The Alaskan Mines 261 



thousand feet deep. Beyond it was a ravine filled 

 with snow clear up to the top of a high mountain. 

 There were ice bridges, beneath which the streams 

 were flowing. There were here and there great 

 tresses of sparkling water from the cliffs, and far 

 down below the river was leaping from ledge to 

 ledge — not little ripples, but sheer plunges of from 

 fifty to a hundred feet. It was a most animated 

 scene, and I became absorbed in studying how I 

 could get a picture of it, when looking up, there 

 stood Mrs. Kirk, perfectly charmed by the lofty 

 and splendid surroundings. 



"Your husband will hold me responsible for this, 

 because you will be ill to-morrow." She smiled, 

 but thought not. I now understood how the popu- 

 lar wife of a popular pastor in the fine old city of 

 Philadelphia could forsake a fine circle and a wide 

 range of influence to brave the loneliness and priva- 

 tions of Yukon. It must be a work of discourage- 

 ment as well as of hardship. They might as well 

 try to organize a society of gomies or kittiwakes 

 as to build a church of that gold-fevered and mer- 

 curial population. As for brief impressions, a single 

 sermon, with no instruction before, and no pastoral 

 care afterward, I do not believe much in its value. 

 The church is an orchard, a vineyard, which must 

 have constant and laborious attention or it will 

 grow up to brambles and weeds. 



There is need of missionary work in the British 

 Northwest colony, sure enough. There is nowhere 



