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The Lady and the Mountain Man: Isabella Bird, Rocky Mountain Jim, and their Unlikely Friendship
A heavy snow blanketed the Hotel Interlaken in Switzerland in early September 1874. The spectacular mountains surrounding the country’s oldest lodge were awash with light from a brilliant sun rising slowly over the peaks. That same light tried desperately to break through the dark curtains covering the massive ornately designed windows of English sojourner Isabella Bird’s room. The petite, forty-seven-year-old woman was reclining on a plush upholstered sofa. She had fallen asleep, but it was a fitful sleep. She tossed from side to side, mumbling and crying.
Suddenly Isabella awoke and sat up straight. There, standing before her, was Jim Nugent, a broad, thickset man of medium height with golden, shoulder length hair that framed his handsome but scarred face. The scars were the result of an altercation with a grizzly bear. He was missing an eye, but the one that remained was blue gray. He was smooth shaven except for a dense mustache. Jim wore a low crown hat, fur-trimmed sack coat, and cloth breeches. Isabella was taken aback by his presence in her room. She knew it couldn’t be possible because Jim was in Colorado where she had left him more than seven months prior. Their goodbye had been a tearful one with Jim vowing the pair would meet again.
Isabella couldn’t look away. She was a bit frightened, but happy to see the man who had been such an important part of her life, and she almost smiled. His eyes were fixed on her. The pair watched one another for several moments before Jim slowly and distinctly announced to Isabella, “I have come as I promised.” He then waved to her and said, “Farewell.” Tears welled in Isabella’s eyes. She’d missed Jim terribly, and their brief encounter wasn’t enough to satisfy her longing.
To learn more about Isabella Bird and Mountain Man Jim Nugent read
The Lady and the Mountain Man
