Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-04-20

age all summer long. He spends the time that
the care OF his look does notempoy, in knitting
socks and in preparing the cheese which is his
principal sustenanee. What a lie it must
be How Indifferent he must become to the
graudest exhibitions Of the eleinents He
looks careessly upon the thunder storms rag
lug far below him he hears without thought,
the crushing aud rrmbug OF the great ice
river as, groAning under its own weight it
presses slowly down towards the valley, and
when awakened from sleep by a sound like
thousand thundsrs, and the tremoling Of the
earth beneath him, be reproaches himself for
being startled, and saying "it is only an ava
lanche" relapses again into slumbsr
We passed on and downwArds, treading on
many slippery places and sbuddering some
times as the thought would fash across our
minds, "suppose footshouid slip, but on
the whole, much cooler and steadier than
when climbing the Cofde Balme, the day be-
fore, until we reached that climax OF frghtiul-
meas theg Mauvais Pass Here, for over
hundred yards, we were compelled to climb
around the outside OF a bald rocky promontory,
on little htwn.out steps scarce sixdnches wide,
from which single betrayal Of hAnd, foot eye
or brain, would have sent us down two or three
hundred feet upon the Jagged rocks beneath.
A little rope has been strung around the rock,
and this serves as banister, and support
Terrifying as It is, the pass at this season is
daily and almost hourly traveraed, and acei-
dents are almost unknown. Oar friend Mrs
ii. passed it as calmly and steadily as II 1t
were an ordinary walk, but a Mrs C, Of Hart
ford 0oHhectieut, who, with her husband,
made the days journey with us, was az one
time, so agita,ed that we feared she would fn u.
We allfelt powerless to render any assistance,
so putting as much Of the perenplory in my
tones as possible, called out; steady there,
Madam, this is no place for Mysteries. Her
indignation ct the insult restored her presence
of mind and when after we were safely
around, | offered my apology, she thanked me
as her deliverer from imminent and deadly
peril. Her difficulty and danger in the pHss-
age, was greatly increased by the crinoline
which she had inconsiderately worn. AS the
guide told her; ''crinohne in the Mauvais Pas
Is impossible 8a iffo2 o8i iial
The danger was fearful thing to think OF
after it was over, but when it was actually
present, we were so much engaged in looking
where we would next place our feet, in won
dering how much further we had to climb, in
watching and laughing with each other that
we did not realize il, nor care for IL; and 60
we passed along having fears only for our
friends So / imagine, the soldier in battle
is absorbed with his gun, his cartridges, the
commands Of his officers aud the Auctna(ions
Of the tide Of battle so that his own danger,
though he is BY no means unconscious Of II,
troubles hun not q bit Being "within step
Of eternity is rather startling idea, but ID
can be realized as well in front of an Ap,
preaching locomotive, on train of cars in
rapid motion oron the bow Of a steamboat as
on a precipiee; and II a man is conscious
that be has the power to decline TO take, that
/ one step, Il is no more terrifying in the one
place than the other.
After hours Of hard walking down steep
and stony paths which joted and wrenched
every muscle until We were almost exhausted,
/ we at last reached the valley again. While
thus suffering, the question occurred to us
more than once have werhad an equivalent
| for this labor and we answered in the af-
firmAtve with all our hearts. The wonders
we had seen, and the exctsments of the day,
were our present and sufficient recompense,
and besides. we knew that these visions Of sub.
| Unity and beauty would dweh Eron our mem
ories and give us Joy forever ed .. so