One evening in a polite Pub he heard about the wonderful Vin Ordinaire
of Sunny France. He was told that the Peasants who irrigated
themselves with a brunette Fluid resembling diluted Ink were husky as
Beeves and simply staggering with Health.
So he went motoring in the Grape and Chateau District and played Claret
both ways from the Middle. Every time the Petrol chariot pulled up in
front of a Brasserie, he would call for a Flagon of some rare old
Vintage squeezed out the day before.
Then he would go riding at the rate of 82 Kilos an Hour, scooping up
the Climate as he scooted along.
Notwithstanding all these brave Efforts to overtake Health, he would
feel like a frost-nipped Rutabaga when the matutinal Chanticleer
told him that another blue Dawn was sneaking over the Hills.
He began to figure himself a Candidate for a plain white Cot in the
Nerve Garage, when he heard of the wonderful Air and Dietary Advantages
of Germany. It seemed that the Fatherland was becoming Commercially
Supreme and of the greatest Military Importance because every Fritz
kept himself saturated with the Essence of Munich.
He could see on the Post-Cards that each loyal subject of Wilhelm was
plump and rosy, with Apple Cheeks and a well-defined Awning just below
the Floating Ribs, and a Krug of dark Suds clutched in the right Mitt.
All the way from Duesseldorf to Wohlgebaum he played the Circuit of
Gardens with nice clean Gravel on the Ground and Dill Pickles festooned
among the Caraway Trees. Every time the Military Band began to breathe
a new Waltz he would have Otto bring a Tub of the Dark Brew and a
Frankfurter about the size of a Sash Weight.
Between pulls he would suspire deeply, so as to get the full assistance
of the Climate.
Sometimes he would feel that he was being benefitted.
Often at 9 P. M., before taking his final Schnitzel and passing gently
into a state of Coma, he would get ready to renounce allegiance to all
three of the Political Parties in the U. S. A. and grow one of those
U-Shaped Mustaches.
Next Morning, like as not, he would emerge from beneath the Feather
Tick and lean against the Porcelain Stove, wondering vaguely if he
could live through the Day.
The very Treatment which developed large and coarse-grained Soldiers
all through Schleswig-Holstein seemed to make this Son of Connecticut
just about as gimpy as a wet Towel.
Undismayed by repeated Failures, he took some Advice, given in a
Rathskeller, and went to a Mountain Resort famous for a certain brand
of White Vinegar with a colored Landscape on the Label.
It was said that anyone becoming thoroughly acidulated with this noble
Beverage would put a Feather into his Granulated Lid and begin to
Yodel.
He sat among the snowy Peaks, entirely surrounded by the rarefied
Atmosphere so highly boosted in the Hotel Circulars, sampling a tall
bottle of every kind ending with "heimer," and yet he didn't seem to
get the Results.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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