Year: 1877

lCoNIANUED.J



ON TOP OF MOUNT BLANC.
The day was fully established when we
halted for our second breakfast at the only
rocks that are met with above the Grands
Mulets. A great part Of the way from this
point to the summit required steadiness Of
head. At times you have to mount the
angles of very steep aretss of snow, feeling
that below you are abysses unfathomable
to the eyes, and that right and left there is.
nothing nearer than the nearest planet;
sometimes you have to traverse the more
level ridges of these aretes, with little more
space along the ridge than enough to set
your foot on, and with rapid inclines OF,
either side going down to you cannot guess
| where. Thsss situations, - is the case, !
suppose, with stery form Of danger, sal1
and steady some minds, while on others
they have the opposite effect. At all events
they keep out of your mind the thought Of
time, and so we were surprised, as we had
been by the advent of day, at finding that
| our object was attained, and that we were
standing on the summit of our continent.
1t was now s:2O A. NJ, and we had been
| climbing seven hours and half. To dis
engage ourselves from the rope was our
first act. As stepped out of the loop .
sense of liberty and relief thrilled through
me. My first thought was of the pano-
rama Of the Alps now spread out beneath me;
sight had often thought about, and
| should never again behold. The actual
summit is narrow level-topped snow rib
about 200 yards in length. On Its northern
side isa rapid snow descent; on It's southern
some or 10 feet below the summit is =
parallel, almost level, coach Of snow, after
which is parallel descent which is soon
lost to sight In precipices stood for
some time on the summit eceive on
my memory the photograph Dthe many
ranges and groups of the Alpine world all
around. They were so far below that the
whole scene had the appearance Of an en-
bossed map. That this was the aspect of
the Alpine world brought home to me the
meaning Of being three miles up in the air.
Having en- not my fill, but as it were .
first deep draught, of the grand panorama,
breakfast-it wasour third-was announced.
On the couch, sheltered by the topmost
riB bm the current of air which on this
morning came up to the north side, my
shawl, which a porter had brought up, had
been spread for me on the snow to lie
upon. The sunshine was delicious. It was
subtle ether prevailing with invigorating
warmth my mind as well as my body. My
muscles my bones, my very brain had an
Unsuitable affinity fo1 Its absorption,
aided by the other adjuncts of the situation,
constituted for the time their sum,msuns
bonum leaving nothing to be desired, or
that could be thought of, as wanting or bet
ter. No thought about the difficulty some
feel in breathing rarifed air, any more
than about the cold usually felt at these
heights, occurred to me during the day; in
fact, these matters were never at all in my
mind, till in the evening, on my return to
Chamouni, I was asked how I managed
with respect :. them. As to my clothing,
I did not wear on the summit, nor at any
time during the night or day, anything
more than I wore throughout my whole ex-
cursion. My outer garb was suit Of light
and rather fimsy cheviot, and my inner of
rather fine merino. These on SO calm and
sunny day I found amply sufficient. In
ascending, and again in descending,
changed both socks and boots at the Grands
Mulets. s.-Fraser's Magasins.


In olden times superstitious persons,
when about to choose name for child,
ighteda number of torches of an equal
length and thickness, to each of which they
gave a name, and the name OF the torch
which burned the longest was that which
they chose for the child, imagining by this
means to insure it q long Life.





People who buy only cheap ornamen"
change them often; but real lace and fe@
| gold and real gems are. fakj&, ,saneraaon'
and perhaps more than