St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-10-13

plain of the Chablais, destroyed this
monastery, and hereto, tying a cord
around the neck of the colOred Virgin.
(who is said to have previously worked
many Miracles he commenced draw
ing her after him saying: "COme along
little Mary; if you have so much pow
er, show it now" Suddenly the image
resisted all his efforts to pull it farther
when, turning his head over his shOul-
der to see what held it back, he found
to his astOnishment that his head was
fixed, and ever since all the male de-
scendants of the family have suffered
the misfortune to be born wry-necked.
Another pleasant walk is to the
"Sdult de la Pucelle," (Maiden's Leap,)
a precipice on the crest of the noun
tain, and having the same view rs that
from the Petit Signal extended farther
to the south. There once lived beau
tiful young shepherdess, who was ar
IDENTIFY loved by young game-keeper,
servant of nObleman who lived in
this region, but whose affection was in
nowise returned. One day she hap
pened to be ut the head of this preci-
pice, guarding her flock, when he ap-
peared suddenly and sprang upon her.
She shrieked for help, but the wind in
the forest drowned her voice. At last,
however, disengaging herself from the
arms of her pursuer, she threw her
self on the mercy of the black Virgin
and leaped over the brink. A half
hour later some shepherds found her
on her knees ut the bottom of the prec-
ipice, pouring out IA prayer of thanks
giving to her preserver. From this
romantic spot the path that leads
along the top of the mountain through
meadows, fields and forests leads to
the "Arbre de Brentds." This curious
tree is the trunk of an old pine, about
ten feet i'll height, of which the inte-
rior is much decayed. From the top
of this two short, horizontal branches
extend each way, and from these
eight straight and vigorous young trees
are growing.
Coming little way one continues to
walk on through meadows and woods,
keeping to the summit of the noun
tain nearly all the way, until "NOtre
Dame dU Prdldire" is attained. This
is little bronze statue of the Virgin,
placed on pedestal at the southern
extremity of the mountain. This re-
gion has always been exposed to de
structive hail-storms, and this statue
has been placed there to protect the
country from them. The faith of the
faithful must have been sorely shaken,
when, on the very evening after the
statue was erected, one of the most
destructive hail-storms of the century
took place, devastating the crops for
miles around; and to add to the dis
may of the people, the faithful little
donkey that carried up the image from
tiit NdllIN iOOh IL lHlO HIS Itdu 10 ult
that very night. The view from here
is superb and altogether different from
any other seen from the mountain.
The broad valley is bounded on the
further side by low, sloping hills, while
in the middle the Arve flows TRANQUILITY
to Geneva where it unites with the
Rh6ne. To the left is seen the bare
rocky mountains south of Mt Blanc,
which appear inaccessible, while to the
right the Saleve and the Jura, with the
wide plain between, form pleasing
contrast.
AT present the hotel accommodation
is insufficient for those who would
gladly come here, the house being too
small but, as the place becomes more
extensively known, the hotel will be
enlarged and the roads improved, un-
til it will in the end become Il very
popular place of resort. F.C.F.