News from Nowhere | Page 5

the world
does.

CHAPTER II
: A MORNING BATH

Well, I awoke, and found that I had kicked my bedclothes off; and no
wonder, for it was hot and the sun shining brightly. I jumped up and
washed and hurried on my clothes, but in a hazy and half-awake
condition, as if I had slept for a long, long while, and could not shake
off the weight of slumber. In fact, I rather took it for granted that I was
at home in my own room than saw that it was so.
When I was dressed, I felt the place so hot that I made haste to get out
of the room and out of the house; and my first feeling was a delicious
relief caused by the fresh air and pleasant breeze; my second, as I
began to gather my wits together, mere measureless wonder: for it was
winter when I went to bed the last night, and now, by witness of the
river-side trees, it was summer, a beautiful bright morning seemingly of
early June. However, there was still the Thames sparkling under the sun,
and near high water, as last night I had seen it gleaming under the
moon.
I had by no means shaken off the feeling of oppression, and wherever I
might have been should scarce have been quite conscious of the place;
so it was no wonder that I felt rather puzzled in despite of the familiar
face of the Thames. Withal I felt dizzy and queer; and remembering
that people often got a boat and had a swim in mid- stream, I thought I
would do no less. It seems very early, quoth I to myself, but I daresay I
shall find someone at Biffin's to take me. However, I didn't get as far as
Biffin's, or even turn to my left thitherward, because just then I began
to see that there was a landing-stage right before me in front of my
house: in fact, on the place where my next-door neighbour had rigged

one up, though somehow it didn't look like that either. Down I went on
to it, and sure enough among the empty boats moored to it lay a man on
his sculls in a solid-looking tub of a boat clearly meant for bathers. He
nodded to me, and bade me good-morning as if he expected me, so I
jumped in without any words, and he paddled away quietly as I peeled
for my swim. As we went, I looked down on the water, and couldn't
help saying -
"How clear the water is this morning!"
"Is it?" said he; "I didn't notice it. You know the flood-tide always
thickens it a bit."
"H'm," said I, "I have seen it pretty muddy even at half-ebb."
He said nothing in answer, but seemed rather astonished; and as he now
lay just stemming the tide, and I had my clothes off, I jumped in
without more ado. Of course when I had my head above water again I
turned towards the tide, and my eyes naturally sought for the bridge,
and so utterly astonished was I by what I saw, that I forgot to strike out,
and went spluttering under water again, and when I came up made
straight for the boat; for I felt that I must ask some questions of my
waterman, so bewildering had been the half-sight I had seen from the
face of the river with the water hardly out of my eyes; though by this
time I was quit of the slumbrous and dizzy feeling, and was
wide-awake and clear-headed.
As I got in up the steps which he had lowered, and he held out his hand
to help me, we went drifting speedily up towards Chiswick; but now he
caught up the sculls and brought her head round again, and said--"A
short swim, neighbour; but perhaps you find the water cold this
morning, after your journey. Shall I put you ashore at once, or would
you like to go down to Putney before breakfast?"
He spoke in a way so unlike what I should have expected from a
Hammersmith waterman, that I stared at him, as I answered, "Please to
hold her a little; I want to look about me a bit."
"All right," he said; "it's no less pretty in its way here than it is off Barn
Elms; it's jolly everywhere this time in the morning. I'm glad you got
up early; it's barely five o'clock yet."
If I was astonished with my sight of the river banks, I was no less
astonished at my waterman, now that I had time to look at him and see
him with my head and eyes clear.

He was a handsome young fellow, with a peculiarly pleasant