The Argosy — page 235: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

At Gastein. 219 “The very thing I was proposing to myself,” replied the doctor. “‘Gastein deserves to be better known than it is. I have wnitten a book about it In my own tongue, and small brochures have been translated into French and English; but few, I imagine, have pene- trated into your country.” Here the doctor cleared his throat ominously, furled and unfurled again his yellow umbrella, and resuméd the thread of his discourse. ‘“‘ Gastein,” he said, ‘‘as I need not remind you, is on the borders of Carinthia, 3,135 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. For the last sixteen years I have taken meteorological observations upon the country, and from the frequent rains, and occasional snows that fall upon the mountains in mid-season, I believe that as a summer resort it is the coolest place in Europe. From the nature of the soil it is clear that the two valleys of Bockstein and Hof-Gastein were vast lakes, drained by great convulsions of the earth. Probably the same con- vulsions, which rent the rocks and admitted a passage for these water- falls, cast up at the same time these hot, heatth-giving springs.” “That must have taken place centuries ago?” “Yes. The history of the Valley of Gastein is properly divided into five periods. The first commences with the discovery of the hot springs in the year 680, and terminates with the first improvement and elevation of the place in 1436.” “A gap of nearly 800 years!” *‘ Good things are of slow growth,” observed the doctor, sententiously; “but in the end they are sure. Gastein is even yet in its infancy. I prophesy for it a great career in the future.” “What caused Gastein suddenly to awake out of its long slumber in the year 1436?” “It happened,” replied the doctor, “ that three hunters, following a stag, found him bathing his wounds in some hot springs, to which the. vapours attracted their attention.” ‘But that legend,” said I, with a laugh, ‘‘is connected with so many of your German baths. A stag seems generally to have been the cause of discovery.” ‘In this instance,” returned the doctor, ‘I think it is a true tale, At any rate we will believe so, and be grateful to the stag. Instinct, you see, is made useful to man as well as beast. But here we are at the Hirsch, and I must delay my account until our visit of inspection is over.” The people of the Hirsch were very civil and obliging. The rooms were airy and comfortable, and the sound of the waterfall could scarce- ly be heard. From the front windows, low down, stretched the long, smooth plain, with here and there small wooden houses dotted about like nests in the grass. The many shades of green caught the eye, and the small stream winding capriciously through all, looked-like a) thread ECoOMmicloooks (C(O) ,