^be Dome of tbe laconics- 33 



summer population, especially if the high hills are 

 the objective points. The usual method of getting 

 up the Dome from South Egremont, is to ride some 

 ten miles into the town of Mount Washington, to a 

 point within less than twenty minutes from the sum- 

 mit ; and so all the delights of the ascent are diluted 

 into a kind of waggon picnic. Nobody seemed to 

 know of any good path from the South Egremont or 

 eastern side ; and it took a little faith and common 

 sense to decide that the climb could be made from 

 this side under much better conditions than by the 

 roundabout and lazy route most in vogue. 



Early in the season a little party of us undertook 

 the ascent, found an easy and romantic path, and 

 enjoyed a glorious view. Being sure of the pleas- 

 ures of this trip, 1 determined to summon my com- 

 rade in spring outings, himself a tall dominie, and 

 introduce him to the beauties of his own contiguous 

 territory, the fair valleys and hills of Columbia 

 County, New York. He was entirely willing to take 

 a small holiday and answered the call with alacrity, 

 bringing fair weather and a northerly breeze along 

 with him. Monday morning brought him to us ap- 

 parently as fresh and bright as if it were not the day 

 after Sunday, and by two oViock we were bowling 

 along in our farmer^s "two-seater '^ — an instructor 

 in New York University, a freshman in the same 

 college, the other dominie, and myself. We survived 

 the suffocating dust which rose from the parched 

 roads in the four-mile drive to the Knickerbocker 



