'Tis with the thankful glance of parting praise. More mighty spots may rise, more glaring shine, But none unite in one attaching maze

The brilliant, fair, and soft—the glories of old days.

"The negligently grand, the fruitful bloom
Of coming ripeness, the white city's sheen,
The rolling stream, the precipice's gloom,
The forest's growth, and Gothic walls between
The wild rocks shaped as they had turrets been,
In mockery of man's art; and these withal

A race of faces happy as the scene,

Whose fertile bounties here extend to all,

Still springing o'er thy banks, though empires near them fall.”

As the last word was uttered, the steamer reached the landing, and the passengers began to rush ashore. The party waited until the rush was over, and then quietly went out of the steamer, and stood on the pier in the midst of a crowd of hackmen and porters, who were clamorous and uncivil in their importunity. Percy selected a sober, industrious-looking driver, and told him to take them all to Halländischer Hof; and soon they were at the door of that excellent hotel, which has two fronts,one towards the city, and the other towards the royal Rhine.

Mr.

CHAPTER XVI.

EAU DE COLOGNE.

THE hotel to which the party went in Cologne was full of people, there being much travelling at this season of the year. The front towards the town is not pleasant, Cologne being a very filthy city; but the river side of the house, commanding views up and down the Rhine and the villages on the opposite side of the river, is very fine. When Mr. Percy went in, he asked for apartments for himself and party. The servants were glad to see him, and ready to accommodate him, but took him up over two long flights of stairs into some dingy rooms on the town side of the house, where the view was blocked out by walls of brick and stone, and into which, from the streets below, came up the peculiar stench of the place. Mr. Percy told the servant that the rooms would not do for him that the party must be accommodated on the river side of the house.

"That is impossible," said the servant. "How impossible?"

"The apartments on the river side are all full."

"Is there no room any where ? "

"None at all."

Mr. Percy was inclined to yield, and make the best of it; but Mr. Tenant, stepping up at that moment, said,—

"Then we must find another hotel.”

"All in town are full, sir."

"We will try them and see."

Then turning

to Mr. Percy, he said, "We had better see what we can do; we shall get the plague if we stay here."

The party went down to the office, took their carpet bags, and were about going to another hotel, when the servant, with a polite bow, said,

"Stop, gentlemen, and we will see what we can do for you."

"Ah," said Mr. Tenant, " that looks like it." Soon the servant reappeared, and took them up into a fine room, twenty-five feet long and eighteen wide, with two ante-rooms, and said, — "We have cleared this for you."

"This will do," replied Mr. Percy.

And well it might do. The room had three large windows opening upon the river; the ceiling was high, and the walls beautifully frescoed

with Rhine scenery, and the children at once recognized some of the castles they had seen that day, and all the fixtures and articles of furniture were really very elegant.

"What made the servant tell you such a story as that, father?" asked Walter.

"I don't know; but as there is another boat to arrive to-night, and as river-side rooms are in great demand, I presume they are keeping the apartments that overlook the river for those who will not have those on the other side. Some travellers take their rooms in haste, without thinking of the disadvantages of a town-side view."

"Ah, I see through it now; but I should think he would be ashamed of himself, to tell a wicked lie about so small a matter."

"Well, we are finely convenienced. Napoleon could ask for no better apartments than we have furnished us here. We can sit this evening, and look up and down the Rhine, see the boats on the river, enjoy the refreshing breezes, and sleep soundly when we go to bed."

Cologne, or Köln, in the German, is a town of one hundred thousand inhabitants. It derives its name from the mother of Nero, who was born here, who called it Colonia Agrippina, and is a place of considerable note. The old Roman

wall, and various relics of the past, are yet visible. It has figured largely on the pages of history. All the morning of the day on which our travellers arrived, Mr. Percy spent in giving the children historical reminiscences of the place, and they were very much interested by the recital.

The next morning they went out to see what was to be seen.

"Where shall we go first?" asked the lad. "To the cathedral, of course," was the reply. So they wended their way to this edifice, which, in some particulars, is most remarkable. "This is the central object of interest here," said Mr. Percy to Walter, as they reached the cathedral.

"It is unfinished, I see."

"Yes; though it was begun in 1272, it is not yet completed.

"Archbishop Conrad, of Hochsteden, was the master spirit in its erection, but the name of the architect is lost."

"How large is it?"

"Five hundred and eleven feet long, two hundred and thirty-one feet in breadth; the choir is one hundred and sixty-one feet high, and all the rest of the edifice, you see, is well proportioned. If the original plan of this church