Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Mr. Beaumont. My child, it would be nothing short of madness to persevere when the fury of the elements is thus abroad; and if a prompt decision to return was not made in such cases, the most serious accidents, and even death itself, might result.

Mr. Clement. Almost all the travellers who have accomplished the ascent of Mont Blanc are Englishmen. There have been two or three Americans, as many Poles, a few inhabitants of the Priory; two Frenchmen only, and one French woman; for you must know that two women have had the courage to execute this perilous ascent. In 1809, the wife of a guide, named Maria Paradis, accomplished it. When she arrived at the Red Rocks, her strength failed, but her companions carried her up to the summit, desiring that such fearless courage as she had shown should be crowned with success. And in 1838, Mrs. Henrietta d'Augeville, notwithstanding all the fatigues which she endured on the route, persevered and arrived at the summit of Mont Blanc.

If men had half as much fortitude and determination in overcoming the difficulties and temptations of life as travellers display in encountering the peril and fatigues of such adventures as we have described, we should not so often hear of sad failures and disastrous falls. The pilgrim who is journeying

to the other world has a better guide, a safer path, and a far more desirable end of his journey than any earthly travellers can have. Why then do they so often wander out of the way and pierce themselves through with many sorrows?

[graphic]

THE WONDERS OF DAUPHINY.

THE Beaumont family and their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Clement and Lydia and Henry, were seated around a pleasant fire, which prevented them from feeling the cold. They were enjoying an agreeable chat, when Charles, addressing himself to Mr. Clement, said,

"Sir, I have not forgotten your promise to tell us something of the wonders of Dauphiny. We can devote one evening to this, if it will be agreeable to you."

The others having expressed the same desire, Mr. Clement cheerfully proceeded to gratify them.

"I would forwarn you," said he, "that they give to these different objects the name of wonders, because they attribute supernatural effects to them. I only mention these popular errors to show you their absurdity. Besides, now-a-days, nobody puts any faith in these supposed extraordinary occurrences, except superstitious people and persons of little education.

"These wonders are, the Inaccessible Mountain, the Trembling Meadow, the Tower without Poison, the Bridge of Claix, the Burning Fountain, the Caves of Sassenage, and the Grotto of Balme.

Louisa. Have you seen all these wonders?

Mr. Clement. All except the Trembling Meadow. This is a little island in a lake or river, near Gap, and they assure you that it often trembles all over. This is not very astonishing, for you know that in the lakes of Sweden there are many of these floating islands, formed by the roots of trees interlaced, in which has been collected vegetable mould on which plants grow. The meadow of which we speak may have been formed in the same way. There is nothing wonderful about it, but they try to make it so, by saying that every year this island comes to the shore in order to be mowed, and returns to its place when the operation is finished!

Charles. A polite meadow, indeed! I should think people only said so to amuse themselves while they do not really believe it.

Mr. Beaumont. I am by no means certain that there are not some persons still who believe it. There is, to be sure, a great improvement in the education of all classes; but there exist many more foolish prejudices, and more popular superstitious errors than is generally supposed. You can be easily convinced of this by conversing with ignorant

persons. Their credulity has often very injurious effects. Instruction in reading and writing, though of great importance, does not reach this evil. It will never be uprooted but by illuminating the mind by religious instruction, founded on the word of God. He who is convinced that God governs all, that he presides over all, that he does not suffer a sparrow to fall to the ground without his notice; such a man will not attribute any magical power to this or that particular spot, or to one combination of numbers more than another.

Mrs. Beaumont. Yes, men are naturally given to superstitions. This is shown to us by the desire which people always have to see prodigies, without seeking the natural explanations by which wonders are shown to be no more than ordinary occurrences. As to the Inaccessible Mountain, what does its name show but that nobody has ever reached the summit of it?

Mr. Clement. For a long time this ascent was deemed impossible, and though it has been ascended, the name "Inaccessible" is still retained. It is

sometimes called Mount Needle! I have seen it far and near; for I have gone almost all around it, but I have never attempted to ascend it. It is situated at the distance of three miles from Grenoble, toward the south-west, in the midst of a basin formed by rocks, which are called the Rocks of Gresse, on account of a river of that name which flows into this

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »