132 



are your furrows?" Not " how quickly will this capital repro- 

 duce itself?" but, — "what will it do during reproduction?" 

 What substance will it furnish good for life ? What work con- 

 struct protective of life ? If none, its own reproduction is 

 useless. For as consumption is the aim and end of production, 

 so life is the end and aim of consumption. 



Euskin says, in closing this series of introductory papers, that 

 he desires to leave this one great fact clearly stated, there is no 

 wealth but life — life, including all its powers of love, of joy, and 

 of admiration. That country is the richest which nourishes the 

 greatest number of noble and happy human beings ; that man is 

 richest who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the 

 utmost, has also the widest helpful influence, both personal, 

 and by means of his possessions, over the lives of others. 



I have only taken one small book, " Unto this Last," contain- 

 ing four essays. Of these four essays, Euskin says that he believes 

 them to be the best, that is to say the truest, rightest worded and 

 most serviceable things he has ever written, and the last of them 

 having had especial pains spent on it, is probably the best he will 

 ever write, and though they were reprobated in a violent manner, 

 he says I yet rest satisfied with the work, though with nothing 

 else I have done. 



NOTES OF A TOUR IN SWITZERLAND. 



By WILLIAM WITUAM. December lllh, 1888. 



Introducing the " Notes " by a glowing description of Switzer- 

 land, with her entrancing Alpine scenery, roseate sunbeams at 

 dawn and eve on the virgin snow, wreathing clouds of mist, — like 

 gossamer veils enfolding the crags and precipices, — the thundering 

 avalanches of snow, and also the sweet-smelling pine woods and 

 alpine pastures, a carpet of many coloured flora beautifully 

 blended ; — the reader, after a reference to "vast glaciers, snow- 

 fields, torrents and waterfalls," passed on to describe Geneva, "a 

 city divided by the Ehone into two parts, on the left the Geneva 

 of history, on the right the modern town." The banks of the 

 lake are flanked with broad quays and substantial buildings, 

 after the Parisian style, with huge hotels here and there, and 

 behind on the hill side the old town with the church of St. 

 Pierre. There are fine bridges connecting the two halves of the 

 town, and from the Mt. Blanc Bridge, when the atmosphere is 

 clear, there is a beautiful view of that mountain reminding one of 

 George Ehot's well-known words : — 



