Rollo on the Rhine | Page 5

in the undertaking, and the kings and
princes of other countries in Germany make contributions to it. A
society has been organized, too, to collect funds for this purpose all
over Europe. More than a million of dollars have already been raised,
and the work of completing the cathedral has been resumed in good
earnest, and is now rapidly going on.
All this Rollo's fellow-traveller attempted to explain to him; but as he
spoke in German, Rollo did not understand him.
When Mr. George and Rollo reached their hotel, and had got fairly
established in their room, Mr. George took his cane and prepared to "go
exploring," as he called it.

"Well, Rollo," said he, "what shall we go to see first?"
"I want to go and see the cathedral," replied Rollo.
"The cathedral?" said Mr. George. "I am surprised at that. You don't
usually care much about churches."
"But this does not look much like a church," said Rollo. "I saw the end
of it as we came into the town. It looks like a range of cliffs rising high
into the air, with grass and bushes growing on the top of them, and
wolves and bears reaching out their heads and looking down."
Mr. George complied with Rollo's request, and went to see the
cathedral first. The adventures which the travellers met with on the
excursion will be described in the next chapter.
CHAPTER II.
THE UNFINISHED CATHEDRAL.
As soon as Mr. George and Rollo issued from the door of their hotel
into the street, which was very narrow and without sidewalks, so that
they were obliged to walk in the middle of it, a young man, plainly but
neatly dressed, came up to them from behind, and said something to
them in German. He was what is called a commissioner, and he was
coming to offer to act as their guide in seeing the town.
Nearly all the travelling on the Rhine is pleasure travelling. The
strangers consequently, who arrive at any town or city by the
steamboats and by railway, come, almost all of them, for the purpose of
seeing the churches and castles, and other wonders of the place, and not
to transact business; and in every town there is a great number of
persons whose employment it is to act as guides in showing these
things. These men hover about the doors of the hotels, and gather in
front of all the celebrated churches, and in all public places where
travellers are expected to go; and as soon as they see a gentleman, or a
party of gentlemen and ladies, coming out of their hotel, or
approaching any place of public interest, they immediately come up to

them, and offer their services. Sometimes their services are valuable,
and the traveller is very ready to avail himself of them, especially when
in any particular town there is a great deal to see, and he has but little
time to see it. At other times, however, it is much pleasanter to go alone
to the remarkable places, as a map of the city will enable any one to
find them very easily, and the guide book explains them in a much
more satisfactory manner than any of these commissioners can do it.
The commissioners generally speak French, English, and German, and
after trying one of these tongues upon the strangers whom they accost,
and finding that they are not understood, they try another and another
until they succeed.
The commissioner in this case addressed Mr. George first in German.
Mr. George said, "Nein," meaning no, and walked on.
The commissioner followed by his side, and began to talk in French,
enumerating the various churches and other objects of interest in
Cologne, and offering to go and show them.
"No," said Mr. George, "I am acquainted with the town, and I have no
need of a guide."
Mr. George had studied the map and the guide book, until he knew the
town quite well enough for all his purposes.
"You speak English, perhaps," said the commissioner, and then
proceeded to repeat what he had said before, in broken English. He
supposed that Mr. George and Rollo were English people, and that they
would be more likely to engage him as a guide, if they found that he
could explain the wonders to them in their own language.
Mr. George said, "No, no, I do not wish for a guide."
"Dere is die churts of St. Ursula," said the commissioner, persisting,
"and die grand towers of die gross St. Martin, which is vare bu'ful."
Mr. George finding that refusals did no good, determined to take no

further notice of the commissioner, and so began to talk to Rollo,
walking on all the time. The commissioner continued for some time to
enumerate