SCIENCE FROM AN EASY 

 CHAIR 



SECOND SERIES 







CHAPTER I 

 A DAY IN THE OBERLAND 



V 



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 

 blue. Far away through the gap formed in the long 

 range of nearer mountains, where the Liitschine Valley 

 opens into the vale of Interlaken, the Jungfrau appeared 

 in full majesty, absolutely brilliant and unearthly. So I 

 walked towards her up the valley. Zweiliitschinen is the 

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



I 



