The Argosy — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

126 In the Black Forest. sions, than a day devoted to religion. ‘The coachman, too, had put on his Sunday’s best; but he had passed his meridian, and the maidens no longer looked after him as they had probably looked after him twenty years ago when, judging by what remained, he must have been a vigorous and handsome youth. He whipped up his horses, and presently we came to the inn where’ the road to the Mummelsee branched off to the left. Here, resting a few moments, I found the landlord young, handsome, intelligent, and enterprising, and doing his best to learn English with the help of an English lady who had settled in the village : dangerous occupation, if the lady was fair and fascinating. We continued our way. ‘The road narrowed, and for a time took upon itself almost the likeness of an English lane. The surrounding scenery was varied and beautiful. Distant mountains opposed our progress. Vast pine forests stretched away and away, in which, apparently, a man might lose himself and wander about for ever. But immediately around us the landscape was more open, somewhat more sylvan and rural: “‘a valley laughing with green pastures and running streams.” After a time we came to an inn at the foot of the mountain. Here, rather than give the horses more work—and also because a climb through the wood would be far pleasanter—we left the carriage, and the coachman set out with me towards the Mummelsee: a lake some distance up the height. Wild and weird enough was the way, as we left the ordinary path — and plunged boldly into the midst of brambles and ferns, wild flowers and wild fruit. ‘The guide who accompanied me—more for pleasure than because his services were necessary—seemed to know every inch of the ground, and enjoyed the fun as muchas a schoolboy. Before he had gone a hundred yards or so his jacket was off, and his white shirt-sleeves stood out in cool contrast with the sombre pines. Yet the way was anything but sombre. The sun overhead shot down its rays, throwing lights and shadows across our path, and destroying all sense of gloom. ‘Through the trees we caught glimpses of a blue sky, pure and deep as a sapphire, that, in con- junction with the fresh breeze blowing, raised our spirits to the point of exhilaration ; that nameless, peculiar sense of happiness that creeps over one amidst such scenes, and such scenes only. There was a solemnity, if you will, about the wood and the walk ; a sense of majesty and grandeur and illimitable power inseparable from all vast expanses, such as the sky, the sea, a great mountain, an apparently boundless forest. But the gloom and sadness would only enfold this wood with the setting of the sun, when the shadows would be lost in the darkness, and the desolation of night took the place of all that was now bright and beautiful. The guide, despite his middle age, skipped about like a wild cat, now disappearing for a moment, and now suddenly returning with a Gomicbooks.,Go Ul ‘ J ‘ ) : = , a . od - rn