SCIENCE FROM AN EASY 

 CHAIR 



SECOND SERIES 



CHAPTER I 

 A DAY IN THE OBERLAND 



I AM writing in early September from Interlaken, one 

 of the loveliest spots in Europe when blessed with a 

 full blaze of sunlight and only a few high-floating clouds, 

 but absolutely detestable in dull, rainy weather, losing its 

 beauty as the fairy scenes of a theatre do when viewed by 

 dreary daylight. It is the case of the little girl of whom 

 it is recorded that " When she was good she was very 

 good, and when she was not she was horrid." This 

 morning, after four days' misconduct, Interlaken was very 

 good. The tremendous sun-blaze seemed to fill the 

 valleys with a pale blue luminous vapour, cut sharply by 

 the shadows of steep hill-sides. Here and there the 

 smoke of some burning weeds showed up as brightest 

 ; J 'ie. Far away through the gap formed in the long 

 ra- of nearer mountains, where the Liitschine Valley 

 open into the vale of Interlaken, the Jungfrau appeared 

 in Tul majesty, absolutely brilliant and unearthly. So I 

 walked towards her up the valley. Zweilutschinen is the 

 name given to the spot where the valley divides into two, 



I 



