The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-06
CHAPTER IL
THE ASCENT OF THE ROCKY AUTocRAT OF

THE ASCENT OF THE ROCKY AUTOCRAT OF
THE ALPS
Miss Florence Rodney, having made
up her mind as strongly as she could
that she would scale the Matterhorn,
set about it Systematically from the be-
ginning. Her feeling that she could do
it was based on the fact that two or
three women had done it. She was in
perfect physical condition. her heart,
lungs. legs and arms all that a healthy
woman could desire, and she was not
affected with vertigo from heights.
First. she bound her uncle to secrecy
about the matter A Vassar woman
professor was going to chaperon three
or four girls on European trip, and
Miss Rodney arranged to go with them.
She took long walks. used to go to
some of the towering buildings in New
York and walk up the wearisome flights
of stairs to the very top and practiced
in a gymnasium two or three hours
day with dumb5ells and on trapeze.
She made a coniGant of Dr. kimball.
who after one professional duty protest
against it. entered into the idea enough
to give her the full benefit of his ex-
perience and advice He suggested
what guides she had best secure. which
way to take up the lordly peak, where
to stay and how much things would
cost her Uncle Josiah gave her about
the amount that ne argued she would
spend at home and Miss Rodney bor-
rowed some more from two or three
friends.
When Miss Rodney got to Paris. she
parted from the Vassar professor and
party under the pretext that she had
to meet friend in Switzerland. The
friend was the Matterhorn. but this
Miss Rodney did Tot explain to her old
teacher
The young girl soon after found her
self at Montreux From there she went
to Visp and remained that night. The
next day she took mule and rode to
St. Niklaus and from there in carriage
to Zermatt At each advance her heart
beat faster She was approaching the
rocky autocrat of the Alps whose sharp
peak. 14,C0o feet in the air, seemed to
await the coming of the adventurous
girl with silent disdain Sometimes her
heart misgave her Then she had to fall
back on such revivers CT her deternllna-
tion as the thought OF what Uncle
Josiah's perennial scorn and delight in
her discontinue would be If she failed.
She also fortified herself with the recol-
lection of Miss BrevooTt, a New York
woman, like herself. who had glorified
her sex by putting the top of the Mat
terhorn under her feet in 1871, and of
Felicite Carrel. the daughter of Il guide,
to be sure. but a girl who had scaled
the soaring crest Of this redoubtable
Mont Cervin If they could do it. why
not she?
Miss Rodney staia at the Hotel Mont
Cervin in ZerGlatt. She secured the
services of the two most celebrated and
experienced guides for the attempt she
could get. paying them 100 francs for
the ascent Some delay was necessary
waiting for weather that would be as
propitious as possible When such a day
came and the guides announced their
readiness to start, Miss Rodney, al
though not a l,rofessedly religious girl,
fell on her knees in her room and
prayed with simple earnestness that the
Lord who made the mountain would
help her to scale it. Then with rapid
" beating heart she started on her at
tempt to get one more petticoat victory
of the Matterhorn. Her rosy cheeks
were slightly blanched. but the color of
her will was not.
The party struck up the mountain to
the right of the Corner glacier. Before
long they reached wild and rocky Alp,
from which heathery upland sprang the
triangular peak Of the mighty Matter