The Portland daily press., 1895-08-19

from the old bride path, and opposite on
the other side of the deep ravine are the
| remains of an ancient fortress
THE SIMPLON VILLAGE
We had started out in the morning be-
fore six O'Clock, and between four and
live our driver warned US, as the Simplon
village was not far off, it would be better
to rest there for the night, otherwise the
grandest scenery of all would come upon
us after dark. This village is A, S55 feet
above the level of the sea, and two hours
after, about six miles farther along is
the Pass which is 6, 500 feet, two Thousand
rect higher than Rigi Kuhn, the latter
Delng abont the same height as Mt.
Washington. Here we slept awakening
in the morning just as the reflection Of
tne yet unrlsen sun was dancing in rosy
SHADOWS over every glistening snow clad
mountain top. The great Fletschhorn,
ai6ef which our hotel was named, seemed
TO radlate like silvery pinnacled spire,
Wnlle the highest Simplon peak, with its
bright glaciers looked like river of
shining glass.
"A night on the top of one of these
great mountain passes is night Of
prlmeyal simplicity and solitude. One
learns what the bare necessities of ex-
lstence are. Nothing grows here and
everything must be brought for tho most
part on mems backs from miles and
miles below, everything but the milk
from cows and goats and the pure water
from the mountain springs. Not even a
vegetable or egg or piece of bread or bit
OF meat but tells story of great fatigue
and self denial. But the frosty mountain
air Is no remedy for bad coffee, poor beef
| -I,A
pampered appetite and cultivated taste.
Yet tired natures sweet restorer ignores
such petty embarrassments, so we make
up by rest what we have lacked in nour-
ishment
THE PASS.
The next morning at seven O'Clock we
are off among the glaciers, with shep-
herds huts and grazing sheep and solemn
goats scattered along the declivity of the
mountain sides. Afterward as we de-
scend the mountain we find the winter
abode of these same shepherds with their
barns underneath, deserted during the
summer months for these Arcadian
homes III the mountains.
Facilis decensus' is never so we'll
comprehended as in going through a
mountain pass. Two honrs of steep as
cent only takes one three or four miles, of
distance, but in the descent the speed is
OF course quadrupled. A half dozen
rods OF almost perpendicular ascent re-
quires as many miles in zigzag fashion,
for it is not only railroading that de
mands the spiral upward motion. All
mountain climbing is the same, but
when the descent begins how rapid and
yet often how dangerous! How the pre-
| clpice yaWns on either side, What excite
ment it brings as one wal ches the uncer-
| tain steps of a not always sure-tooted
horsei How Important that no careless
driver or one overcome with drink un-
| dertakcs this hazardous descent Bnt it
| is always the same whether morally
| weak one directs an engine, steers ship,
controls trolley or guides horse. The
lack of moral stamina affects the des-
TIMES of mems lives smore than brute
force Gods providence in the hands Of
a morally strong man supplements the
safety of all this nineteenth century ac-
tion. Without this moral force how
futile all modern inventions.
After leaving Simplon village before
the highest point is reached a lofty tower
in the midst of beautiful plain appears
surrounded far and wide by magnificent
mountains This is the ancient hospice
of Napoleon tunes, fine old structure
which rises square and gray and beautl-
! full. Monte Leone beckons from afar
like prince in glory, while vast sea OF
ice appears above the tower at one side,
showing where mems feet have trod,
mems hands having hewn a staircase
in solid natural masonry. Where monks
used to wrestle and pray shepherds now
tend their fiocks, sleeping in the very
cells where these monks kept their vigils,
while the droWsy goat and Illuminating
COW and the tired lambs tread the cold
stones where they did penances. And
here a new world of mountains startles
you. The Bernese Alps, which look like
a far off vision in the sky, fieecy noun
tains mixed with fieecier clouds and part
4 ly indiStinguishable are seen, while be-
low the lovely valley of the Rhone with
peaceful villages shows how man and
is given, in a moment the Jungfrau
hides her head, the Monch and Eiger dis
appear. and the very spot where Tyndall
lived near shepherds and their herds is
| one dark mystery. And before US is the
large barren, more recent hospice Napo-
leon founded for the accommodation of
! travellers and the benighted. The ST.
Bernard company OWNS this hospice, and
the old St. Bernard monks keep watch
and ward here in the same manner as
they there do. In winter they send out
| their dogs for weary lost ones, in sum-
mer each traveller according to etiquette
| is bound to leave sum equal to @
i
the cupidity of mankind that in summer
time only one half the amount of money
as minimum of board is left for double
the amount Of guests who sleep here.
After leaving.this hospice the toy viii
lagos of an hour ago assume their shape
as living habitations. How near Brigne
seems as the coachman reins his horse at
the six refuge, which is Berisal, and we
mete d chattering crowd bound up over
the same route we just came down. 1t is
the last importation the July ships
brought over The monks and all the
mountain glory is disappearing Monte
Leone, the Fletschhorn and all the seas
of ice are passing out of sight, but like
the dead, although SO soon a thing of the
past, they can never be forgotten
i Brigne is near, and the broad Rhone
valley a reality How large it
now seems and how busy
What traffic is here going its daily
round, what wrestling with busy life be-