Year: 1879

1T is of no Importance, my name. Yet
| am somebody, though only a guide,
and others respect me beside my wife and
children that live by my toll. When it
is told that Jacques Balmat was my
grandfather, people take off their hats
and say, Y es, indeed, this man is some
body"


He would often tell us how he made
that first ascent of Mont Blanc, and | re-
member how he looked, and the very
words he used, as we'll as if it occurred
yesterday, yet the old man mas been dead
forty years it will be next spling gtime.-
We used to like to hear him tell the story,
and he used to like to tell it, and always
concluded it by giving us children bon,
bons, out Of the old wooden snuff box
that DR.. Paccard gave him. We heard
the story twice or three times week,
and more often than that, whom we were
not ashamed to ask him, for children
never get tired of bon bons.


Every day, after dinner, my father,
when he was at home, carried my grand
fathers chair outside the chalet, where
he could sit in the shade and look at Mont
Blanc, the giant he had conquered. Yes,
my grandfather was the first to set foot
upon the neck of the mountain that from
the Creation had looked down upon peo-
pie, and said, " See am the only part OF
this world you cannot touch"


When my father was away, my mo-
ther took out the chair, but she could
never set it just in the position my grand
father liked, for, you see, he was eighty,
aud at that age men are not reasonable.
Then he would have the little table at his
side, with his coffee, which he himself
made, up to the last day Of his life. He
thought no one could make it SO well as
he, but | believe my mother made it bet.
ter, for the old gentleman's eyesight fall
ed, and sometimes he would put in too
much water, and sometimes too little
still, man who ascended Mont Blanc
for the first time may be allowed to think
he can do things better than other folks.


When he had settled his chair and his
table with the coffee to his satisfaction,
he would take out the wooden snuff box
containing Dor bons, and lay it down on
the table with good, loud cough, which
humor, and would like TO tell US about
his ascent. Our mouths watered as we
looked at the snuff. box, but we never got
a sight of the inside until the story was
told, and sometimes il seemed as il our
grandfather would never end. Still he
had something worth hearing 20 say, and
that is very different to listening 10 those
people who tell great deal about moth.
ing. will try and write the description
OF that ascent, just AS my grandfather
Jacques Balmat gave it.


Wien | WIS -oung man Of twenty
five" he would begin, that was in the
year l7S6-there were not many in our
canton could beat me at anything. 1t
seemed that could Go just whatever
set my mind to. ] could eat anything
and everything, sometimes nothing, as
times were good, Indifferent, and bad,
but nothing made me III. Dry bread was
good enough for me if could get moth.
ing better, and always | thanked God for
His Inercies, were they ever so small
There was no one in the village SO strong,
no, nor SO good looking a. WAS then
and knowing this, thought might as <
Martha Paccard to be my wife, though
her father was doctor, and knew every
thing, besides keeping servant and hav.
ing meat everyday in the week. DR..
Pac1ard was fond of me, and paid me a
good price for the crystals found, and
often would guide him up TO the top OF
Mont Brevet, whence you ear get the
best view OF Mont Blanc.


Zone day, when | had given him a
Gne crystal for nothing, and he was m ore