20 JUNE IN FRANC ON I A. 



no other help than an opera-glass ! It was 

 almost past belief. I had felt some dilation 

 of soul, it was true, but had been quite 

 unconscious of any corresponding physical 

 transformation. What would our aboriginal 

 forerunners have said could they have stood 

 in the valley and seen a human form moving 

 from point to point along yonder sharp, 

 serrated ridge? I should certainly have 

 passed for a god ! Let us be thankful that 

 all such superstitious fancies have had their 

 day. The Indian, poor child of nature, 



" A pagan suckled in a creed outworn," 



stood afar off and worshiped toward these 

 holy hills; but the white man clambers 

 gayly up their sides, guide-book in hand, 

 and leaves his sardine box and eggshells 

 and likely enough his business card at the 

 top. Let us be thankful, I repeat, for the 

 light vouchsafed to us ; ours is a goodly her- 

 itage ; but there are moods such creatures 

 of hereditary influence are we wherein I 

 would gladly exchange both the guide-book 

 and the sardine box for a vision, never so 

 indistinct and transient, of Kitche Manitoo. 

 Alas ! what a long time it is since any of us 



