

and that he is heir, not only of the cen- 

 turies, but of eternity. 



Such days belong to the mountains ; and 

 when I opened my window on this morn- 

 ing, I was in no doubt as to the invitation 

 held forth by earth and sky. There was 

 exhilaration in the very thought of the 

 long climb, and at an early hour 1 was 

 fast leaving the village behind me. The 

 road skirted the base of the mountain, and 

 struck at once into the heart of the wilder- 

 ness, which the clustering peaks have pre- 

 served from any but the most fleeting 

 associations with the peopled world around. 

 A barrier of ancient silence and solitude 

 soon separated me even in thought from 

 the familiar scenes I had left. A virginal 

 beauty rested upon -the road, and sank 

 deep into my own heart as I passed along ; 

 to be silent and open-minded was enough 

 to bring one into fellowship with the hour 

 and the scene. The clear, bracing air, 

 the rustling of leaves slowly sifting down 

 through the lower branches, the solemn 

 quietude, filled the morning with a deep 

 116 



.:- 



m 



