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215/ Lucerne Hotel Schweizerhof. - Friday. September 8th In the reading room. - Sister & Mamma have gone up to the Rhigi & I am left to chaperone myself until seven this evening. - How I hate travelling in Europe, & above all travelling in Switzerland. I began hating it when I had reached the advanced age of six, & now that I am seventeen I continue in the same frame of mind. - I believe I am fated like the "Wandering Jew" to be on a perpetual journey & I do wish it would come to an end. - If we settle down in a place as we did at Baden & at Nice, I like it well enough, & enjoy myself extremely, but such intervals like oasis in the desert are extremely rare, & there are months & months, composed of dreary days, spent in nasty cars, or shut up in rooms at a hotel. - If I were perfectly well & could walk, go sight seeing, ride horse back, & sketch as much as I want to, it might be endurable,

\216 but as it is now, I cant bear it. - Now here is a specimen of it. We arrived here ten days ago; the hotel overflowing! six telegrammes procured us a comfortable salon & two bed-rooms, but very sunny. - Can we change for a cooler place? Impossible! hotel is too full! First three days I feel very well, (family jubilee!) It is absolutely necessary that we see the lake of Lucerne. Feeble protestations on my part Sister carries the day, & we see it. - See it with a vegance too. - It is roasting when we start, half way out a tremendous Alpine storm breaks over the lake. - The people on the narrow deck are packed like herrings in box, the only covering, an awning with an oil cloth over it. - Down comes the rain, harder, heavier every minute. I never talk to strangers, but a this moment one of two rather swell Englishmen, makes a remark. Having shortly before been lectured for the absurdity of always keeping to myself, I answer civilly enough. - Conversation becomes amusing, when suddenly a charming little stream of water descends from the roof, & makes a puddle in my lap. - Sympathy