GOOD night! and farewell! 75 



liiiai Good Night ! to all its loveliness. It was more 

 l)eautifiil, if possible, than ever before. We had come to 

 know and love its features like those of a dear friend. 

 We had seen its face in all moods and phases of feeling. 

 To-night it was placid, — quiet and sad, we thought, — or was 

 that a reflection of our own emotions? As the evening- 

 shades crept steadily and heavily down from the moun- 

 tains, and then The full-orl)ed moon arose and dispelled 

 them again, and we lingered, reluctant to say the parting- 

 word to the lovely water with the home-spun name, — we, 

 hovering between two worlds, the depth above and the 

 depth below, — and looked abroad on forest and mountain 

 and lake, in their supernatural glor}^ of light and shade, 

 and felt — as who does not when bidding farewell? — that 

 we might never behold them again, who shall blame us if, 

 for that moment, we idealized all this charm and beauty 

 and mystery, and gave it a human soul, — and if we stood 

 on the shore, at last, and waved a silent adieu with emotions 

 like those a lover feels as he bids the maid he loves a long 

 farewell ! 



Many a time, that evening scene in its surpassing serenity 

 and loveliness has come to the heart of the Neophyte, in 

 his slumbers by night. — but his waking vision has never 

 since looked upon the beautiful water, to which he that 

 night silentl}^ said "Good Night, forever!" . 



The nois)' morning came, the bright, strong, sensible sun, 

 and the preparations for our departure, which consumed 

 nearly all the forenooon. It was surprising how much 

 packing we had to do, considering what an impudently 



