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ILL you take a trip with us up the Rhine? I promise you plenty of adventures, funny stories, pleasant companions, odds and ends of German life, as much history as you would learn on a summer's day, and every bit of it illustrated with pictures.

Those who are willing to share our sunshiny days must come in for the rainy ones also, and make no wry faces at crossing from London to Rotterdam when the wind is blowing tremendous gusts, and the rain is pouring down hop-poles and drum-sticks. Travellers, you know, are obliged to take all things good-temperedly. After all, wet weather has its advantages, and our passage across the North Sea was full of incident, novelty, and excitement.

We left St. Katherine's Docks early, and at one o'clock, being still at the Nore, sat down to a capital dinner.

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the first hour "all went merry as a marriage bell." Fish, roast beef, fowls, tarts and pies, disappeared as if they had made bets which could do it fastest, and what little conversation went on, was of the pleasantest possible kind, though everybody laughed and talked in a nervous hurry, as if Damocles' sword was hanging over their heads. This state of things lasted till dessert came on, when the table suddenly began to dive tipsily, and we seemed to have become babies again, being rocked by our mammas good deal more than was pleasant. The first person to make any outward demonstration of his feelings was a German merchant, who, with a comic expression of reluctance at some delicious figs close by, whispered to his wife :

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"I must go and lie down, my dear; meantime, enjoy your dessert without me."

The example of the merchant was soon followed by several other passengers; those remaining, however, were cheerful enough. Papa, who is the merriest man in the world, though a great invalid, kept every one laughing by his droll stories, and Uncle John added, in no small degree, to the mirth, by describing in perspective, German life and the

Germans in general.

"I must say, that I fear immense discomforts from not knowing the language," he said; "but by signs, a high pitch of voice, and other little devices, I dare say I shall contrive to get a very good dinner and a bed when I want one."

"A bed certainly, Jack," cried papa; "but of the size we wont say too much. If contrive to find room for your head, one arm, perhaps a foot also, you must be contented."

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"I shall be the luckiest, papa, because I am so little," said my sister Jessie; "the beds are sure to be large enough for me." "Certainly, my darling; and what lots of stories you will

carry home to your schoolfellows about Dutch dolls and the Heidelberg Tun, and the Melibocus and German sausages!"

"But I wish we were on the Rhine already, papa, the vessel rocks so," said the child a little wearily, "and I should like to run about."

Uncle John had now put on his scarlet cap and pilot coat, and offered to carry her on deck. "A little fresh air, even if accompanied with rain, is far better than this close saloon," he prefaced; " and a lace manufacturer can make as good a sailor as any one else. Come, Jess, you and I will hear what the captain says, and look starboard a bit.”

Cousin Millison now fell into conversation with another artist about sketching opportunities on the Rhine; Midsie, my elder sister (a girl of seventeen), brought out her work; papa buried himself in the Times; I, having risen at four o'clock in order to pack my bag, and finish my holiday theme, felt very drowsy, and was soon fast asleep. When I awoke, I found the saloon only tenanted by a rosy-faced old English gentleman and a short, plump German professor, who was cracking nuts as if his life depended on his diligence. "Going up the Rhine ?" said the former to me. "Yes, sir."

"Know anything of the Germans ?"

"No, sir, except what I have read in Tacitus."

He threw back his head and laughed so heartily, that the professor actually dropped a nut.

"Tacitus, eh! I forget most of his sayings. What kind of character does he give them ?"

"They were lazy, sir, unless when fighting, and were particularly fond of beer."

Another laugh.

"Well, the love of fighting has turned to a love of philo

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