Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-04-06
d9ailg empire.
written expressly for the Dayton Empirel
A SUMNER In EUROP 4.

NOs n Il W
THE JURA MoUETAIss--GENEvA.


kind, but the scenery which surrounded us
about sunrise, made US forget all of our ply
sioal discomforts, and filed US with wonder
ing delight Soon after leaving Ambereu :,
our iron horse plunged into narrow defle
between mountains so high that they seemed
almost 10 meet above our hea Is. The sun
was rising grandly in eloudless sky, and at
first we seemed to be driving right at him
His rays, which sometimes only reached us
through clefts in the lofty crags, seemed
to seRG CONSERVATION among the Clouds
which, IN bis absence had taken possession Of
the valleys, and they we're rapidly gathering
up their white robes and flying from his hot
wrath, as il they knew they had no right there.
High up in air, on top Of crags
better fitted for eagles nests than the abodes
Of men, were many castles and fortresses,
most ofthem in ruins, but some still evdenc-
ing the presence Of human beings One Of
them, which stands Iiimagine, very near the
border between France aud Switzerland, and
occupies position on the almostperpendieu-
lar side Of the deep gorge which ten men
could hold against q host, is in perfect order
still, A row of frowning cannon looked down
upon US from its ramparts, and sentinels in
blue coats and red pantaloons OF the Emperor,
( quietly paced their round on the dizzy height.
! AS we pass along, we see on some of the
smaller elevations near the little villages
which nestle in the glens, marble statues OF
the ancient heroes of Hevetia, or of citizens
whose birth there gave the hamlets fame.
On, around sharp curves, up steep grades,
over dashing torrents and under towering
mountains sped our iron horse, with unslack
ened:speed, scorning.aIl difficulties, umcon-
scious of fatigue, and caring not at al--be.
cause his eye had flashed upon them often
\ before-for the beauties of the scenes we
we're passing We, whom he bore along,
we're fying from one side Of the car to the
other, delighted with what we saw, and tants
lized that we could see no more, but he had
his work to do and could not lOiter mo
ment
An enthusiastic friend of mne filled will
admiration Of the power Of one of these
/ mighty engines as il dashed up 10 the station
cried out-"I wish were a locomotivel"-
and, drawing bis coat closely about him
rushed along by its side as if determined tC
catch from it some of its own undaunteG
spirit. laughed at him then, but to day
among the mountains, felt fully able tC
understand his feelings How like goot
man journey through life was this pAssag,
of the fiery steed through the Jura Noun
taiusl On the "narrow way" with hear
warmed with high principles aud impelled b,
sense of duty to his God and his fellow,men
be presses right onward to the goal, neve
wearying in weldoing-never turning asid'
into forbidden paths, never deferred by OBJ
stasles nor overcome with fear in the pres
ence of dangers. He may have to wint
around precipiees but the pathway is frn
and his feet do not slide He crosses torrents
/. but Everlasting arms" are about him
4 and his brain does not reel He climbs steel
asceuts but "he runs and is not weary, walk
! and does not faint" He sees mountains o
difficulties before him, wallng up hi
. way with no valley between them
and no visible pathway over them
but filled with undying faith, be presse
. right at them, and finds that the Great Engi
neer has provided way by which he can pas
I around, over or through them, without mo
ments delay And then on the other 81 1e, b
finds rivers Of clear water fields clad in livin
green, and in full view the Detachable Mum
|, tans OF his God The types Of these las
i, are founed beyond the Jura, in broad riel
valley spreading out from the banks OF th
] ',Arrowy Rhone," aRd beyond shining hk
= FURNISHED silver, the shoWelad summit 0
. Mont Blanc
Weary, hungry and sleepy though we were
liz was not with unmingled satisfaction that a
!. eleven o'clock, we halted at Geneva and W
could not have ceased 10 long for more G
these lovely scenes II there had been les
2. beauty in that before us, or less pleasure i
7. the antieipatiOns Of what was still to come.
My boyish idea Of Switzerland was Of
X country, covered al the year round, with &c
and snoW whose inhabitants lived in lttl
. huts, and Travelled like the Laps and Greer
q landers, always upon snow shoes had mo,
4 itied this in later years but still, when stel
: ped out Of the cars into the spacious static
house, and found the same eager crowd Of dr
Vers aud rows Of carriages TO receive us th'
= We had always found elsewhere when "
passed through the broad aud well pave
streets Of handsome little city, to hotel /
Z good as any in Emrope mountains near b
. TO be sure, but as bare Of snow IS the Kat
kills or AlleghAnys in August; the peop
Il .s.l .s.1 .ls.rtu