18. Cheerleading Camp (When the Jonquils Bloom Again, 3rd Edition Book 17)

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Life would be pretty boring without fantasies, and everyonethat is everyonehas sexual fantasies. All guilty are innocent, even those who love having their bowels gently filled with warm water. Sharon thinks, What do you mean God loves me? You mean God loves sinners? Is that what God Pastor John preaches every Sunday morning? Sharon listened to those sermons. He never said that. He said, God hates sinners. God hates sexual perverts.

God hates us all: Her nurse has a different view of God. God loves us just as we are, sins and all. New to Sharon, God loves her, God loves us all. A refreshing and new approach, but then again, true preachers of God all know God loves us. Read more Read less. Thousands of books are eligible, including current and former best sellers. Look for the Kindle MatchBook icon on print and Kindle book detail pages of qualifying books. Print edition must be purchased new and sold by Amazon.

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Click here Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? There's a problem loading this menu right now. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. View or edit your browsing history. Get to Know Us. As the wind some days was blowing very keenly, the winter sheep-skin coat had not been laid aside by all. It must be a very comfortable garment, and really I used to envy some of the women, they looked so warm in it.

It is also extremely picturesque. The reader must not fancy an Icelandic looking coat of rough skins, without shape or trimming. The description of one of these garments which I saw, will show that a great deal of taste is exhibited in their preparation. The sheepskin was very white and soft-looking, and the jacket made from it was of rather a close-fitting shape.

It was lined with scarlet, and the lappets in front and behind were fastened back with very thick braid, to show the bright colour of the lining. The same coarse braid ornamented the sleeves and throat. I felt a great wish to buy the coat from the fair wearer, but it occurred to me in time that I might get more [52 Old Meadow-wood. Our favourite walk, after our early dinner, was over the bridge of boats to the public gardens on the other bank of the Danube.

They are in the same style as Kensington Gardens in London, only much more extensive and with more underwood. On the outskirts they extend into wild woods and fields of considerable size. The cultivated part is called the New, and the rough the Old Meadows or Woods. In the Old Meadow-wood the wild flowers are most luxuriant, and the thickets are full of lilies of the valley, the white asphodel, a large variety of which is very pretty, and the deceitful blossoms of the wild garlic, which look so pure, white, and innocent, till you attempt to pick them, when the disagreeable garlic smell betrays their real nature.

There is also a [53 New Meadow-wood. It was curious, indeed, that all the spring flowers were white. A month earlier the ground must have looked like snow with the wild wood anemones. The New Meadow-wood, which was kept very neat and trim, with broad walks and terraces bordered with flower-beds, as I said before, reminded me much of Kensington Gardens; but the nightingales sing in these Hungarian trees in a way that no nightingale has sung in London in the memory of the oldest inhabitant.

All day long and late into the evening we used to hear them in hundreds answering each other from the depths of the glades of thorn and underwood. Most of the population of Pressburg turn out in the fine evenings to wander in these beautiful woods; rich and poor, counts and tradespeople, officers and soldiers, all seeming to enjoy their rambles here. When once the cold winds in April were over, there seemed a lull in nature for a few days, and then the sun exerted its power to some purpose, as you could almost hourly see the fresh green leaves and bright flowers expanding.

The song of the spring birds, too, seemed to fill the air in the glad sunshine. Late in April the days were so warm that we used to take our work and sit out in the meadow wood, as in July in England. One very soft warm evening, a large party of us, English and Hungarians, had been tempted to remain out very late, listening to the nightingales, and finishing by drinking coffee at the pavilion near the race-course.

On returning by the long bridge of boats over the Danube, the scene appeared so beautiful, that we stopped to look at the glorious full moon shining on the river. All her companions, who were apparently of the same opinion, united in a murmur of sympathy. In vain I assured them that we had a moon in England, and that during the harvest season it was so bright that it was almost warm in the moonlight! They listened politely, but I saw they did not believe a word of what I said. It is marvellous how fully all foreigners are impressed with the firm conviction that we unhappy English live in a land of almost total darkness.

Once or twice in the height of summer they suppose we may see a pale, cold sun; but for months together they are convinced that we are in a state of gloomy darkness, from the eternal fogs that always overhang this dreary island. I have explained with strong efforts at keeping [56 Climate of England. On the authority of Sir John Herschell, I could assure them that one spot in Kent had an unusual quantity of sunshine to bless it, even in winter. In our home garden the camellias and myrtles, I knew, lived all the year round out of doors, without any protection.

The gardens of the Archdeacon of Canterbury, near Hythe, I told them, were like a dream of fairy-land in June, with their glowing masses of camellias, azaleas, and other tender shrubs which had lived out all winter. They might believe the facts I had stated, but they put on them their own interpretation. We might possess all these floral beauties, but it was necessary, even in June, if we wished to see them, to grope our way with lanterns through a thick impervious fog!

I always have an unpleasant idea, when they talk to me of our climate, that they feel as I should do if I were conversing with one of those creatures [57 Light Costume. One thing I have always noticed, that foreigners almost invariably come to England in November, a month in which they may not find that great centre of attraction — London — very bright. The spring is certainly very trying in England; and it is seldom that in May we can sit out of doors and enjoy it as we did at Pressburg.

The costume of the villagers, too, in May, would have been rather light for England; but it was charming here, and so picturesque — a snowy white shirt, with bright scarlet braces, and very broad belt of the same colour round waist; a dark coat, with heavy silver buttons hung over one shoulder; short olive green or brown breeches, with Hessian boots; and a round Spanish Matador-looking hat, with a bunch of long floating ribbons, and a plume — generally a tuft of heron's feathers, [58 Green Tree Hotel.

We dined every day at the "Green Tree Hotel," the cookery of which was excellent — the best, I think, that I ever met with in Germany. We had an excellent soup sometimes — clear gravy, with plovers' eggs in it. The fish, too, was very good, sturgeon, salmon, and other large fish that we did not know the names of. I must not forget the tea either, which was delicious — "Caravan tea," enormously dear, but so delicate in flavour!

Caviare, and other Russian delicacies, were very cheap. As we used generally to dine a little later than most of the Pressburg people, we had the room almost to ourselves; but one day Herr Paluquay, the civil landlord, told us that a band of gipsies, or "Cziganies," as they are called, were coming to play in the dining saloon, and we therefore agreed to go to supper at nine. We retreated hurriedly, not liking to be the only ladies; but Herr Paluquay came to our rescue, and assured us that there were several of the wives of the officers present. We therefore re-entered, and when our eyes became accustomed to the smoke, we found it was so.

The long table next to ours consisted of thirty-two officers of one regiment; the colonel and his wife sitting at the head — the lady fully occupied eating her dinner — never speaking to any of the officers, but, as they dropped into their places, raising her eyes from picking her chicken-bones in her fingers, by-the-by , and just returning their salute. They came in one after another, and each chose his dinner from the bill of fare, according to fancy. There were numbers of officers of other regiments in the room, but they all seemed to keep to their respective tables.

In the middle of the evening, the Prince of [60 Czigany Band. He is a tall, grim-looking man, and still wears a shade over one eye, the sight of which was destroyed by a sword-cut in the revolution in Hungary in The Czigany band consisted of about seven men, dressed in dark Hungarian costume, and looking very like third-rate strolling musicians at some English watering place, only fiercer and dirtier.

Their music was mostly national. They gave with great enthusiasm the "Rakotski March," which of course all Hungarians delight in, as it was so long forbidden, being named in honour of the revolutionary leader Rakotski. This enemy of oppression took up arms against the Austrian Government at the end of the seventeenth century, at the instigation of Louis XIV.

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The Hungarian music has a harsh, jerking, wailing sound. We drove a long way into the country one day, to see a really national Hungarian nobleman's castle and a village, some distance out of Pressburg. The road to it was singularly uninteresting, deep in sandy dust, and passing through flat plains of light soil, thickly sown with upspringing corn.

A few stunted pollard trees on each side formed the only shelter against the burning sun which poured down its rays that day. The house we came to see was of rather a fantastic style of architecture, but extremely comfortable inside, furnished just like an English residence. The walls were hung with many of Landseer and Andsdell's engravings, and in the boudoir was a portrait of poor Lady Clementina Villers. The drawing-room tables were covered with pretty knick-knacks and nicely-bound books.

The grounds, varied and extensive, con- [62 Military Servants. The flower-beds were nicely kept, but the lawns were composed of the usual foreign substitute for turf, viz. We were attended and shown over the house and grounds by two of the servants of the owner, dressed in their usual gorgeous hussar livery, with enormous silver spurs, which they clanked and jingled dexterously at every step. When we stopped to look at pictures, or turn over the books, they also stopped, and drew themselves up with soldier-like precision, never moving an inch from the attitude they first assumed, though we must have tried their patience extremely.

We went to the top of one of the towers, but the look-out over the flat, uninteresting plains of that part of Hungary was frightful. The small village church was nearly opposite the house, and a bird's-eye view we had of the village was [63 Hungarian Villages. This village, Baron C— assured us, was the exact type of every one that you see in Hungary; very clean, but frightfully ugly. The streets are wide, and perfectly even, but all the houses facing into their own particular gardens, each street is composed of side-gables, without a window. A dazzling coat of white-wash spread over cottages and walls gives one an unpleasant idea that the place has been under strict supervision in consequence of the visit of some unwelcome fever, or other contagious disorder.

Altogether, the villages in Hungary are indescribably dull and dreary. There is nothing picturesque in them — no cottage-windows full of flowers — no doors open, with children playing about, or neighbours chatting, nothing but the ugly white gables giving one a chilly impression of the cold shoulder. When we stopped at the only inn in the place, I [64 Explanation of an Old Story. Baron C— went in to find out if we could see it, but came back assuring us that the room, which was very crowded, was so full of overpowering tobacco smoke, that he advised us not to attempt it.

Feeling sure he was the best judge of an Hungarian atmosphere, we reluctantly consented to give up the pleasure we had anticipated. I drove away from this village with a just appreciation, at last , of a tale which used to thrill me with horror as a child, and gave me a bad impression of the Hungarians. It was the story of a young man, who, pursued by a pack of starving wolves, rode through a village of Hungary without a window or door opening to save him, and whose horse's bit and stirrups alone [65 A Cry for Help.

But, of course, if all the windows looked away from the streets, and there were only blank walls to be appealed to, the cry for help might very naturally have been made in vain. We set out, as it were, on our adventures, and many are those that occur to us, morning, noon, and night. Our prejudices leave us, one by one. Our benevolence extends itself with our knowledge. It was early in my stay at Pressburg, whilst the cold winds were still blowing, and we found them most cuttingly keen.

As the east wind was blowing strong up the river, we crept into the lee of some bushes to do our sketch of the beautiful rugged rock, which stands at the confluence of the March and the Danube. We little thought, then, that only a few weeks later the Marchfeld would become a never-to-be-forgotten name in Austria's history. The last-fought battle of the victorious Prussians took place there, and was only stopped by the circumstance that the hour of truce arrived in the middle of the engagement.

The boatmen had scarcely time to answer our inquiries, but the cause of the excitement proved to be that a flock of lambs had fallen into the river, and these boats had gone to the rescue. We made a strong resolve to eschew lamb at dinner for some days to come. We had to wait till rather late for the steamer, and amused ourselves by wandering over the village. I had not been long enough from England not to find interest and amusement in everything, where all was so new and strange. A long train of low waggons came along the valley of Marchfeld, drawn by splendid teams of fine grey oxen, driven by Hungarian peasants, in their fur coats, and guarded by an extremely drunken policeman, who gave us a military salute with absurd attempts at gravity, very nearly upsetting one of us in his attempts to preserve his equilibrium.

I could not but admire their instinct, though I was rather alarmed by the presence of so many of these animals scampering about; but I took the precaution to ensconce myself behind the wicket-gate of a pretty little cottage garden, and I congratulated myself when most of my four-footed enemies had passed safely by on the other side of the fence.

At last, one ferociously-horned creature — except for these formidable appendages the personification of gentleness — stopped exactly opposite my place of refuge. At last a young woman passing called out, "The cow wants to get home! However, as I felt there was something ridiculous in my position, I opened the gate with a beating heart, and the [72 The Stars.

No cow in England, I feel sure, would have found itself in such a position without turning to have a munch at some pet stock or wallflower; but the Hungarian cows are evidently a superior race of animals. As the village by this time was swarming with cattle, I suggested to my companion that we should go and sit on the little pier till the steamer arrived. We found this a pleasant change, as, except for the splashing of the Danube as it hurried past, and the never-ceasing song of the nightingales on the opposite bank, the place was perfectly quiet.

We waited some time — till it was nearly dark, and the stars began to come out. I never see these luminaries now without thinking of a lovely evening in Bohemia two years ago, when, while waiting at a small station for the train, a friend who was with me, talking about the stars which were shining brilliantly overhead, was addressed by a German, who, in broken English, said, as he pointed up to [73 Steamers on the Danube.

At last the welcome lights of our steamer appeared in the distance — when we had already begun to wish we had brought more food with us — and we gladly entered the ferry-boat and waited in the centre of the river for her. She proved to be one of those large Danube steamers which in ten days go all the way from Vienna to the Black Sea, travelling only by day and thus enabling one to see the beautiful scenery of the river. These steamers are very large and comfortable, with handsome dining saloons on the poop, and comfortable cabins.

From the seats and awnings on the top of the saloon, you can have an excellent view as you pass along. Early spring, or late in the autumn, is the best time for a journey of pleasure, as the insects which swarm during summer, on the banks of the Danube, must be a serious annoyance. We were [74 Hungarian Jewelry. We purchased some beautiful specimens of old Hungarian jewelry in Pressburg, thanks to a friend who lived in the town, and understood where to find such things. This belonged to the family of the Hunyades.

These, with some other objects of interest, are now in the loan museum at South Kensington. One of the friends I was stay- [75 Precious Trinkets. We were so extravagant, that we had serious misgivings as to the necessity of walking to Bohemia rather than going by train; but when we looked at our boxes, we saw that there was no alternative. It would have been a great want of taste and judgment on our part if we had failed to secure these wonderful specimens of Venetian jewelry — a consideration which quite restored our self-satisfaction.

Since my return to England, I have found no reason to alter that opinion, antiquarians and judges praising these trinkets very much, and opening their eyes in wonder at their cheapness. It was getting very hot and extremely dusty when we left Pressburg. I cannot say I regretted it — for were we not going back to our dear Bodenbach! We had proposed returning to Vienna, and spending a few days there to see the sights; but our extravagance in the purchase of jewelry [76 A Strange Purchase for Passengers. So we stepped out of the Pesth train at the junction at Ganserndorf, and with stoic fortitude watched it steam away to Vienna.

We had to wait for an hour for the express, which, like the one from Trieste, only runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays, doing the miles between Vienna and Prague in about ten hours, at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour. We got a very respectable diner in the refreshment-room, and afterwards, when one of my companions had a cigar on the platform, we made friends with some old peasant women, who were sitting patiently there, with large baskets of very fine seakale for sale. It struck us as very extraordinary that people on a journey should buy such things.

These poor women complained sadly of bad times, and the scarcity of money; but I never yet met anyone in any country who allowed that the times were good and money plentiful. The good time is always coming, and, it may be, the money with it!

The country through which the railway runs in Austria Proper is singularly uninteresting and flat, though highly cultivated, exhibiting every sign of laudable industry, but not pretty. When we enter Moravia it becomes much more interesting, reminding one very much of Derbyshire, near Mattock — just the same pleasant-looking fir-glens, with streams running through them, broken bits of rock, and bright green meadows.

In the capital of Moravia, we were guilty of such a disgracefully vulgar act, that if the doors of society had been closed against us we could not have complained. There was a very neat tidy Moravian going up and [78 Moravian Sausages. Several of the passengers and railway men who had bought some began eating them; and one of my friends, who had been intently examining them through her eye-glass, remarked —.

The suggestion was sufficient, for one always is hungry travelling. A fragile-looking string of these dainties was quickly handed in at the carriage window, and — shall I confess it? I am sorry to say, even the guard laughed, we looked so greedily pleased with our treat. Our only excuse was that they were so delicious — so hot — so delicate not larger than one's finger , and so full of gravy! I have not made up my mind to this day what they were composed of.

I think, however, nothing objectionable, as though Bradshaw tells us that a [79 Prague. It was very late, and quite dark, before we crossed the Moldau, and arrived at beautiful Prague. We found at the station kind friends, who had come to meet us. Everywhere in Germany I have found it the same. When once they profess friendship, they are the kindest and most faithful of friends. They never allow their own personal convenience to stand in the way of their kind offices. Prompt, punctual, and untiring in their friendly services, they win our lasting esteem and regard, and must ever come next in our affection to our English friends!

On proceeding to the "Golden Angel," we did not find things so comfortable as we had anticipated. The people were civil enough, but the [80 The "Golden Angel. As it was too late, however, to hunt for rooms in another hotel, we put up with those allotted to us, and went down to small side apartments, then used as eating-rooms. Two tables were crowded with eager politicians, thundering forth their opinions on the expected war.

The attendants were only a decrepit old man, and a little boy, from whom we got some supper and went to bed. It was no use sleeping with the window open, the horrible odour seemed to cling round one, and I find my entry next morning in my journal stands headed, "The 'Golden Angel,' twice tried, is an horrific ghost! The horses were at once taken inside into the courtyard. I was much amused by the guard at the gates — some very stern, solemn-looking hussars — who, when any one besides the dealers attempted to enter with the horses, warned them back with a shake of the head, a wave of the hand, or a few impressive words.

Some more daring spirit, who seemed to slight this warning, pressing forward, an hussar, with a corporal's stars and stripes, instantly started out of the guard-room, and caught the intruder. This man was evidently the wit of the regiment, for he used neither force nor strong words, but, evidently, a great deal of "chaff," which not only sent his admiring comrades into peals of laughter, but made the civilian retire dis- [82 Horses for Cavalry.

Then, with a few cheery words, the corporal would return to the guard-room, till another assailant forced him to reappear, and exert his eloquence again. About fifty horses, all brown, and good strong-looking animals, were chosen that morning. We saw the soldiers go out on them when we came in for luncheon, and a rough, unmanageable lot they seemed, but capitally handled, with much temper and tact.

One brute, indeed, plunged and kicked in such a way that it managed to unseat its rider, whose only consolation was a severe rating from his serjeant. W E had stayed at Prague for a few days two years ago, and had then done all due homage to the spot on the bridge where St. We had also seen, and duly admired, the astounding height of the council-chamber window in the Hradschin, whence the two lords of the Imperial assembly and their secretary were flung by their furious colleagues, an inglorious tumble from which they merely got up, shook themselves, and, after the secretary had humbly apologized for falling on one of them, walked unscathed away.

We had also wondered at the iron ring which St.

Wenceslaus had grasped in [86 Prague. Lastly, we had been to the Jews' quarter, and had visited the glass-shops. In short, we had thoroughly done Prague, and enjoyed our visit there extremely. The short time we had now to stay we therefore devoted to wandering about the beautiful streets, so temptingly picturesque for sketching, either in detail or as views, and in which, every time we passed through them, we found something new or striking to admire. The view from the bank of the Moldau, looking over the river at the old part of the town, with its beautiful towers and quaint buildings, and the summit of the Hradschin crowned with the stately Cathedral, the Imperial Palace, and the various lines of fortifications, when seen in the rich glow of sunset, is a spectacle never to be forgotten.

We met, while looking at this view, an hussar officer, a former acquaintance of my friend's, who stopped for a long chat with him. Prague certainly did not seem at all encumbered with soldiers. They were by no means so numerous as in , when so many troops were returning from the Schleswig-Holstein war, which was just over. Though every one now talked of war, there seemed no immediate preparations for it, except that the yard of the railway-station was filled with artillery-waggons and ammunition, ready to be transported to the frontier when wanted.

We left Prague at nine in the evening, and had a very tedious journey, without any amusing incident, to Bodenbach. We brought from Prague to Theresienstadt some war ammunition, in the shape of several carriages of recruits. There were some sad and tearful leave-takings on start- [88 Theresienstadt. I remember, the last time I passed Theresienstadt, I was very much horrified at two old ladies, who were in the same carriage with me, returning from a visit to the refreshment-counter with a hot roast chicken, which they divided with a clasp-knife, and picked in their fingers.

After my sausage adventure, however, I felt we were very much on a par. It was half-past two in the morning before we reached our longed-for haven, the Zum Bad Hotel at Bodenbach. We were too happy to feel tired, but nevertheless slept soundly. The first news that greeted us next morning was that war was imminent from Italy, and that already the bridge at Peschiera, which we had crossed such a short time before, had been broken down.

However, as Italy was a long way off, the news did not disturb the enjoyment of our [89 Bodenbach. We found a regiment of white-coated soldiers billeted here and in Tetschen, and we much feared they would destroy the quiet and retirement of this lovely spot; but they were kept so hard at drill, that they had no inclination for quiet walks, and we never experienced the slightest annoyance from the large body of men quartered around.

And now I must try to do justice to our beloved Bodenbach, by a description of its varied beauties. I have no misgivings that my picture will be over-coloured. I only wish I could so delineate the place that you could thoroughly appreciate it. Towns are situated on both shores of the river — that on the left bank is Bodenbach, while Tetschen occupies the right. I cannot pretend that there is any poetry about the Elbe.

Instead of being clear as silver or beautifully blue, it is generally dark and muddy, and after rains, gravel-coloured, but it is swift and strong, and generally covered with rafts of wood or barges of merchan- [90 Castle of Count Thun. Notwithstanding the railway which runs along its banks, the river is still much used for the conveyance of heavy goods.

The barges and rafts go very pleasantly down the current, but it is hard work for the two or four horses which they employ to drag them up against the stream. A light-looking suspension-bridge crosses the river, and unites the two small towns. It was erected by Count Thun not many years ago, and is not only very ornamental, but also convenient — how convenient we found later in the summer, when we had only a ferry-boat to go over in, the Prussians, after the invasion, having caused part of the bridge to be demolished.

The cliffs are very beautiful at Bodenbach — far finer than those on the other side of the river, where one steep rock stands, on which is situated the Castle of Count Thun — a very large building, without any pretensions to architectural beauty. All the country round, for miles and miles, belongs to Count Thun, who, with his family, is [91 Count Thun. This castle contains a chapel, a theatre, and an armoury. As in the feudal days in England, everything belongs to the Count.

Just below the castle is a mill and a liquor-factory, which are his property; the game and the fish, also, are his; and, in fact, he is lord of all he surveys. There are some very fine trees in the Castle garden, and the grounds, which are naturally very beautiful, are well laid out and kept. The Count has a beautiful collection of orchidaceous plants, to which several houses are devoted. He has a large staff of gardeners. The principal one, who has been to England, and speaks English, duly appreciates the climate of our island for gardening.

It has also a church, a large market-place, and a town-hall. It had a second large church, a very handsome-looking building, but when finished, the government decided that the town did not require it, and had it turned into a warehouse, with a large crane projecting from the porch. There are several cotton factories outside the town, on the banks of a large clear stream, called the Polzen, which runs into the Elbe just above the castle. But it is on the Bodenbach side of the river that the great beauty of the scene lies. There you have such beautiful rocks, cliffs, and mountains, all piled and tumbled about, leaving room between them only for a narrow mountain stream, or a winding roadway.

The houses that are dotted about are very picturesque, and like Swiss cottages, with overhanging eaves and supports of black timber beams. The extensive pine-woods have judiciously-planned walks winding through them for miles and miles. The inhabitants can now carry their loads of hay or wood, or their baskets of wares, for miles, from one village to another, with great comfort. In the hot summer one can walk for miles without tiring under the delicious shade all the way, enjoying the strong, fresh smell of the pine woods. All the rocks, hills, and cliffs around are covered with dark fir-trees, some of them of magnificent dimensions.

Occasionally one comes on a clearing, where the trees have been felled, and slid down the hill-side into the river to be converted into rafts. Far into the distance stretches the range of mountains called the Erzgebirge, which bound Bohemia on the north. The people who dwell on these mountains are most industrious, and exceedingly skilful with their fingers, making beautiful lace and delicate embroidery on muslins or silks.

But the Erzgebirge [94 Management of Cattle. We were very fond of one beautiful path up to a lonely trout pool, filled by a little spring, which we used to follow up to the source whence it rose, vigorous and bright, from the rocky basin on the shaded hill-side. From the rocky nature of the country there is very little cultivated land, except small patches in the valley of the Elbe. There are but few pastures, and these are very small.

Most of the fields during my first visit were yellow with blossoms of the rape seed.

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There are two or three hop gardens in the neighbourhood. The people take great care of their cattle. They never allow the cows to be out in the fields till the autumn, and then they are all tethered by the horns in one long string, held by some courageous woman or little boy. The animals look very awkward in these lines, as of course they are placed irrespective of size, a mammoth of a cow coming side by side with [95 A Cow Upstairs.

This plan, however, is delightfully safe. They never allow cows or cattle to wander about the roads or feed by the hedges, and when they have to move them they are always carefully led by a strong rope. They are much used, too, in drawing carts and drays, and are kept so closely at work, that they have no time or energy for being vicious. Hence abroad we never hear of those horrible deaths and injuries by cattle which we constantly read of in English papers, and have often met with in our own neighbourhood.

The first story that greeted me this autumn, on going to see my sister at her home in the New Forest, was one of a remarkably pretty white heifer which had strayed from the park into the house during the servants' dinner-hour, had made its way along the passage, up a winding stone staircase into the housekeeper's bed-room, and had sportively lain down on her bed.

I believe the poor woman's first thought was that it would eat her [96 Wandering Czechs. A nice task they must have had to get it downstairs again. In Bohemia our comfort is never disturbed by the intrusion of cows into our bedrooms, or by fear of their attack during our walks. We had a visit one day from a party of fourteen bears of all sizes. They were led by a party of Slovaks or Sclaves, such a ragged set of vagabonds, with some small ponies, on which the children were seated amidst a mass of tin pots and pans. They were all brown alike, but of different shades of that colour, and would have made a life-like drawing in Sepia — Sclaves, bears, children, and ponies.

We often met the wandering Czechs, who are the principal tinkers of the place. Their dress is ragged and brown, but always adorned with some bright steel ornaments set in the belts and gaiters, strangely contrasting with their otherwise untidy appearance. They are fearful beggars, but generally carry a bun- [97 The Peasantry. For a wine-glass or tumbler, so crooked that it will hardly stand, they will demand four times the sum they eventually take. In winter, I fancy, the country must be almost impassable, as the snow is very deep here, and the Elbe frequently or always frozen over.

It is both a much warmer climate in summer than ours, and very much colder in winter. The peasantry are quiet, contented, and industrious, but sadly poor, and must frequently endure great privations. What with cholera, war, and bad crops, I cannot think what they will do this winter. The women work fearfully hard at field-work, and also assist masons, not only mixing mortar for them, but also carrying very heavy loads of bricks, sand, and water. They are extremely sober. Amongst the lower orders, I don't think I ever saw one drunken man, and, certainly, not a drunken woman.

They [98 A Grateful Beggar. This custom, which is much followed here, is not only a mark of respect, but an expression of gratitude either for some trifle received, or for some kind word. The children almost invariably kissed our hands when they met us. I used every morning to take my work before breakfast, and sit in the wood, close to the side-door of the hotel; and many a cordial greeting I there received.

One old beggar man especially, on whom, when in a liberal mood, I sometimes bestowed a half-farthing, always expressed great gratitude. Towards the end of the week, however, his kiss on the hand made me almost regret my liberality, his beard, which by that time had had the benefit of some days' growth, had such an irritating, file-like effect!

Of course, the first thing that every one began talking about when we arrived was the threat- [99 Austrian Soldiers. There was, as I said before, a regiment, or part of a regiment, of Austrian soldiers billeted in Bodenbach and Tetschen. They were called Graf Hangwitz's regiment, and were mostly Italian soldiers.

They wore a white tunic, with geranium-coloured facings, of cloth in the uniforms of the soldiers, and of velvet in those of the officers. The men looked, without exception, very miserable. I cannot pretend to say why, though it might be because they did not like their officers.

They did not appear to be looked on with great confidence, as they were marched off to Austrian Silesia before hostilities commenced. There was an extremely gentlemanly captain of this regiment quartered in our hotel, with his servant; and at the other hotel lodged a General Brandenstein, whose aide-de-camp this captain had been at Solferino. The General, with whom we sometimes conversed, was very pleasant, and spoke English extremely well. He had at one [ Dwarf English Fowls.

He described the people as very civil and primitive, and, though the accommodation provided for strangers travelling in the country was rough, yet the beauty of the scenery quite made up for the discomfort. Poor General Brandenstein had a command given him, the week after I left, in the army of the North, and got shot through both feet in a very early part of the war. I was making inquiries at this time for a particular sort of fowls that I wanted — oddly enough called "Dwarf English fowls," though I have never seen any of them in England.

They are not large, but are very peculiar in appearance, having small wings attached to their feet. They would be invaluable in gardens, in which these wings would prevent their scratching. We took a walk one afternoon to the Agricultural College, in the hope of hearing of some [ Model Farm. Amongst our party was the General, who told us that during the Italian war he always had several of these hens, which travelled with the troops, and on the march used to perch on the baggage-waggons, being great pets of the soldiers. Since my last visit this sort of fowl had quite disappeared.

I heard of some at a railway official's near, but as the train had just destroyed a number of them, he was not willing to part with any, and my search for more was in vain. The agricultural model farm is a very useful institution, for the education and training of the sons of gentlemen of all classes and nations, and an idle, careless set of young scamps the students are!

Their sole object seemed to be singing, dancing, and getting into mischief all over the place. Some of them played the piano beautifully, and others had a great taste for theatricals, with which they enliven Tetschen in the winter. But smoking is their unfailing resource. The value of the cigars consumed on the [ Fair in Tetschen.

There was a fair in Tetschen on the 7th of May. Half the market place was filled with earthenware of the coarsest description; and the other half was devoted to booths, where wandering merchants sold bright calicoes, coarse lace from the Erzgebirge, and very common embroidery. There was one small stand for Bohemian garnets, but none for glass, which I was surprised at, as some of the best manufactories of Bohemian glass are within an easy distance of Tetschen; and some of the slightly-damaged or imperfectly-coloured specimens, I should have thought, might have been brought here for sale.

As the Bohemians do not wear a national dress, the scene did not present any special interest; and except for the presence of some of the soldiers, we might have imagined ourselves to be enjoying the pleasures of a country fair in an English village. There was a much more amusing fair in August, , which took place in a large field near [ Popular Exhibitions. Some were devoted to pistol-shooting; and one contained a collection of wax figures, representing a scene out of the New Testament, in which the figures were made to move their arms and hands, and roll their eyes, while the exhibitors recited verses.

Another booth contained a collection of snakes and stuffed animals; and in one cage was a little boy, clothed with a skin, and with chains on, who was described as an orangoutang. He seemed much to enjoy showing off his antics to an admiring crowd of children, who, no doubt, thought him a wonderful specimen of the strange creatures brought from distant lands.

The worthy proprietor also exhibited a piece of the real Noah's Ark, some of the bread that was brought to Elijah by the ravens, and other marvels, which took much amongst the credulous. A bull of unusual magnitude proved highly attractive to the rural community. Feats of horse- [ Striking Scene. We went down in the evening to see the performance. Amongst the equestrians was a very small child of about ten, who danced and rode, and was much applauded, but seemed nervous and delicate. After it was over, I went to a booth near, and bought some sweets and cakes for her. I found my way to the canvas enclosure beyond the tent, and, on asking for admittance, a rough-looking man, half-groom and half-performer, lifted a corner of the covering to admit me, while he called the little girl.

It was such a striking scene, I wished more than ever that I could sketch animals. I must describe it. The enclosure was lighted by a very full moon, shining brightly down. Several of the horses were standing about, and the large bull was tethered to a tree in the centre.

The poor little girl, who was in her coarse common clothes, had folded up the bright-coloured, shining dress in which she had danced, and was placing it in a [ The Little Equestrian. It would have made such a nice picture. The poor thing was delighted with her fairings! Her first impulse was to put up her face to kiss me. I hope it was not unkind, but even in the moonlight the little visage looked so dirty with its paint, that I did not respond very readily.

She instantly seemed to understand, and seizing both my hands, covered them with kisses, and marched back to her trunk with her prize. The lot of children in such a position, there is too much reason to fear, is far from desirable. This fair in the market-place was one of very inferior attraction, and only lasted two days.

We heard next day that the Italian regiment Graf van Hangwitz's was to leave directly, and be replaced by three thousand Croats. The day following we should know for certain whether it was to be peace or war. If [ The Croats. All this was very exciting news. The arrival of the Croats was not looked forward to with any particular enthusiasm, for they are more disliked and dreaded by the population than even the Prussians! And no wonder — for they are as lawless and turbulent a body of men as can well be met with. They are of powerful build, and the most arrant thieves in the world Even in the shops a party of them will enter, and while one or two keep the owners engaged in talk, the rest will help themselves to what they fancy.

They have also the character of being very violent and quarrelsome.

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The Austrian Government showed during the war that they understood the disposition of their troops by keeping the Croats in Vienna, and the large towns, where the police are numerous and vigilant; while the regiments which were not thoroughly to be depended on, were sent out of the way of the fighting to guard [ Disposal of Austrian Troops.

O N the 9th I left Bodenbach. I was very sorry to go, though I was cheered by the hope of a speedy return with the friend whom I was now going to stay with in Dresden. The railway is beautiful all the way through Saxon Switzerland — well-known and always admired. J—, who met me at the station, tried in vain to persuade me that there was no cause to anticipate war; but at the same time agreed to call with me on an English family who were very intimate at the Court of Saxony, and who would be sure to know all the news.

Their account, however, only confirmed my reports — that things looked very dark and gloomy, and that, though at [ Dresden. Though J— had been all the winter at Dresden, and, perhaps, had got used to hearing the events of the day discussed, [s] he did not appear to have heard half as much about the war as we had in Bodenbach. The weather was very cold, quite as cold as an English May, and one day we had the discomfort of seeing a little snow.

The shop-keepers all talked very gloomily, and if they had not the goods one wanted, they frankly confessed they were not disposed to send for them, as the less they had in their shops now the better. Some of the large establishments were daily dismissing hands, and the court jeweller had only reserved the people in his shop, all his workmen being dismissed. Of course distress was abounding, and the future was looked forward to with dread.

The country people round were getting in [ The Streets. It was melancholy to see all the tender branches of the less hardy shrubs in the public gardens and environs of Dresden, hanging scorched and shriveled as if a fire had passed over them. The streets abounded in Saxon soldiers and forage carts, and artillery were passing and repassing every hour of the day. Near the principal bridge a pontoon bridge was lying, moored just below the artillery barracks. Things altogether looked very warlike. The Crown Prince had his summer residence just beyond where we were living, and mounted orderlies and expresses were trotting past all day long.

The state of uncertainty lasted the whole of this month. One day the public opinion was [ Rumours. The day following peace was certain, and on the next news had arrived that all hopes of peace were over, and that war was to begin at once. Then came a bright ray of hope. A Congress of Russia, France, and England had been accepted, and for a few days everything seemed cheerful. A regular panic then ensued, and all the salt shops were besieged by crowds of customers, as, directly hostilities were commenced with Prussia, the salt supplies would be cut off.

J— and I considered that we ought also to be prepared for the same, and resolved to hurry our return to Bodenbach, though many of our English friends in Dresden tried to persuade us to remain, saying that the entry of the Prussian troops would be most interesting — that there would be no inconvenience or annoyance — that there would be no fighting — and that it would only be a friendly visit; a pleasant prospect at the time, though they must since have discovered that it was purely imaginary.

At the opera-house at this time there was scarcely a person of the higher classes. The English families were daily discovering what a charming spot Switzerland was for a summer excursion, and each Sunday, as we gathered at the Protestant [ Saxon Feeling. In short, the place became most dreary, and we felt convinced that we had better follow the example of the Saxon army, which every day was gathering in Dresden, and on the borders of Austria, and, like them, decide on a safe retreat.

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It did not strike me that the Saxon people of Dresden dreaded or disliked the Prussian occupation, which was even then talked of. They appeared to treat the matter in a very phlegmatic way, and, except for the disastrous consequences of war to trade, they did not seem to take any interest as to whether King John or King William was to be their master. I should think there were no people in Germany less demonstrative, and certainly towards Leipsic they were more than favourably disposed towards the Prussians. At last some plain-spoken friend informed us that, in case the [ Determine to Leave Dresden.

We therefore made up our minds to retire to Bodenbach, where everyone assured us we should be perfectly safe. On Sunday, the 27th of May, we felt thoroughly glad that we had made up our minds to leave, printed papers having been left on this day at all the houses, asking how many soldiers could be accommodated in each. As the rooms six in number that J— occupied all opened one into another, like the domestic arrangements of an ant-hill or rabbit-warren, it would not have been pleasant to have such guests.

Though we did consider ourselves very foreign in our manners and customs, yet we could not afford to lose the last coating of rigid propriety on which the British [ A Useful Book. There flashed across my mind the thought of a small book at home, over which in by-gone years I and my sister had often had a hearty laugh. Certainly a copy of this work to each of our expected guests would have been most advisable; and I must try to remember a few of the rules in these "Hints on Etiquette," which I am sure would have proved very useful.

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