After a good night’s rest we were awakened by the birds, to find it had rained during the night and that a soft mist was still hanging over the mountains.
At the table we had big envelopes made of pressed paper to hold our napkins, with blank space for name and more of the paper-covered toothpicks. We strolled through the streets, visited shops and looked at curies. The men tip their hats to each other here when they meet. We took another walk to see the Lion carved in the solid rock. It was a noble piece of work and one could scarcely look upon the face without tears. The noble beast in the throes of death, with one foot on the Coat of Arms of France!
Next we visited the Glacial Gardens, the Alpine museum, showing among other things, the Alpenstock used in climbing, the shoes, canteen, ropes, etc. which a young man once wore, who attempted to climb the mountain in search of edelweiss for his sweetheart - lost his way and fell into a crevasse and was killed. - a St. Bernard dog, used in finding travelers lost in the snow, etc., bits pressed edelweiss etc.
The Hall of Mirrors was quite amusing. Farther up on a lift was a place so arranged, that one person was reflected 1000 times.
The gardens, mountain scenery, ferns, wild flowers, birds, peculiar trees, waterfalls and miniature lakes made a wonderful beauty spot.
Lucerne is not far from the historic place where Wm. Tell shot the apple from off his son’s head to gain his liberty. We cannot be far from the scene of Napoleon’s crossing the Alps. When we get home, will have many things to look up and read. We call to mind the story of Arnold Winkelried who “made way for liberty and died” when he rushed upon the Austrian line freeing Switzerland, but that point must be a mountain pass farther east.
We noticed a poster printed on yellow paper and put up in a conspicuous place. One of our party translated it, and it proved to be a suffrage poster, signed by the Central organization for promotion of Women’s suffrage in Switzerland. Below is the translation.-
Election of 16 May, 1920, concerning the entrance of Switzerland into the League of Nations.
Whom does this concern?
The entire Swiss people.
Who decides it?
Only the men.
Why, since in our democracy the women fulfil the duties of citizenship well, do they not enjoy their rights?
Voters, recognize this injustice and take action to put it away.
After dinner we went to see the historic covered bridge, mentioned in Longfellow’s Golden Legend. We tried to find an open shop for ice-cream on our return, but everything shut tight, with long wooden shutters reaching to the ground in every instance.
One of our party, Mrs. Brinkhoff, is suffering from cold and bronchial trouble and went to a hospital for a few days.
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