vie. are richly ed with pictures intimately connected with the life -- The gloomy cells .show with what severity punishment was meted out to offenders. The "Bridge of the Winged Lion of St. Mark. Between these two columns for centuries the scaffold stood on which criminals were executed, but now the peace-loving tourist steps between them to call his gondolier, and is soon borne away from their harmless shadows on the bosom of the quiet waters.

The other point of greatest interest in Venice is the Rialto. This is a bridge over the Grand canal. It consists of a single arch of marble, whose foundation is a mass of twelve thousand elm trunks, 'driven into the ground from ten to twelve feet. For centuries this was the only bridge that spanned the Grand canal. Near by is the market and the house in which Shakspeare's celebrated Shylock is supposed to have lived. How often he and other great merchants of Venice met on the Rialto and discussed great financial questions, watching meanwhile the passing vessels laden with the wealth of the Orient ! In Shylock's house the window is pointed out from which Jessica escaped. One may not believe all he hears, but the best way to do is to keep quiet and listen. Just two doors from our hotel ib the house of Desdemona, and on the opposite side a little farther up, or down, according to which way the slight Adriatic tide is flowing, the Browning home is located.

There are many things to enjoy in and about Venice, but I think that the trips up and down the Grand canal in and out among the boats and through the smaller canals, under the numerous bridges that cross them, are the most interesting. Every evening we have taken one of these

Sea bathing is cheaper here than at any place that I have ever visited. A steamer is taken near St. Mark's square for Lido, located on the other side of the sandbank mentioned before. Its beach is washed by the warm waters of the Adriatic. One lire (20 cents) covers the boat ride over and back, including street car fare both ways across the island and sea bath, including bathing suit complete. X- greater enjoyment can be found. The water is delightful, the swell just enough to be enjoyable, and the clear peaceful surface. There are many sails of different One afternoon 1 counted twenty-three that were red, besides many that were white and blue. These reflecting the clear light of the evening Mm were like a dream in fairy land. At such a time one can truly say: This is m-

Letter Ix Northern Italy

A Trip Across the Plains of Lorabardy. Verona. Milan. History of Milan. Italian Ministers. Monza. St. Ambrogio. Santa Maria Delia Grazie. Picture of the "Last Supper." The Cathedral of Milan. On the Roof Among the Pinnacles and Marble Statues. View from the Cathedral Spire. "The Builders."

DEAR CHILDREN : - The low rumbling of distant thunder that comes in through my open window is a pleasant reminder of Ohio, and its frequent summer showers. This is one of the three great cities of Italy, and it has a history as rich as it is interesting. We were sorry to leave Venice, with its " liquid street " and decaying splendor, but the beautiful prospect of northern Italy and the plains of Lombardy have repaid us for the loss sustained by our departure from the "Carthage of the Middle Ages," as Venice is sometimes called. The run from Venice to Milan requires about five hours. It was necessary to retrace our way over the long bridge, through Padua, said to have been founded by Antenor, the brother-in-law of Priam, king of ancient Troy. Beautiful scenery and a rich country lined our way from the beginning to the end of our journey. At Verona a short stop was made. Located on the Adige at the foot of the Tyrolese Alps, it enjoys a wealth of comfort and scenery given to but few cities. It stands at the entrance of one of the passes of the Alps and is strongly fortified on all sides by earthworks and buried cannon. Down this pass the Goths,

Northern Italy

Germans, and other barbarians of antiquity descended upon Italy. The Austrians of modern times would likely come the same way should trouble arise between them and the [tall! The more peaceful locomotive has the right of way now, and may we not hope that the iron horse will have more influence in the future than the "iron hand of Lombardy" has ever had in the The distant mountains, the long stretch of lakes, and the rich plains over which our train sped on its way was a constant source of enjoyment long- to be remembered. So rich are these plains that they have been known - many as twelve crops a year. ilan is beautiful and has always been an enterprising Many people are troubled with the pronunciation <>( [f you are an Englishman you accent the first sylla jiving the vowel the short sound; if you an ichman, you accent the last syllable; if you are an Italian, you spell it Milano, and accent the middle sylla1 but if you are an American, you take your choice and ask no of the great European changes. It names five popes among its children and Virgil among its students. Your history of Rome will tell you that Co-nstantine, the first Christian emperor, issued his decree from Milan in the year 313 A. D., making Christianity the state religion of the Roman empire. When the empire was divided, Milan became the seat of government for the emperor of the West. This was certainly very fitting, for, located at the foot of the Alps, it gave him a better chance to personally guard his Roman possessions from the barbarians of the North than would have been possible from any other point. Even in those early days, we are told that the people were polished and liberal and dwelt in palatial homes. Although downtrodden by Alaric, Attila, and other barbarians, although burned to the ground by Frederick Barbarossa, and her people scattered to the plains, out of the ashes Milan sprang, more splendid, more beautiful than before, the gem of northern Italy and the pride of the Lombards.

While waiting for our suppers we enjoyed the rare privilege of seeing the Italian ministers, who had come up from Rome to ask that the body of the murdered king, now lying in state at Monza, be buried in the Pantheon. They are a genteel, modest appearing body of men, and, although having their own dining room, mingle freely with the guests of the hotel. It is hardly necessary to say that the royal family has granted the request, and Humbert II will soon sleep with Raphael and Victor Emanuel beneath the old dome on the banks of the Tiber.

835 A. D., one of our gentlemen again laughed. The guide colored up quickly and said sharply : "You may laugh at the truth, but America will have to wait a thousand years before she can show anything so remarkable for richness and beauty of design and for antiquity." The statement passed unchallenged for America does not boast of her great age.

From St. Ambrogio we drove to Santa Maria Delia Grazie, known to the world for its celebrated picture of the "Last Supper," by Leonardo de Vinci. We have already mentioned this great painter in our letter from Florence. He was a man of broad attainments in education outside of art. Before his time no one had attempted to represent dramatic action or excitement in position; on the contrary, figures had been crowded together in positions, awkward and even grotesque. In the "Last Supper" the personal dignity and ease of action are the distinguishing characteristics of the figures painted. It must have been a wonderful picture when the painter's brush had given the final touches. Even now it possesses qualities which are admired by every thoughtful observer, and is never surpassed by the finest copies. It has passed through many misfortunes from smoke and dampness. The chapel was once used by Napoleon as a stable, and a door was cut through the lower part of the table, yet, in spite of this and the peeling off that would be natural under such circumstances, "There is not one of the thirteen countenances that does not retain its expression, and not one of the thirteen figures whose attitude and action may not be traced throughout." The picture has been restored three times - in 1726, in 1770, and 1826 - still the foundation is the same and the work especially De Vinci's, marks a new era in art. Says Goethe : 'The artist represents the peaceful little band round the sacred table as thunderstruck by the Master's words, 'One of you shall betray Me.' The whole company is in dismay, while He bows His head with downcast eyes. His whole attitude seems 10 repeat with heavenly resignation, and his silence to confirm His mournful words, 'One of you shall betray Me.' ' The next time you see a copy of this great picture try to understand it as Goethe dici.

edral, which we look at more carefully now outside and in. There it stands, colossal, magnificent, the most remarkable: and richest church 5, and next to St. Peter's, the largest in the world. Jt is appropriately called the eighth wonder of the world, and is not yet complete. It has been said that only an architect's eye can detect its defects. However, with the hint of our guide, it was 1 to note the classic doors in the otherwise purely Gothic front. are now being- changed, and in a few years unity will characterize the entire structure. You can get some idea of the size of the church when

11 you that it holds forty thousand people. But says Hrlliards: "It is not merely size and height or elaborate detail or -brines blazing with gold and silver or windows that arrest and fix all the changing hue- of the sunset that gives this structure its power and significance. A spirit hangs Over them which illumes what is dark and raises

On entering the cathedral there is a mingled feeling of admiration and devotion. Durand has compared the interior to a German forest, which I think gives one a very good idea of it as a whole. Four rows of immense eight-sided columns, twelve feet in diameter, that stand up like gigantic oaks, run the entire length of the building. They stand close together and support the enormous roof of marble. "Their strange capitals, bristling with a fantastic vegetation of pinnacles, canopies, and foliated niches and statutes are like venerable trunks covered with delicate and pendant mosses. They spread out in great branches, meeting in the vault overhead. The intervals of the arches are filled with an inextricable network of foliage, twining and intertwining all over the surface of the dome of this mighty forest." I secretly resolved to return after lunch and enjoy this scene by myself as long as I wished. I hardly need to tell you that I did so.

I should like to tell you about the stained glass windows behind the vast choir, but it would be quite a long story. They are the largest and finest in the world. On one side are represented scenes in the Old Testament and on the other, incidents from the life of Christ. Illuminated by the sun's rays, the effect is grand beyond description.

After luncheon some went out to Monza, some went shopping, others continued to ramble through the city. I preferred to return to the cathedral and spend an hour on the inside and three hours on the roof. Like the walls, the roof but the effect of the thousands oi turrets res and pinnacles was bewildering. There is a beautiful marble walk around the entire roof under arches of marble, but some climbing is necessary to cross the transept. Ascending to floor by Ion hts of stairs, the revelation is

Take a walk over the marble shingles; the}' will not break; they are as large as paving stones and did net even crack under my weight - but I am not going to load you down with the exact number of pounds. I met with a misfortune up here on the wry comb of the roof. I had supposed myself out of rcacli of Mich worldly things as a kodak, but not l ladies from ( >hio met me and I was compelled to | with a hundred other saints, who looked down from their pinnae' ut of their niches in silent amazement, (i I seen winding its way with its cargo of commerce or human souls. It was a quiet summer afternoon, "when all the air a solemn stillness holds/7 and save for a slight haziness that had dropped its frail mantle over the landscape, the view was sublime. As it was, the dim outlines of Mt. Viso, Mt. Cenis, Mt. Blanc, Mt. St. Bernard, Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn could be traced along the horizon of the southwest and west, while to the north towers the summit of St. Gothard. To the east and south stretch the fertile plains of Lombardy and the distant Apennines. We turn to the north and fix our eyes on the summit of St. Gothard and its Alpine Pass, over which we are to go to-morrow. No wonder that a Longfellow standing on this spot above the grand cathedral was inspired to write his beautiful poem:

The Trip from Milan to Lucerne. The Italian Lakes. Bellinzona. Wild Bits of Scenery. Spiral Tunnels. St. Gothard Tunnel. Fluelen. Lake of Four Cantons. The Axenstrasse. William Tell's Chapel. The Swiss People. Lucerne. Lion of Lucerne. Arnold von Winkelried. Across the Brunig Pass. Height of the Alps as Compared with the Rocky Mountains. Interlaken. Jungfrau and its Monster Companions. A Story of the Mer de Glace. Grindeiwald. Jungfrau as Seen from a Distance.

DEAR CHILDREN: - It has been said that the Alps are the playgrounds of Europe. It is but natural that such should be true. Centrally located, they are easily reached from all parts of Europe - only a da3r's ride from Paris, Berlin, or Rome. Within two hours, after leaving Milan, we were reveling in the most delightful scenery among the Italian lakes. On our way we noticed on every side the landmarks of Lombardy's historic past, moss-grown, it is true, and almost hidden by the overgrowth of modern civilization. A land of rare beauty and thickly populated, it inspired reveries, mingling ancient and modern life, as their traces are mingled here in fact. At Como and Lugano the railway platforms were well filled with people who spoke the English language and wore the American flag, a badge which insured courteous treatment everywhere, and a good asking price for all trinkets. These lakes nestled among mountains, many of which have spacious hotels on their highest peaks, reached from the valley by cog-wheel railways, are picturesque and charming.

Soon after leaving Bellinzona, located high up in the valley which holds Lake Maggiore, the last of the Italian series, the railroad plunges into a narrow valley beneath the dark shadows of overhanging cliffs. It ib an interesting place, not only for the magnificent scenery with which nature has adorned it, but more especially because it is the which opens the way between Lombardy and the North. Before the railway was built, it is estimated that not than twenty thousand pack animals passed up through the valley annually. The ruined fortresses, though silent, yet i the stubborn resistance here offered to the armed - of the Middle Ages that attempted to pass this way. 1 up this valley we come through circular tunnels, mderful 1 . the eye greeted on every side by "a

The circular tunnels are fine pieces of mechanical engineering. At one point in the narrow valley, up which we were ascending, we suddenly dashed across the roaring torrent into the side of the opposite mountain. A few minutes later we emerged from the tunnel some distance lower down the stream, but much higher up the side of the mountain above the tracks over which we had entered. The grade had been made through a spiral tunnel cut out of the solid rock, and therefore as permanent as the mountains themselves. This process was several times repeated before reaching the summit of the great St. Gothard Pass, "and in some cases the traveler can see far below him two places, one above the other, into both of which the train had entered to follow its spiral course through the mountain rock/' The valley is too steep for any train to run straight ahead and too narrow for loops outside of the mountains. There are a number of wonderful loops among the mountain regions of the West, but I know of none anywhere else carved around through the solid rock. The entrance to the Grand tunnel is not so imposing, and, indeed, to a casual observer it would seem that we might now continue our winding process and soon land on the north side of the ridge. But the builders have decreed differently, and in we go. As we enter we notice over the stone archway these letters, which are significant : "MDCCCLXXXII." Thus we see that only eighteen years have elapsed since this great international artery was thrown open to the commerce and travel of the world. It is only nine miles in length, though it is the longest tunnel in the

The change in the temperature was noticed as soon as we emerged from the tunnel. It had been very warm in Italy, and up to the point at which we entered the tunnel only the lightest-weight clothing was comfortable. Seventeen minu; r, when we came out on the north side of the mountain, we found people with their overcoats and cl< about them and the air quite chilly. Even the vegetation showed a je of climate.

where, according to tradition, the unerring arrow of William Tell laid low the tyrant Gessler, there is a chapel, which the boat passed quite near. Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus, with snow-capped mountains in the background, are in full view. You cannot imagine how beautiful and green everything looks here in Switzerland. We really had not seen any rain in crossing the Alps going south, with the exception of a little thunder shower during our last night at Milan. There has evidently been an abundance of it here. In Italy everything seemed dry and thirsty, though beautiful, but here all is fresh and green, owing, no doubt, to the mountain rains, which are liable to come up at any moment and disappear just as suddenly.

The Swiss people are industrious, honest, and thrifty. They love liberty and would die for their green mountain homes. Their tidy dooryards, neatly trimmed trees, and clean houses all speak of health and happiness. The people have good faces and are kind in their manner. This is old Helvetia, and from the days of Orgetorix the people have loved freedom and hated tyranny. The great masterpiece of Thorwaldsen, "The Lion of Lucerne," is a fine piece of art, and must have a wonderful influence upon the young people of Switzerland, dedicated as it is to the fidelity and valor of the eight hundred Swiss guards who defended Louis XVI. and the Tuileries until the last man had fallen. You will see an excellent picture of this beautiful and interesting piece of statuary opposite page 176.

French nation. It is located in the central part of the city, very near the hotel at which we stopped. The old wooden bridge, with one hundred fifty-six pictures showing the history of the city, is unique, and certainly quite interesting. Almost in the center of the River Reuss is a stone tower, built by the Romans, it is said, and used as a lighthouse (Lucerno), which gave the name to the city.

Four different languages are spoken here, and all the notices about the hotel are printed in English, French, German, and Italian. The French comprise about one-fifth of the population, the Italians, one-twentieth, and the Germans three-fourths. The English-speaking people are their principal visitors and customers. A good Latin scholar easily gets the French and Italian. The boys and girls should take notice and look well to their German and Latin.

thunder v.. nderful, reaching from mountain to mountain. A peculiar effect was produced, which sounded like falling rain ; indeed, many people I * >ked out of the windows to assure themselves that it was not raining. I have- heard many imitations of storms on pianos and organs, and as a rule do not enjoy them. But in this case, either the instrument is so well adapted to the composition, or the composition to the instrument, that the effect is at once surprising and pleasing. The attractions about Lucerne are numerous. The lakes and mountains have vied with each other in making it a most delightful summer resort. One who is weary or languid may take any one of the numerous trips by boat and rest or lounge to his heart's content, but one whose veins are filled with active American blood may prefer a mountain top with magnificent views of the snowcapped peaks that use the clouds as mantles and defy the heat of the sun to remove their icy caps. Old Pilatus, Rigi, and a number of others, may be ascended in a few hours by mountain railways.

You may remember the story of Arnold vcn Winkelried, who, at the critical moment in the great battle of Sempach, when the Swiss had failed to break the ranks of Austrian knights, came to the rescue. Having commended his wife and children to the care of his comrades, he rushed into the fight, gathered a number of Austrian spears together against his own breast, and opened a way for his countrymen, who dashed in and won the day. He gave his own life, but saved his country. Stans, the home of Winkelried, is only a few miles from Lucerne, a charming afternoon carriage drive. It is picturesquely located on one of the arms of the Lake of Four Cantons, surrounded by magnificent mountains, among them old Mount Pilatus himself. Here, with these simple-hearted people, lived Winkelried, a model of

Mount Pilatus is perhaps the most interesting of all the mountains about Lucerne. Tradition has it that Pontius Pilate, when he found what had happened to Christ, after he had turned Him over to His tormentors, sought relief for his conscience on this mountain. Some people say that his spirit still roams over its valleys and cliffs, seeking rest, but finding none. However, I have not seen him on any of his lonely walks, and cannot vouch for the truthfulness of the story.

YYe left Lucerne on the morning train Monday and had a bright, clear day for our trip over the Brunig Pass. From Lucerne to Sarnen the railway follows a fruitful, green valley, one of the most beautiful in the world. The si the mountains, especially on the north, sloping toward the south, are covered with hundreds of Swiss cottages. The fields and gardens have a wonderfully fresh appearance, and are pleasing to the eye. I am very glad that we return

At the head of the valley the train is divided into three dons, and engines with cogs take each section, and the climb begins. It is not abrupt, but steady for several thousand feet. A carria 1 winds around near-by and adds inter :ially as many t< are to be se< n traveling that way. At last the summit is reached and i ' dinner is ready for US. What comfort it would be it' sometimes

Immediately after dinner we began the descent and ran down to Meiringen, where we were again pulled by a regular engine to Brienz, at the head of the lake of the same name. An hour's ride over the clear water of this lake, the deepest in Switzerland, surrounded by mountains, and we are at Interlaken, beautiful for location and rich in summer hotels. The hotels are crowded during the summer season, and some of our party were compelled to find quarters in a Swiss cottage annex, not an unpleasant experience, as it brings one a little nearer to the life of the people.

Yesterday we made the ride around "the loop," as it is called. The day was exceptionally clear - we could not have been more favored than we were. While the ride over the Brunig Pass is beautiful and picturesque, this was grand, approaching the sublime. It was but natural for one who has visited Pike's Peak to compare it with Jungf rau. Pike's Peak is more than fourteen thousand feet high, and Jungf rau is more than thirteen thousand feet high. Yet Jungfrau is relatively higher than Pike's Peak. For it must be remembered that Interlaken is less than two thousand feet above the sea level, while Colorado Springs and Manitou are more than six thousand feet above the level of the sea, so that while Pike's Peak is only about eight thousand feet above the surrounding country, Jungfrau towers more than eleven thousand feet above the plains on the north of it. The railroad ascends a beautiful but narrow valley for eight or ten miles, and then begins a series of quite abrupt grades

Standing on the Kleine Scheidegg, the highest point of the cog-wheel railway, one enjoys a magnificent view of the ice-covered giant peaks, all in a row. The Jungfrau, inch, Eiger, and the steep Wetterhorn, all monster glacial kings. All around are spread beautiful mountain meadows, enlivened by the tinkling bells of herds of cows, sheep or goats, and the whole enclosed by borders of rocks and glaciers. \s the dazzling light of the sun is reflected majestic peaks, the desire to see them at closer range is irresistible. A few minutes' ride on an electric car brings us alongside the snowfields and glaciers. On one side are hear! tinkling bells, on the other the occasional crash of the avalanche as it falls into the valley and crevas w. Notwithstanding these warnings of danger, no one ied until he has walked over the fields oi ice, looked down into the yawning crevices, or dropped a stone to test the depth. It is not safe to approach too near these yawning cl walls of ice, which it was impossible for him to scale. Without hope of escape he followed the opening in the ice for a long distance and most ui lly came into a lai open chamber. It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. The brilliant light of the sun refracted through the prisms of ice gave to the ceiling all the colors of the rainbow. For a few minutes he forgot his danger in admiration and astonishment. But as the thought came to him that this beautifully illumined ice palace was to be his chamber of death, his heart sank within him. In the awful silence of the place he heard the splashing of a stream of water that ran along the side of his crystal hall. Here was his chance. It must come out somewhere. To remain was to die. To plunge into this icy stream was to shorten his misery with a possible chance of escape. He decided to risk it and with a prayer plunged into the cold water. Rapidly he was carried along, in momentary expectation of having his head dashed against a rock. Imagine his surprise when a few minutes later he found himself thrown upon the green banks of the mountain stream that flowed through the Chamounix valley, by whose side he had lived from childhood up. But few who fall into these icy chasms have so fortunate an escape from death.

The electric line is completed to a point about five hundred feet above these fields of ice and snow, but does not yet reach the summit of Jungfrau. We at once enter a tunnel and ascend by a steep grade to the top station. The route is entirely inside the mountain. At the top, where the line ends for the present, a side aisle leads to the open air. There is quite a ledge here, or gallery, which forms a convenient place to dump the fragments of rock, as the tunnel is continued up the mountain. The station is dignified with a name, although it has no permanent residents. The view from this point is grand. Scheidegg, itself a mountain height, is one thousand five hundred feet below, and in full view, with its mountain railroad winding up on the one side and Jing on the other. ( )ver toward the right at the

I is located, commanding a view of these ice monarchs, so different from this. In fact, it would be difficult to say which view is the more sublime, the one from Rothstock or the one from Grindelwald. We will return to Scheie!

where: but from Grindelwald you look tip at bold mountains, rising abruptly seven thousand and eight thousand feet, more than a mile and one-half al >U« The longer the

A great many people are seen everywhere we» go, with Alpine sticks, and bundles on their backs. If I had time I should like to play tramp myself for a week or two. There is a beautiful drive down the valley from Grindelwald to Interlaken, running alongside the railroad the entire distance. A man on a wheel, placed his wife and children on our train and coasted down the valley for at least ten miles. The stops were frequent, and he would always catch up with the train, wave his hand at the children and go flying by, to be caught again by us between stations. It was great sport, and I think that the good-natured people on the train enjoyed it quite as much as they. We reached our hoteJ refreshed, rather than wearied, by the day's travel, a very different experience from those who made the same heights twenty years ago. One more look up the valley toward Jungfrau to catch the last reflected rays of departing day, as they play upon the snows of the mountains, and we bid you goodby.

Letter Xi

Return to Lucerne. Simplicity of Swiss Life. Zurich. Lake Constance. Lindau. German Farm Houses. German Life. Munich. The Map of Germany. Royal Palace. Galleries. The Glyptothek.

DEAR CHILDREN : - In my last letter I left you at the hotel in Interlaken. This is considered one of the finest health resorts of Europe. It certain!} is one of the most popular spots, if we are to judge from the number of tourists who meet here from all countries of the world. The beauties of nature are dealt out in the most lavish manner. Jungf