Europe and elsewhere, by Mark Twain [pseud.] [with an appreciation by Brander Matthews and an introduction by Albert Bigelow Paine]

DOWN THIE RHONE
Not even a legend. One's first impulse was to be
irritated; whereas one should be merely thankful;
for if there is one sort of invention in this world
that is flatter than another, it is the average folklore
legend. It could probably be proven that even the
adventures of the saints in the Roman calendar are
not of a lower grade as works of the inventor's art.
The dreamy repose, the infinite peace of these
tranquil shores, this Sabbath stillness, this noiseless
motion, this strange absence of the sense of sin, and
the stranger absence of the desire to commit itthis was the perfectest day the year had brought!
Now and then we slipped past low shores with
grassy banks. A solitary thatched cottage close to
the edge, one or two big trees with dense foliage
sheltering the cottage, and the family in their Sunday
clothes grouped in the deep shade, chatting, smoking,
knitting, the dogs asleep about their feet, the kittens
helping with the knitting, and all hands content and
praising God without knowing it. We always got a
friendly word of greeting and returned it. One of
these families contained eighteen sons, and all were
present. The Admiral was acquainted with everybody along the banks, and with all the domestic
histories, notwithstanding he was so ineffectual on
old Roman matters.
4.20.-Bronze statue of the Virgin on a sterile
hill slope.
4.45.-Ruined Roman tower on a bluff. Belongs
to the no-name series.
5.-Some more Roman ruins in the distance.
At 6 o'clock we rounded to. We stepped ashore
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