THE LESitHIAN MOUNTAINS. 267 



cook a potato, I begin to wonder if education may 

 not be carried too far, and whether certain classes 

 would not be happier without it, and their work 

 better done. There is an old adage that ' a little 

 knowledge is a dangerous tiring ; ' and even in 



O i> cj / 



England we cannot pretend to do more than give 

 the working classes that ' little knowledge ' which 

 produces the ill effects that a perfect education 

 might or might not cure. 



But these are subjects beyond me, and I escape 

 gladly to the mountain side. When the first pale 

 ray of the dawn crept through the one tiny window 

 of our ' serai,' we left our couches, and went down 

 to lave our hands and faces in the icy waters of 

 the mountain torrent below. During the night 

 a slight fall of snow had made the valley white, 

 and a sharp frost had grizzled the long beard moss 

 on the mountain trees. We did not stay for break- 

 fast, but just collected all our impedimenta, deter- 

 mining to do two hours' climbing before sitting 

 down to eat and drink, and fasten on those 

 abominable iron claws, without which the rest of 

 the climb would be impracticable. 



For one like myself, but little used to moun- 

 taineering, the first two hours' climb was very 

 weary work ; and when at last we stopped to rest 

 and breakfast, the high peaks seemed further ofl' 

 than ever. Growing close to the boulder round 

 which we breakfasted was a medlar-tree, whoso 



