New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-05
AN ALPINE CLIMB.
WITH A REFERENCE TO ALEXANDER THE
GREAT
FROM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rsmusr

FROM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRiBUNE
Weesen, Aug, 1891.
At Lucerne Catholics and Protestants Worship in
the same temple-the Maria-Hif Church. The
Presbyterians hold their services early sunday
morning and later the Romanists hold theirs In
this little village of Weesen most Of the inhabl-
tants are Catholics but their churches are freely
placed at the disposal of their Protestant OrethreA
and when Protestants marry. Protestant clergy
man performs the ceremony in one of the Cathohc
churches with none to modest or make him afraid
So lie is at Glams and at other points in owtzef'
land and in the Tyrol-notaby at innsbruck Now
when i left New-York, last May the Kew. Dr.
Bridgman had just left the Baptist for the bplS
copalian communion, and the circumstance was
occasioning much lively comment and some drastic
criticism But suppose the Archbishop had gwen
and Dr. Brigham had accepted an invitation TO
preach in the Fifth Avenue Cathedral? Methinks
in that event the religious community of the
metropolis would have received so violent shock
that the Statue of Liberty would have toppled
over aud the Brooklyn Bridge would have been
rent in twain. There is an agreeable story OF
a girl who came to her father asking his consent
TO wed one of the late Mr.. Barnums contortloniss'
That parent of hers rather an iliterate person
and so VIZ unable to conjecture who or what
q contortionist might be, but concluded that he
must be a diSsenter. However, being liberal
minded-which is far better than being sophisti-
cated-the old man said to his daughter. after
few fond preliminary remarks, The OFlarratys
have always been Catholics; but it is an age Of
religious liberation and if the Of your choice
is a contortionist you may not only marry him
but 90 with him to his church if he SUES me III
other respects" We Americans are accustomed
20 hatter ourselves l think, that there is more
religious federation our side of the water than
ON this And all things considered doubtless
there is; but the Presbyterian who finds himself
worshipping in a Catholic church at Luceme may
be pardoned if he holds that Switzerland can
teach us something in religious liberation.
OF course everybody who goes to Lucerne goes
up the Rigi. The Rigi is the favorite peak OF the
adventurous Alpine climber who is too lazy or
too stout to depend solely upon his individual legs
in doing his Swiss climbing. He prefers TO climb
seated on a soft cushion of car of the funlcular
railroad which runs from the base of the Rigi to
ats summit, and while being thus propelled he
softly sings to himself:
"Why not be carried to the skies
on howery beds Of ease?"
I am not to be understood as asserting that all
who 90 up the Rigi are pulled up. BY no means.
A pluc<y man from great Northwest, who
must have weighed, say 225 pounds, faithfully
footed it up and down that mountain the other
day. His sole companion on the trip was an i'm
posing alpenstock topped with as pretty
chamOis horn as you ever saw. Having ac-
complished the feat, he declared as he sat com
pacently on the piazza Of the Schweitzerhof at
Lucerne that he had reduced his weight eleven
and half pounds.
did YOU write in the visitors book of your
hotel on top of the Rigi?" inquired one of his
friends who heard him tell of the reduction.
NO" answered the self.reliant climber "why
do you ask Pr
well, it occurred to me-" explained the other
"that YOU ought TO have transcribed in the visitors
book the words of the psalmst-I think 1T was
the psalmst-'My paths drop fairness "
did the Rig myself by steam but partially
atoned for such pusillaninous conduct by climbing
the Speer. an Alpine peak higher than the Rigi,
without any eXtraneous assistance. Included in
our party of seven which made the ascent was a
guide, Pennington girl, Wellesley College girl
and two small boys one of them son OF Murat
Halstead. These boys made ii exceedingly lively
for the rest of us, for there such word
as fatigue in their vocabulary and they kept
bounding ahead up the steep and rough incline
like a span of luSty ibeXes and endeavOring TO
incte the rest of us TO catch them if we could.
Some of us, myself for example, did not feel like
making an attempt to catch them. We yearned
rather 10 turn back, or at least TO sit down and
rest often and long while at a time. But the
boys were in such capital condition and were so
eager 70 get that rather than lose caste in their
ewes all the rest of braced up and forged
forward. Besides, there the stimulating in
fluence of the guide. lie was tolerant of the
weak human nature committed TO his care, but
still he was firm. lie had stipulated for a con
sideration to conduct the party to the top of the
Speer, and as a conscientious man, careful Of his
rrofpGCionoI rpnutation hp kent n work
I'VE really did not need guide much more than
a duck needs a swimming. master. But then the
guide needed U.S. for, as understood it. he was the
sole support of large family. So climbed
and climbed and climbed, that hot July day. from
80 p. m. until 80 p. m. Then rested for
the night in scant apology for tavern where the
wicked flea held halcyon and vOeiferous carnival
and murdered sleep as successfully Macbeth
AS | was falling into doze there came to me
through the thin partition which divided my
room from the next the clear, low voice of the
Pennington girl:
Beware the awful avalanche,-
Beware the fir trees withered branch,
tear stood in McGinty's eye,
But still he answered with sigh,
Excelsior.
AT 3 80 the next morning we resumed our
climb and an hour later stood on the rallied eX.
closure of the top Of the Speer. The moon was at
the zenith in a cloudleSs sky attendedby her ever
faithful star. There was shining ring about
her like the halo with which the painters encircle
the head of the Virgin and of the saints. She
looked exceedingly noble and lovely Far in the
foreground Pilatus, a rugged pile. and the Rigi.
looking smooth and regular as sugar loaf, stood
out clear in the wonderful searching light light
TO which both the sun and the moon contributed
gold sufrused with silver. How bright grew
Tho west while the sunrise was as vet but a
prophecy 1t was Arthur Hugh Clough who sang
And not by eastern windows only
When daylight comes, comes in the light;
In front the sun climbs slow how slowly,
But westward look-the land Is bright
AT the north were snow peaks set against sky