I am reading “Three Men on the Bummel” at present, and I came across this website quite by chance. The query regarding “Harris doesn’t drink” seemed to ring a bell, however a search of my epub edition of “The Delphi Complete Works of JEROME K. JEROME” did not provide a match to the query. However, you may be interested in the main drinking quotes/references that I have turned up as follows:
1) From Three Men in a Boat, Ch VI
I wonder now, supposing Harris, say, turned over a new leaf, and became a great and good man, and got to be Prime Minister, and died, if they would put up signs over the public-houses that he had patronised: “Harris had a glass of bitter in this house;” “Harris had two of Scotch cold here in the summer of ‘88;” “Harris was chucked from here in December, 1886.”
No, there would be too many of them! It would be the houses that he had never entered that would become famous. “Only house in South London that Harris never had a drink in!” The people would flock to it to see what could have been the matter with it.
From the biography, JEROME K: JEROME: HIS LIFE AND WORKS by Alfred Moss, Ch VII
The fact is, “Harris” ( Mr. Carl Hentschel) was the only teetotaller of the party. On one of their trips he accidentally tasted a sip of something well diluted with water, and that incident, if a War-time expression may be permitted, caused “J.” to go off at the deep end, and indulge in the above good-natured banter.
2) From Three Men in a Boat, Ch II
Harris always does know a place round the corner where you can get something brilliant in the drinking line. I believe that if you met Harris up in Paradise (supposing such a thing likely), he would immediately greet you with:“So glad you’ve come, old fellow; I’ve found a nice place round the corner here, where you can get some really first-class nectar.
3) From Three Men on the Bummel, Ch VIII, it is George with a drinking problem.
It was in Prague that Harris and I did a kind and friendly thing to George. We had noticed for some time past that George was getting too fond of Pilsener beer.
He (George) said that in moderation German beer was good.
“One glass in the morning,” said George, “one in the evening, or even two. That will do no harm to anyone.”Maybe he was right. It was his half-dozen glasses that troubled Harris and myself.
This leads to the amusing episode of the four statues.
4) For less than £2.00 I can recommend “The Delphi Complete Works of JEROME K. JEROME” as a way to restock your collection.
Regards, Derek H