30 JUNE IN FRANCONIA. 
ners, ever succeed in retaining it undis- 
turbed for any long time together. As a 
class, they have learned to take the familiar 
maxim, “Seeing is believing,” with several 
grains of allowance. With most of them, 
it would be nearer the mark to say, Shoot- 
ing is believing. 
My special errand at the lakes being thus 
quickly disposed of, there was no reason why 
I should not accompany my friend to the 
summit. Lafayette gave us acold reception. 
We might have addressed him as Daniel 
Webster, according to the time-worn story, 
once addressed Mount Washington; but 
neither of us felt oratorically inclined. In 
truth, after the outrageous heats of the past 
few days, it seemed good to be thrashing our 
arms and crouching behind a boulder, while 
we devoured our luncheon, and between 
times studied the landscape. For my own 
part, I experienced a feeling of something 
like wicked satisfaction; as if I had been 
wronged, and all at once had found a way 
of balancing the score. The diapensia was 
already quite out of bloom, although only 
nine days before we had thought it hardly 
at its best. It is one of the prettiest and 
