The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-14

1 well.
| $50 I spoke to Christian, and b,
agreed to go with me. 1 wanted gooC
cragsman and good fellow-Christial
was both-to share i. such an expedi
ton.
"Some of your lady moantaineers
Herr, as you know, 60 really very well
but not all of them can walk well
Some of them"
81 know about Them" interrupted
my friend, laying great stress upon tn,
personal pronoun. He seemed. fol
dislike to ladies upon the glacier or OF
the rock.
"Well," resumed Hans, '.there wa.
one lady that never would go on any
mountain or over any pass without me
and she was ford Of climbing. While
she was light it was all very well, be
cause could hoist or haul her up from
place to place with one hand; but she
got so heavy that declined to go with
her any more. l couldn't, at last, pul
her up even with two hands, and il
wasn't safe. Her feet didn't seem to
be of much use to her; indeed, very
often she hardly touched the mountain
with her feet. 1t was what you call
tea chest work. Still, you know, she
did mountains in that way; and she had
a pretty long list of ascents accom-
plshed."
Il fancy that have seen that last, :"
observed my friend, sardonically; ''or,
if l haven't seen it, have heard good
deal about it"
"Very likely" returned simple
Hans, II believe that she told every
jbody about her walks. But I myself
don't, as rule, care for ladies on the
glaciers. 1 think they are out of place
there. L know we guides usually earn
the money we get from them very hard
ly. They are mostly rather trouble
some; but some of them-like that
young lady you took up to the Grands
Muleis-are very nee. However, my
Aennechen wasn't at all like any of the
ladies that have ever seen on noun
tains. You sse, it was altogether diff
ferent thing. Cur Swiss children are
used to go always up hill. and are in
what you call training; they are sure
footed and know how to step. They
don't slip; then they can stand fatigue.
and, being so used to walking up steep
paths, their wind is good. Again, they
don't much mind rough weather, and
the girls are almost rs hariy as the
boys; so that, you see, it is different.
"Well. when l proposed to my
Aennchen to go with me over The
Wiesenhorn, she was a little surprised
at first. She knew vaguely that it was
big thing to do, and she thought that
she might be in my way. She didn't
ever think of danger. You see, she had
great confidence in me, and she knew
that she could 60. She wasn't afraid
of the work or of roughing it, or of the
then a'most unknown mountain ITSELF
but she thought it unnatural for Swiss
girl like her to 60 on what she held to
be pleasure trip with me. She
thought that such ascents were only fit;
for UoyGgeurs who wanted to enjoy
themselves and who could pay guides.
1t did not seem to her quite natural
that peasant girl should indulge in
the luxury of climb without distinct
purpose. 1t looked, too, like mere
pleasure, and she was used to work. You
see, our women here in the mountains
don't have much of what you, Herren,
that live in great cities like London,
call pleasure Life is harder with u.s."
Sand yet" observed Herbert, sour
ladies that live in cities find their pleas
ure in coming here to see your glorious
mountains.
"Ah!" returned the great guide, ''but
that is for change, for a holiday, for
another kind of pleasure.
Tell me, Hans" asked Herbert,
''do you Swiss love your mountains
say as we do, now?"
Hans thought a little and then an
swered slowly: "Well, you see, we do
love them in our way. But we always
see them. They are part of our life.
We can't well understand life without
them. But still don't think that we
see so much in them as you do-you
who know poetry and science and all
that-and who come here for a month
or so for holiday and change. When
we are away from the mountains we
feel first how we love them. Swiss who
have been away, say to America as en-
igrants, have told me how strange
longing for the hills of their childhood
has come over them and made them
yearn to get back again. You English
certainly do love our mountains quite
as much as we do, think-though in a
different way, in different way"
Here the great guide made up the
fire, and then went out for a moment
to look at the night. 1t was cold in the
hut.
'.lt-may be fair tomorrow, though it
doesn't look very clear now" observed
Hans with neutrality-suspicious..
The tobacco pouch IA large one) was
passed round, and pipes were refilled
and Lit.
snow, Hans, go on telling us about
your brave bride"
Eyes; she was brave girl said
Hans, with a glow in his dark face;
s.and she is brave wife now! Ism
she, MAXI"
Max, whose pipe was just beginning
to draw, gave hearty grunt of assent
too deep for words, and Hans re-
sumed:
1.-The Wiesenhorn then wasn't quite
what the Wiesenhorn is nowhere
were no ropes or chains anywhere.
Very few people knew the route. l had
talked with one of the two guides who
had made the ascent; but had never
been on the mountain myself, and
knew that there were very difficult
places-dangerous ones, too. You have
seen some of them, and you'll see more
tomorrow. thought that if learned
the way to climb such a mountain, Just
after it had first been climbed, should
get many English Heren to take up;
and l thought that if girl was taken
up it would show that the mountain
was not too difficult"