St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-05-07

fee! the snow yield beneath your feet.
You sink in. and you have neither
hand nor foothold: YOU get perhaps IA
glimpse of fathomless blue depth be-
low you. If YOU struggle. you only
break away larger cavity. But you
are IN no real danger, and if You have
confidence III yOur guide and the rope.
you wait quietly, perhaps even smiling
lN, till you are hauled out of the hole.
and landed on firm SNOW again. Why
because You are firmly knotted to your
guide, and also to all the rest of your
party. You had not even time to call
out ere he felt the sudden strain upon
the rope, and instantly turned to help
you easily up to his side without hurt
Your friends felt the shock too. but
they could not do much to help, only
they watched aud admired the guide.
and found their own fears (if they had
any lessened. and their confidence in
HIM and his rope greatly increased.
But it is the guide himself who beai>
the brunt of these difficulties He goes
first, carefully sounding the snow.
avoiding many Il crevasse which we
should never have suspected, and some
times getting fall which would have
been ours but for his trying the way for
us.y If we really follow his steps ex-
actly and patiently, the proba bility is
that we never 60 in at all, fer the snow
that has borne his weight never gives
way under ours. But if we swerve
even a few inches from his footmarks,
We may soon timd ourselves III the PIE
dicameut described above
:. Sometimes We come to Il slope of
frozen SHOW so steep that it looks abSo-
lutely impossible to climb it. And 81
1t would be. but tor our guide. Our
impOssIbilitieS only develop his re-
sources. Now he un>houlders his ice
axe. and with wonderful rapidity cuts
steps by which We ascend even more
easily than hitherto. Aud we notice
that these extra difficult slopes are Il
positive advantage 10 Us. hcrauSe willie
he has all the hard work. We have time
to take breath. When the steep hit is
passed. we have gained greatly in
height. and Vet we feel quite irr~hencl
for further ascent Instead uf t;iti"ued.
.. The guide decides y"rIr rest ~
well aS your progress. If You are wise
enough tn let him. He very soon meas
uIe> youI powers, and not only knows
precisely when Il Crtlas>r i juSt too
wide for y"u To leap without help. or u
rock lust too awkward toI Won tn climb.
nut he also seems Ia know precisely
when you had better make longer ur
shorter halt~. Sometimes Nou are ru-
willing Ia rc>t when he pIopu>e> it. and
perhaps he lets v"u have y"uI own WAY
aud 20 on. and then ynu arr, quite Ger
tain to hc snrrl for it. But more often
hr insists. and then You ;lwaN, find he
WAS right. and that hc had timed the
halt better than You would have done.
Then. without waiting to hc asked. ho
uuiaSt"n> NnuI wraps. rOutrlVrS Il seat
upon the SHOW. aud folds Il shawl round
N"u. 1t l. no use SAYING N"u Il" moi
feel cold. he l. responsible for you. and
Will not let You risk gcrtiu" chilled il
the subtitle glacier wind. Then he gives
the prev iSion he has carried tor you.
meat. and bread. and wine. and leaves
no little stone uuturued towards max
ing your halt as refreshing and pleas
ant a> possible. There is no need tol
. you tn he calculating time, and tidgct
lu4 I"uuI going on: he knows how
much l. Vet before Vou. and he viii tel
YOU when II i time to he moving again
w. il''ili l''il' u llisIl lilt NfdhfNl '
P our patty Was specially cared for
sometimes while the others had merely
general orders. she had his strong Lrm
and thus escaped the slips which th,
more independent ones now and thcr
made. Weakness or ailments prove,
his patience and care. Ca one occasion
T the ''muuntain sickness" which some
times hcii.lS travellers on great height,
~,.ddrull attacked one not accustomed
Ia fail in >tIcugth. and then unthin.
could exceed .Iu>cph'> kindness and III.
trutIUu. He made Il Wonderfully com.
turtLhic couch un the SNOW. told u,
1 what WAS the matter. administered ad.
vice and wine. and waited patiently
and sympathctirally ill his patient
completely pI0Strdtc for an hour. felt
able tu stand. Then in Il trm decided
tone he said. "Ich uhrurhmc iii,
kHnkr" II undertake the sick one
ana leaving the other guide Ia attcu,
to all else, his powerful arm helped ''di,
kraukc" down to Il level where the les,
rariticd air soon set ali to rights.
IL. Ii j. understood that Il tru,
Swiss guide is literally faithful unit,
death" that he does not hesitate to ri>E
his own life for the sake of his charge
and that instances are known in Whicl
it has not only been riSked but actually
sacrificed. We have never been in {;
position to prove this, bui the undouht
ed fact shows the illustration. Yet thi,
completion only shows the impertection
For that poor faithful guide may ppriSl
rih the traveller. and not msfedd O
him, the sacrifice may he all in vain
H., 81,
commensurate. I'm such illustration
we may learn as much hy the contrasts
as by the similaritie>. and how often, az
in this instance. does the very failur,
of an earthly type bring out the glor!
and perfection of the antitype. On
glorious Guide, who has called lis to tn,
Journey, aud whose provision for it i
without money and without price.
cannot fail in his undertaking. All wh'
are in his covenant hands are kept b,
the power of God through faith unt'
salvation" and "shall never perish.
i What He hath begun he will perform
for He lis able to keep Nou fl ON fallin,
and to present You fanltleSs before th
presence of his glory with eXceedin!
joy" He is not merely willing to la,
down His life, but He hath laid it dow
for us, and now death cannot touch on
/, Leader any more. He hath ''thc powe
of an endless life" and we are united Il
that life by the strong cords of His pur
pose aud His everlasting love. whicl
no friction can weaken, and no Stroll
can sever. However tremendous TIN
gulf beneath lis. if thus united to Him
He will lead lis on till our feet
no longer weary. stand far above tn
clouds upon the mountain of our God
never 20 repass the tolls and dangers q