The New York herald., 1870-08-25

healthfal methods Of divcrsifyins travel. is
regions where the roads and paths are prscs
ticable, is to take up STAFF and knspsAck aud
literally foot it across hll and dale. With
young people in Europe this has become the
favorite style OF visiting historical lake and
mountain districts noted also for their pie
turesque charms. In Switzerland ID has fong
been the custom at some celebrated scad1
for boys established at Geneva, Zurich, Lau-
same, &C.. to summon the young rosues
together In the autumn Of every year, and
decide In council upon some grand pedestrian
tour among the Alps. Topnsr's "ZigzaG
Journeylngs," published regularly some time
ago, with abundance Of spirited illustration,
and In tho French and German languages. Was
faithful narrative Of these joyoas scademical
excursions, which took fresh direction each
summer, and were rich, not Only in delightful
exercise and pleasant adventure, but Ia
scholarly trophies collected by tho waysids
Let any ono imagine the merry assemblage Of
these youthful olans, on some bright summer
dawn, among the Alps their 1.-the forms,
sparkling eyes, ruddy faces and abounding
mirth. See them set forth with gay knapsacks
over their shoulders and buried alpenstock in
hand, and 60 winding away up among the
pines and glaciers, while ever and anon, as
they emerge again froua behind forest thicket
or rocky steep, in ascendng the "wolksn-
steig"-the cloud path-of the mountains,
you hear them mqsically choruslng some
martial dltty or some pleasant song Of
home. Then the rapture of the exercise; the
freshness of the new upper atmosphere; the
balsamic odors of the woods and wild flowers;
the song birds, varied not unfrequently by the
howl Of the storm wind and the crash of falling
avalanches, when from crag to crag '1eaps
the live thunder;" the enchantmeut of the
young mind as soene after scene Of sublimity
and beauty, enhanced by legends Of an old
renown, are disclosed; the salutary alteration
Of Him who made such wonders aud sits
supreme AMID them, and the love that is en-
gendered for a land 30 charming yet 80 ma
jestic. What higher, purer tuition than this
could be impaired to growing manhood2
For physical enjoyment the keen mountain
appetite, the delicious, unbroken slumber far
up among the snowy SUBMITS, or down by the
margin Of geld lakes, when the long
days walk and the evening bath and meal are
over-who that has felt these pure delights,
intellectual and material, eau ever forget
them?
In Germany the trade guilds with wise
foresight, require that the apprentice shall
make his "wander-jahren," or wandering term
ofyears-that is to say, be in very deed and
not merely in name 'journeyman" he
can receive the honors of master workman.
And the sturdy fellows sally forth on foot and
work their way, singing like happy larks as
they go from town to town. Many Of them
thus have traversed all Germany over with
'pilgrim's scrip and sandal shOon" ere they
settle down to their Fixed calling And what
intense love and deep admiration they thus
acquire for the glorious old Fatherlan nd
No wonder that, irrespective of locality,
creed or special tradition. they, one and
all, rush to the rescue when the ''alma mater
they have thus learned to venerate is assailed
by the stranger.
And now, why should not the example be
most attractive hint to the youth of our own
country in this their magnificent home in the
West1 II we have not, to add mystic charm
to our landscape, the gray renown Of Old
World regions-the classic and chivalrc asso-
Citations of the Alps, the Apennines and the
Pyrene ss-we have, at different places in our
mighty domain, all their soft beauty, all their
grand sublimity. Among the sparkling rivers
and lales Of Maine, of Iowa and Minnesota,
there are landscape gems of contour, color
and locality as enchanting as anything that
even Killarney, Loeb Lomond, Constance or
Como can boast. What cataract so grand as
Niagara? What bluffs and peaks more stu
pendously beautiful than the ice and silver pin
nacles of Colorado-the American Tyrol?
But the pomp OF our forests In autumn,
when the glowing gardens Of the ''Suuset
City" seem literally to mingle the gold and
ruby of their foliage with the ethereal sheen
of the Indian summer sky Neither the south
Of France, nor Spanish Granada, nor the
Campagna Felice Of Southern Italy, with
Vesuvius cleaning beyond it, are comparable
to the entertainments that the artistic eye may
revel in among the Alleghanies of Pennsyl-
vania or in the Shenandoah Valley of the Old
Dominion State. But where we mention one
we might adduce thousand localities that
offer endless variety of scene, softly beautiful
or majestically grand, to the American Pc
destrian at home.
Come, boys, you are now in full vacation.
ek ia seo what heartv lad or liant 1;ttIo
school or company will make the brav est trip
this season among the Northern and the West
ern hills. traverse nationally the greatest tale
of miles, and bring back to enrich closet, library
and college room the rarest collection of ralics