AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 



145 



multitudes assemble, to enjoy their innocent 

 recreation. 



The large open space in front of the hotel, is 

 covered with little tables for tea and coffee ; whilst 

 music resounds through the wood ; and seems to 

 produce in all present, a calmness, and a gentle- 

 ness, and a possession of soul, truly captivating 

 to the accidental traveller, even be he from that 

 rigid region where a single gambol in the street 

 on the Lord's- day, is gravely considered a most 

 unjustifiable scandal. 



The protestant government in Prussia, wiser 

 than our own, and possibly with just as much 

 of religion in it, very properly sanctions this 

 harmless termination of the sabbath day. The 

 people themselves cannot possibly imagine that 

 they offend the Deity by a caper or a whistle. 

 They have all attended morning service in their 

 spacious churches ; — they have heard a sermon ; — 

 they have been at vespers or afternoon prayer ; and 

 they see no harm in terminating the sacred day, 

 as I have described above. They prefer' a little 

 harmless merriment in the open air, to an assem- 

 blage of friends indoors ; amongst whom it 

 sometimes happens, that the peccadillos of neigh- 

 bours are occasionally the theme of conversation ; 

 and the holy book laid aside, for a few words on 



o 



