Homely Tragedy. 263 



rose and floated over its reflection in Red 

 Tarn ; and now the wanderer has reached the 

 topmost, silent peak. Steeped in softest moon- 

 light, he looked on the wondrous world below, 

 and saw an English sight such as man has rarely 

 seen. In the delirium of a new bliss the moun- 

 tain " looked lovelier than dreamland in the 

 reflected glimmer of the snow ; and thus had 

 midnight found him, in a place so utterly lone- 

 some in its remoteness from all habitations, that 

 even in summer no stranger sought it without 

 the guidance of some shepherd." 



Rising from the stone on which he sat, a flake 

 of snow touched his face, then another, and 

 another. He ran rapidly down the first slope, 

 struck the path, and hurried on. The light was 

 quickly fading. The moon was hidden, and the 

 tarn, which but a moment before lay at his feet, 

 had gone out. Neither road nor path was now 

 visible, and the poor pilgrim of nature, utterly 

 bewildered, plunged blindly into the almost inex- 

 tricable passes of the mountains. The snow fell 

 thicker and thicker, and as the storm rose it was 

 swept hither and thither in blinding banks and 

 opaque masses until every familiar object was 

 hidden. Although almost overcome with the 

 lashing and fury of the storm the traveller in 

 wildest desperation staggered on, until an awful 

 precipice for ever put a cruel end to his wander- 

 ings 



