The Argosy — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

At Gastetn. 223 to your finger-ends, and when they are well developed you must come out. Then lie down for an hour, a sheet your sole covering. The latter I call an air bath, and it is essential it should be taken. Now farewell, This afternoon I will call for you.” He left the room, and shortly after I entered the adjoining compart- ment, and Jay down for an hour upon a small sofa bed. A calm, sooth- ing sense of stillness crept over mind and body; a sense of rest and repose unspeakably delicious. Upon going into the open air when the time was up, in place of the lassitude so often felt after a warm bath in Erfgland, the sensations were of a precisely opposite character. The air, if warm, seemed light: the feet scarcely appeared to touch the ground, so buoyant was the body. All nature looked brighter, the trees fresher: even the waterfall for the moment was less unbearable. I felt in condition for an expedition to the top of the highest mountain. The dinner hour came and passed with much the same result as on the previous day. No new faces at the table ; no fresh artistic efforts on the part of the cook; the same unsatisfactory dishes: the same amount of time spent in not eating. Yet every one appeared happy and blessed with a good appetite. The curious thing about the guests was that for the most part they appeared the very picture of health and strength ; it was scarcely possible to imagine them here for the purposes of renovation. Appetite, bright eyes, lively conversation ; all this abounded. And to a silent observer, an opportunity of studying the habits and manners of the people. Determined to take it idly—what other resource was there under the circumstances—I lay down after dinner, until the doctor entered and roused me. “What?” he cried. “ Napping? Sleeping after dinner?” ‘No, no,” I returned. “But what would you? Repose after that heavy meal is necessary. The table-d’héte, my dear doctor, like many other things in life, wants a good deal of reforming.” The doctor shrugged his shoulders. “I hear complaints on all sides,” he answered, ‘but what canI do? You must put up with it for the sake of health. I am glad you were not sleeping. Nothing is worse after dinner : it relaxes the body and stupefies the mind. But if, at times, you really cannot keep awake, then drop off for a quarter of an hour; not longer. If you cannot wake yourself, desire some one to do it for you.” “It is by no means one of my habits,” I said. ‘But here, and in this state of the atmosphere, what is to be done ?” “Go into the wandelbahn and play the piano: or climb up a little way into the mountain and sit down in one of the arbours; or buy a horn and blow it: anything, in short, rather than disobedience to orders. And now I will pilot you to my humble abode?:' It was the best I could get in Gastein. Some day, perhaps, I may build mvgelf ana 93 CKOROAKS .COIM