Hornby Mills, and Other Stories

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1872 Excerpt: ... MALMAISON. PART I. That part of Lorraine which lies nearest to Prussia and to Luxemburg is very little known to ordinary travellers. In good years, when the Moselle is full, idle tourists go up the river as far as Alf, get out of the steamer there and then, and go on by the quiet little baths of Bertrich, across the Eifel by Bittburg, and so on to Treves. Few, however, go higher than Treves. The river, although very beautiful, is more monotonous than the Rhine, and travellers are easily tired before they get past Treves. Beyond this glorious old city, with its Roman ruins, however, the Moselle has some grand reaches; and having passed Treves, you get to Remeck, a most beautiful place, and beyond Remeck you come to Sierck. At Sierck the Stomberg rises 1200 feet out of the river, part of the mountain being in Luxemburg or Dutch territory, and part of it in France. From this really noble hill you look into glorious Lorraine, and see the river winding away like a silver ribbon towards Thionville, which is in sight, and so on to Metz, with her oredrayia nvpyaTwv. I have only to shut my eyes now, in this quiet London street, to see the wide plains stretching far away before me, bounded by forest, brilliant near the river-side with vineyards, and overarched everywhere by a cloudless sun. I can see the spires of the village churches, some far out upon the plain among the cornfields, some nestling among the boscage of the forest, some just peeping from among the trees in a hollow by a trout-stream--nay, I can go farther than that in my imagination, for I can hear three old familiar voices calling to me, and saying, Confess, now, that there is no place in the whole world like our Lorraine. I find myself answering, No, and your Lorraine shall be as fair as ever a...