The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-10-21


mount higher--the breezy dells, enamele,
with flowers and grass, become more few
the great black pines take their place, though
they still occur occasionally. Right befor,
us in the purest white, as bride adorned fol
her husband, rises the beautiful Junpfrau
wearing on her forehead the silver horn ant
the snow horn. The silver horn is peal
dazzlingly bright, Of the purest snow, and its
crest is now seen in relief, against sky o.
the deepest blue. See, also, how those dark
pines of the foreground contrast with it, like
the stern, mournful realities of life seen a.
gainst the dazzling hopes Of Heaven.
There is something celestial in these
mountains! You might think such vision
as that TO be q bright footstool of heaven,
from which the next step would be into an
unknown world. That dazzling summit has
never been profaned by mortal foot, it is
wholly inaccessible! The pines here begin
to show that long, white beard OF moss, which
admire so much in Maine. Now we go
right up over their heads--thetc; the tall pines
are under our feet. A little more, and now
above us rise the stern, naked rocks, where
only the chamois and the wild goat live. But
still, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, looks
forth the Jungfrau. We turn, to look down.
That Staubach, which in the valley seemed
to fall from such an immense precpice, high
er than we could gaze, is now n silver thread,
far below our feet, and the valley of Lauter-
brunn seems as nothing Only bleak, pur-
plish crags, rising all around Us, and silent,
silver mountains looking over them. -
"That one before you is the Monk" says
one of our friends, calling to me from behind,
and pointing to a great snow peak.
Our guide, with animation, introduced us,
by name, to every one of these snow white
genii--the Falhorn, the Schirmhorn, the
Wetterhorn, the great Eigers, and 1 cannot
remember what besides. The guides seem
to consider them all as old friends. .
Certainly nothing could be so singular. so
peculiar, as this ascension. We have now
passed the limit of all but grass and alpine
flowers, which still, with their infinite variety,
embroider the way; and now the auberge is
gained. Good night, now, and farewell.
That is 10 say, there we stopped. On the
summit, in fair view of the Jungtrau, a wall
of rock, crowned with fields of eternal snow,
whose dazzling brightness almost puts my
eyes out. My head aches, SO, with the thin
air of these mountains. J thought should
like to stay one night, just to hear avalanches
fall; but cannot breathe we'll here, and
there is secret sense of horror about these
sterile rocks and eternal SHOWS. So, after
dinner, gladly consent to 60 down Grind
elwald.
Off we start-I walking-for, to tell the
truth, have no fondness for riding. head first
down path as steep in some places as a
well; leave that to -, who never fears
anything. SO walked all the way to Grind
elwald, nine miles of very rough road. There
was lady walking the same pass, with her
husband, who had come on foot the whole
way from Laterbrunn, and did not seem in
the least fatigued. My guide exhausted all
his eloquence to persuade me that it was bet
ter to ride; at last settled him by saying,
"Why, here is lady who has walked the
whole route" So he confined himself after
that to helping me to find flowers, and carry
ing the handkerchief in which slowed them.
Alas! what herbarium of hapless flowers, laid
out stark, stiff and motioness, like beauty
on its bier, and with horrible long names
written under them, can ever give an idea of
the infinite variety and beauty of the floral
crown of these mountuins!
The herbarium resembles the bright, living
reality, no more than the morgue at st. Der.
nard's is a specimen of mountain travellers.
Yet one thing herbarum is good for: in
looking at it, you can recall how they looked
and glowed and waved in life, with all their
silver-crowned mountains around them.
After we arrived at Grindelwald, tired as
was, made sketches of nine varieties, which
| intend to color as soon as we rest long Ell
ough. SO much did Tor love of the dear
little souls. ..
One thing more, as to botanical names
What does possess botanists TO atflict the
most fragile and ethereal Of, earth's children
with such mountainous and npronounceabie
iamesl Now, there was dear little flower
that first met at ST. Dernard-a little purple
bell, with fringe; il is more particularly be-
autiiul from lis growing just on the verge of
avalanches, coming up and blossonIing
through the snow. J send you one in this
letter, which dug ou, of a snow-bank this
morning. And this fair creation--this hope
upon deathbed--this image of love unchill-
ed and imniortal--how want to know 1t by
name.
To-day, dt the summit house Of the noun
tain, opened an herbarium, and there were
three inches of name, as hopeless and unpro-
nounceable as the German of our guides,
piled upon my little flower. l shut the her
barum.
This morning we started early from Grind
enwald--that is, by o'clock. An uncloud-
ed, clear, breezy morning, tile air full OF the
sounds of cascades, and of the little bells of
the herds As we began to wind upward in
to that delcctab!e region which forms the
first stage of ascent | said to -, "The
more of beautiful scenery see, the more,
appreciate the wonderful poetry of the Pill
grims Progress" The meadows by the river
of life, curiously adorned with lliesj the de-
lectable mountansj the land of Deulah; how
often have thought Of them! From This we
went off upon painting, and then upon music
the freshness of the mountain air inspiring
our way. At last, while we were riding in
the very lap of rolling field full of grass g.