The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-06-21
LITERARY
TALEOF THE BERNESE ALPS.

] was q wanderer in that land Of
sublimest beauty, the region OF the
Bernese Alps. Weeks had grown into
months during my sojourn among the
hills, yet my eyes never could be
satisfied with the marvels of cOntras-
ted lovliness and terror which presen-
ted themselves at every mile, nor
were my limbs ever weary OF scaling
the widest heights and penetrating
the most secret gorgeS of the Alps.
A good pedestrian naturally and by
habit. aloof from the hackneyed line
of cockney travel, Independent for the
most part Of guides and circerOnes, L
rambled on, still on, with no fixed
purpose beyond present pleasure, with
no equipage beyond my Alpenstock,
my knapsack, and grey shepherd S
plad, dining where the hour and the
occasion found me, or if occasion fail
ed, fasting till some small village
hosiery, some wayside farmhouse,
or mountain peasants chalet ,afforded
the chance hospitality, neve r denied,
of frugal fare and the nights repose.
1t was q delicious day in the latter
part of September, when the days
II those elevated districts the nights
had already become frosty, and some
of the tenderer trees in the valleys
had begun to show the varlegated
tints of autumn, that Ihad been scram-
bling since an early hour OF the
morning along the lower spurs, a few
miles above Grindelwald, of that most
magnificent of all mountain groups,
composed by the Winterhorn, the
Scheideck. and the Faulhorn, the icy
walls of which latter giant lowered
above my head, buttress above but
tress, of inviolated white snow, into
the dark cerulean sky.
1t was long past noon, when | found
myself on the banks of sparkling
mountain current, bounding down
through a vale of the most perfect
vendure. overhung on all sides by huge
gray crags, crowned with dark frs
and feathery larches, and overlooking
in it's turn the beautiful valley OF
Dutschinnen, with its bright sister
torrents. and the steep roofs and airy
spire of Grindelwald, which lay below
my feet, some eight or ten miles dis
tant.
Dpnlllu lily udCk ttii' tbON0 my 1iVtse
were the icy peaks of the Faulhorn;
on my left, stretched away the gigan-
tic ridges of the Scheideck, towering
up to the southeastward into the
mighty pyramids of Witterhorn and
Schreckhorn; while, right before my
face, directly over the little church OF
Grindelwald. upsoared in solitary
grandure, blazing beneath the con-
centrated rays Of the meridian sun,
like q great cone of diamond. the
gusty peak Of Eigler. Around me all
was solitude and silence, except the
soft sigh of the mountain breeze,
whispering among the pinetops with
that peculiar music which it awakens
in them alone, except the fresh, mer.
nv flash of the dancing streamlet. and
the hum of the myriads of bees, which
were revealing on all sides among the
purple heather-bells and the rich
blooms of the abundant cistus.
Half tired with my prolonged clam.
berinc, threw myself down to resi-
on the soft, emerald greensward
beside the margin of the noisy brook
bathed my face and hands in 18th CRATE
full lymph, and had begun to mediate
on the propriety of making my mid
day repast al .fresco. on crust OF
bread and hardboiled egg from my
wallet. moistened by cup OF klrscf
from the horn, which, mountain fash
ion l had slung under my left shout
der.
Just at this moment, however, thu
tinkling Of goatbells fell pleasantly OF
my ear, and not long afterward TIT
more domestic baying of one Of thos;
large Alpi2e sheep-dogs, two or three
of which are the elraos. indispensable
companions OF every her6saa2n, ant
inhabitants Of every upland farm