Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-01
Written for the HERALD.
HOW WE WENT UP "OLD BLUFF"

eager eyes, that had turned to the win
dow with the first light of the coming
day, saw only sad sky overspread
with grey and dismal clouds, and
mountains shrouded iR white mists.
Youth is proyerbially hopeful, but l
think the stoutest hearts wavered q
little that morning. We said steadily,
so, it may clear off yet" And here is
moral for doubling hearts; it did
clear away and we had perfect day.
day of blue skies and white Clouds
day to enjoy to the utmost and to be
thankful for. So it befell that at half
past ten, "Old Bluff looked serenely
down on merry party who, in spite
of a load of wraps and baskets, stepped
lightly over the stony ground at the
base of the mountain. We were fifteen.
Arithmeticians may tell me, if they
will, that fifteen is an odd number; but
shall tell them for answer this fact,
which they may account for as they
can, that, though we were fifteen, there
was not single odd one in our party.
There was bride path up the
mountain, which we meant to take.
Inquiry at the start developed the fact
that no one of us knew where the bri-
die path was. What was such trifl-
ing difficulty to such light hearts as
ours We found path, and saw no
reason why t should not be the path.
And when, after while, we found our
selves walking in no path at all, we
were not one whit disturbed. 1t was
not until we began TO find our way u
little wet and decidedly bushy, that
we wondered if, after all, we were going
exactly right Four of the party left
us to explore a little in different direc-
tiops, The rest of us waited in a shady,
messy swamp, and beguiled the time
with "quips, and cranks, and wanton
wiles-" Those foolish virgins among
us who wore no rubbers found preca-
rious footing on slippery logs, while
the wise ones placidly let the water
come in over the tops of their rubbers
as they sank into the damp moss, which
like many other beautiful things,
proved treacherous. One of the party
found ample occupation in watching
his ice-water, which bade fair to be
soon nothing but bugs and leaves, in
solution Of warm water and all of us
made an astonishing amount of noise.
Only one of our exploring party re-
turned to us then, but he had found no
bride path. Some forcible remarks
were made then. One person, skepti-
cal as was the Immortal Betsey Prig on
the subject of Mrs. Harris, even doubt
ed if the path existed at all. A vote of
thanks was proposed to the builder of
the path, but not carried, on account,
perhaps, Of q reprimand not to "speak
disrespectfully Of the equator" One
genius proposed putting up guide
board to the effect that this was not
the right road to the summit. So, with
cheerful hearts, presuming that the
other explorers were, in the language
of the song, Hold huff and big 'nuff''
to take care of themselves, we took our
way through the painless woods"
eating raspberries by the way. we
wandered along, just whittier, no one
knew, but we knew we were going up
and that contented us. 1t grew warm,
and we cast longing looks toward the
summit, which doomed up before us,
$50 near, and yet SO far" and felt as if
we wanted to look into the lunch bas-
kets, just to see if things We're keeping
well, you know. Indeed, am afraid
that some of us did silly abstract O.
coolly or two. One of our lost explor-
ers had with praiseworthy enterprise
climbed to the summit, and left his
handkerchief tluttering there as sig
! nal he came to meet us as we reached
the base of the last cliff, and under
took to pilot us to the summit. Words
would utterly fail me to describe that
last climb. Over, under, along charred
| logs, that left memorial marks on cloth
ing, hands and face through black
berry patches, how we wished we had
'been there to see" when our enter
prising member, in his solitary explo-
rations, fell down among the briers
and scratched his face so pitifully.
How we wondered "what were the
words he said" Along here, another
of our explorers joined us, to tell of
weary wanderings and vain labors.
| We slipped over rocks we tumbled
into holes we trusted to decayed logs.
and found that, as too often happens,
we trusted in vain. But after toll
comes rest. AT quarter of two, we
found that bride path, justat the sum-
init, as we'll as the last of our missing
ones, who had been following the path
for some time. And when our weary
feet at last stood still, and our eager
eyes turned to the unutterable beauty
before us, we forgot all we had endured
and were "glad we came"
Late in the afternoon, sold Bluff"
entirely undistuFbed by the wander
ings, the toll, the merriment and the
mishaps it had seen since the day be-
gan, looked serepely as ever down
upon a disreputable looking group of
people who dragged their weary feet
down the bride path /; and it looked
quiet goodbye to them all, from the
two ministers walking amicably in
front to the lad and lassie, who saun-
tering hand in hand, contentedly