ALL 'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD 



venture of the frost is a stepping-stone in the sec- 

 ond; the river is again covered and may be again 

 broken up, but by and by, under a still lower tem- 

 perature, the thing is done and the river perma- 

 nently frozen over. Then the struggle is between 

 the frost and the sun till, in the spring, the latter 

 wins. 



IV 



At least one thing is certain as the result of man's 

 sojourn on this planet: he is becoming more and 

 more at home on it, more and more on good terms 

 with the nature around him. His childish fear and 

 dread of it is largely gone. He now makes playfel- 

 lows of things which once filled him with terror; he 

 makes servants of forces that he once thought stood 

 ready to devour him ; he is in partnership with the 

 sun and moon and all the hosts of heaven. He no 

 longer peoples the air and the earth with evil spirits. 

 The darkness of the night, or of caverns and forests, 

 no longer conceals malignant powers or influences 

 that are lying in wait to devour him. Even Milton 

 speaks of 



"this drear wood. 

 The nodding horror of whose shady brows 

 Threats the forlorn and wandering passenger." 



To US the wood is filled with beauty and interest; 

 the mountain is a challenge to climb to a vaster and 

 higher outlook, and the abysmal seas hold records 

 we would fain recover and peruse. Evil omens and 

 279 



