CHAPTER XVI. 



A MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE. 



It all came about this way: Ruth and 

 I needed a vacation. Our good Dr. L. said 

 that we needed the mountain rather than the 

 sea. So I brought home the ordinary moun- 

 tain literature from the office and, securing the 

 loan of a guide book or two, we sat down after 

 tea to look and study and map out routes and 

 figure and determine ; in two hours we had set- 

 tled the affair and a week later were whirling 

 away up into Vermont for a fortnight's invigor- 

 ation amid her unrivalled mountain scenery. I 

 was heartily glad the doctor suggested moun- 

 tains, for what he orders seems to ease up con- 

 ditions and opens doors of exit and closes 

 those of care. My love for mountain scenery 

 dates from early boyhood; there were none 

 near, but seen at a distance and were intensely 

 enchanting. An important factor in this early 

 mountain love was a "hired man" who had long 

 lived in the White and Green Mountains, chop- 

 ping and logging during winters, and being a 

 natural story-teller he thrilled and edified us 

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