Livy darling, we had a lovely day jogged right along, with a good horse and sensible driver--the last two hours right behind an open carriage filled with a pleasant German family--old gentleman and 3 pretty daughters.At table d'hote tonight, 3 dishes were enough for me, and then I bored along tediously through the bill of fare, with a back-ache, not daring to get up and bow to the German family and leave.I meant to sit it through and make them get up and do the bowing; but at last Joe took pity on me and said he would get up and drop them a curtsy and put me out of my misery.I was grateful.He got up and delivered a succession of frank and hearty bows, accompanying them with an atmosphere of good-fellowship which would have made even an English family surrender.Of course the Germans responded--then I got right up and they had to respond to my salaams, too.So "that was done."We walked up a gorge and saw a tumbling waterfall which was nothing to Giessbach, but it made me resolve to drop you a line and urge you to go and see Giessbach illuminated.Don't fail--but take a long day's rest, first.I love you, sweetheart.
SAML.
OVER THE GEMMI PASS.
4.30 p.m.Saturday, Aug.24, 1878.
Livy darling, Joe and I have had a most noble day.Started to climb (on foot) at 8.30 this morning among the grandest peaks! Every half hour carried us back a month in the season.We left them harvesting 2d crop of hay.At 9 we were in July and found ripe strawberries; at 9.30 we were in June and gathered flowers belonging to that month; at 10 we were in May and gathered a flower which appeared in Heidelberg the 17th of that month; also forget-me-nots, which disappeared from Heidelberg about mid-May; at 11.30 we were in April (by the flowers;) at noon we had rain and hail mixed, and wind and enveloping fogs, and considered it March; at 12.30 we had snowbanks above us and snowbanks below us, and considered it February.Not good February, though, because in the midst of the wild desolation the forget-me-not still bloomed, lovely as ever.
What a flower garden the Gemmi Pass is! After I had got my hands full Joe made me a paper bag, which I pinned to my lapel and filled with choice specimens.I gathered no flowers which I had ever gathered before except 4 or 5 kinds.We took it leisurely and I picked all I wanted to.
I mailed my harvest to you a while ago.Don't send it to Mrs.Brooks until you have looked it over, flower by flower.It will pay.
Among the clouds and everlasting snows I found a brave and bright little forget-me-not growing in the very midst of a smashed and tumbled stone-debris, just as cheerful as if the barren and awful domes and ramparts that towered around were the blessed walls of heaven.I thought how Lilly Warner would be touched by such a gracious surprise, if she, instead of I, had seen it.So I plucked it, and have mailed it to her with a note.
Our walk was 7 hours--the last 2 down a path as steep as a ladder, almost, cut in the face of a mighty precipice.People are not allowed to ride down it.This part of the day's work taxed our knees, I tell you.
We have been loafing about this village (Leukerbad) for an hour, now we stay here over Sunday.Not tired at all.(Joe's hat fell over the precipice--so he came here bareheaded.) I love you, my darling.
SAML.
ST.NICHOLAS, Aug.26th, '78.
Livy darling, we came through a-whooping today, 6 hours tramp up steep hills and down steep hills, in mud and water shoe-deep, and in a steady pouring rain which never moderated a moment.I was as chipper and fresh as a lark all the way and arrived without the slightest sense of fatigue.
But we were soaked and my shoes full of water, so we ate at once, stripped and went to bed for 2 ?hours while our traps were thoroughly dried, and our boots greased in addition.Then we put our clothes on hot and went to table d'hote.
Made some nice English friends and shall see them at Zermatt tomorrow.
Gathered a small bouquet of new flowers, but they got spoiled.I sent you a safety-match box full of flowers last night from Leukerbad.
I have just telegraphed you to wire the family news to me at Riffel tomorrow.I do hope you are all well and having as jolly a time as we are, for I love you, sweetheart, and also, in a measure, the Bays.--[Little Susy's word for "babies."]-- Give my love to Clara Spaulding and also to the cubs.
` SAML.
This, as far as it goes, is a truer and better account of the excursion than Mark Twain gave in the book that he wrote later.ATramp Abroad has a quality of burlesque in it, which did not belong to the journey at all, but was invented to satisfy the craving for what the public conceived to be Mark Twain's humor.The serious portions of the book are much more pleasing--more like himself.
The entire journey, as will be seen, lasted one week more than a month.
Twichell also made his reports home, some of which give us interesting pictures of his walking partner.In one place he wrote:
