HotelGENNIN.  Livy darling, we had a lovely day jogged right along, with a good horse and sensible driver—­the last two hours right behind an open carriage filled with a pleasant German family—­old gentleman and 3 pretty daughters.  At table d’hote tonight, 3 dishes were enough for me, and then I bored along tediously through the bill of fare, with a back-ache, not daring to get up and bow to the German family and leave.  I meant to sit it through and make them get up and do the bowing; but at last Joe took pity on me and said he would get up and drop them a curtsy and put me out of my misery.  I was grateful.  He got up and delivered a succession of frank and hearty bows, accompanying them with an atmosphere of good-fellowship which would have made even an English family surrender.  Of course the Germans responded—­then I got right up and they had to respond to my salaams, too.  So “that was done.”

We walked up a gorge and saw a tumbling waterfall which was nothing to Giessbach, but it made me resolve to drop you a line and urge you to go and see Giessbach illuminated.  Don’t fail—­but take a long day’s rest, first.  I love you, sweetheart. 
          
                                   Saml.

                                   Overthe Gemmi pass.
                                   4.30 p.m.  Saturday, Aug. 24, 1878. 
Livy darling, Joe and I have had a most noble day.  Started to climb (on foot) at 8.30 this morning among the grandest peaks!  Every half hour carried us back a month in the season.  We left them harvesting 2d crop of hay.  At 9 we were in July and found ripe strawberries; at 9.30 we were in June and gathered flowers belonging to that month; at 10 we were in May and gathered a flower which appeared in Heidelberg the 17th of that month; also forget-me-nots, which disappeared from Heidelberg about mid-May; at 11.30 we were in April (by the flowers;) at noon we had rain and hail mixed, and wind and enveloping fogs, and considered it March; at 12.30 we had snowbanks above us and snowbanks below us, and considered it February.  Not good February, though, because in the midst of the wild desolation the forget-me-not still bloomed, lovely as ever.

What a flower garden the Gemmi Pass is!  After I had got my hands full Joe made me a paper bag, which I pinned to my lapel and filled with choice specimens.  I gathered no flowers which I had ever gathered before except 4 or 5 kinds.  We took it leisurely and I picked all I wanted to.  I mailed my harvest to you a while ago.  Don’t send it to Mrs. Brooks until you have looked it over, flower by flower.  It will pay.

Among the clouds and everlasting snows I found a brave and bright little forget-me-not growing in the very midst of a smashed and tumbled stone-debris, just as cheerful as if the barren and awful domes and ramparts that towered around were the blessed walls of heaven.  I thought how Lilly Warner would be touched by such a gracious surprise, if she, instead of I, had seen it.  So I plucked it, and have mailed it to her with a note.