GLEANiXCJS IN jjl^l-: cuLTUUi-:. 



A I'll. 



eel it away. Flutings and carvings, produc- 

 ed by tlie agency of the water,' are some- 

 times curious and beautiful. The streams, 

 also, linvc a color to them, sometimes red, 

 sometimes yellow, owing to the rocky matter 

 they hold in solution. This is what gives 

 both color and name to Green River. 



Well, after we had followed the well-worn 

 patli down quite a piece, we came to what 

 we judged must be the mouth of the cave. 

 It is a great sort of cavern, or opening, in a 

 gorge in a hill-side. A little streani pours 

 down directly over the mouth of the cave, 

 and forms a' tiny waterfall ; but Avhen the 

 water strikes the bottom it does not run any- 

 where, but just goes into the rocks out of 

 sight. Nearly one hundred steps, fashioned 

 in the rocks, took us down to the floor of this 

 cavern, and we walked along a sort of shelf, 

 or ledge, until we got out into the darkness. 

 Ernest was ahead, but called back to me 

 that there was an iron door across the open- 

 ing, and that we could not go any further. 

 Just then I kicked a loose stone, and it 

 went rattling down into a cliasm, and I 

 called to hini to come out, and l)e very care- 

 ful, or we should get into some fearful'abyss. 

 to i)ay for not waiting for the guide and 

 lights. 



As we came out of the mouth of the cave 

 we noticed a tombstone. On reading the in- 

 scription we found it was the grave of 

 Ste])hen Ihshop, almost the first original 

 guide, and one of the most daring explorers 

 of MamuK^th Cave. He spent his life among 

 its strange labyrinths ; and when he died he 

 was buried near his old home. Although we 

 had many miles to walkinthe cave that night, 

 I told Ernest that I wanted to see Green 

 River ; and so, down, down, down, we went, 

 until it seemed as if our pathway would 

 never reach the valley. It did, though, and 

 the sight of the river amply repaid us. 

 Away oif through the trees I caught sight of 

 another smaller river coming out of the side 

 of the mountain. I told Ernest I could not 

 think of going home until I had seen that. 

 This river came out of a sort of cave, as it 

 were ; and were one in a boat he might sail 

 into the mountain (piite a little distance. 



When we got back to the hotel we were 

 ready to enjoy an excellent supper, you may 

 be sure. We found the other live of oui- 

 compauy sitting by the fire, some of them 

 smoking. How cjin people sit down by the 

 lire, and loaf away time when it is so' pre- 

 ciousV Here we were at Mammoth Cave, 

 and the expense of getting here had been 

 such tliat every hour we remained would 

 rei)r('seiit several dollars in cash. It SPemed 

 to me almost too bad to take time to eat 

 suppei-; l)ut after supper I was tempted to 

 feel discouraged wiien we were told tliat the 

 partN would not be ready to visit the cave 

 liet'ore nine or ten o'clock. The bright, in- 

 telligent clerk, tliough, evidently understood 

 lier business, and slie entertained us during 

 these hours with descriptions of the cave, 

 telling us what route would l)e the one we 

 had better take, and giving us some of the 

 legends of the place. 



I want to digress a little here to point a 

 moral. All through life we meet not only 

 with vexed but disappointed people. Most of ; 



of us, too, meet with opportunities of soft- 

 ening vexation and disappointment, to say 

 nothing of opportunities of lianishing it 

 entirely. Most of us are serving our fellow- 

 men in' some capacity or other. The travel- 

 ing public are constantly looking to others for 

 what they need; and it is not only seirants 

 and dcrkti at hotels, who have it" in their 

 power to make people comfortable and hap- 

 py, but it is almost every one of us. Jesus 

 said, '' He that will be greatest among you. 

 let him be your servant." Unfortunately, 

 however, none of us like to be servants ; 

 and yet that is just Avhat we are ; and the 

 way to be happy is to enjoy being a servant. 

 Sinnetimes you say, '' I am not going to be 

 anybody's servant." Suppose, now, dear 

 friend, you should say, •'• I am going to be 

 everybody's servant." How would that 

 soundV Well, the proprietors of the hotel at 

 Mammoth Cave had tlie good luck to secure 

 a clerk, or book-keeper, wlio seemed t(^ feel 

 that the place whereunto God had called her 

 I was in being everybody's servant. She was 

 i not called upon to'bring wood for the fire, or 

 to put out the horses.it is true: but she 

 I '"served" by making people feel pleasant, and 

 willing to wait. I lh(uight once her gift was 

 i a rare one ; but in thinking it over I do not 

 know that it is so very rare after all. There 

 are thousands of young ladies I knowtwoovev 

 at our house) who can make themselves very 

 1 pleasant and agreeable if they have a mind 

 to try. Perhaps" you have seen girls in their 

 teens take pain to make themselves agreea- 

 ble to certain young men. Did they suc- 

 ceed? May be some of you can remember 

 how well they succeeded. Ask your wife if 

 she remembers any thing about it. Well, 

 now, suppose these same girls should exert 

 themselves just as much to entertain some 

 old lady, or, may be, a fidgetty, notional old 

 man, or perhaps half a dozen boisterous men 

 of the world — business men. for instance- 

 would they succeed? To be sure, they 

 would, if they tried to. I do not know 

 whether this youiig lady of whom I am 

 speaking was a' Christian' or not : but I do 

 feel that she honored her Savior in being 

 agreeable and entertaining for tln-ee or four 

 hours, to a party of seven who were impa- 

 tient to visit the cave. Some of this party 

 smoked cigars meanwhile, right in lier pres- 

 ence too ; but she looked cheerful and 

 happy for all that. 



1 inquired eagerly how it was that so many 

 people could be "found who could go oh 

 foot the eight or nine miles we expectd to 

 go that night. an<l uo{ become fatigued. 

 She said the air of the cave seemed to have 

 a wouderfidly exhilarating elfect on almost 

 every one, and tliat nuiny people would go 

 the entire long route of is'milesand not mind 

 it. She herself had ti-aversed it, and felt 

 well enough to attend a ball in the evening 

 afterward. I slndl have more to say of this 

 anon. 



Daniel Boone was one of the first who as- 

 sisted in exploring Mammoth Cave. In 1812 

 (luite a business was done in mining salt- 

 peter to sui)p]y our i)eoi)le witli the materi- 

 als for making gunpowdm- during the war of 

 the above date. One of the hrst explorers 

 was a man named Baker. He w^andered in 



