THE JOURNEY^'S END. 
made happy with a comfortable lodging and plenty 
of grass, and as horseflesh then could not proceed 
further up the hill than this, we commence the 
scramble, on foot, as the moon was shining bright. 
We found then, as frequently afterwards, that it 
was' easier travelling oh foot or indeed on horse- 
back over bad roads at night than during dcxylight. 
It is wonderful how many rough stones holes, rocks, 
and logs, one can manage to leave behind 
when they are partially or even totally hidden by 
gloom, or darkness. Many a pitch dark night we 
have gone up and down that hill, before any road 
was cut, just on the cooly track, formerly an old 
watercourse straight up and down, without a stumble, 
or scratch, while, in good daylight, we have made 
many a miss, the results of which remain marked on 
our shins to this day. And it is just the same in 
the up and down hill journey of life. We firmly 
believe, on this journey many of our greatest diffi- 
culties have been passed or got over, in the dark, 
without any very great difficulty, never noticed until 
they were passed, or even never at all. Had we seen 
them, in a formidable array, staring us in front, plainly 
saying ‘‘Go back, no road here,” perhaps we would have 
turned ; and as we turned on a roundabout easier 
way perhaps we might have stumbled over a precipice ! 
Keep the path, rough and rugged as it may be. If 
you stumble you will get up again if you perserve, 
you will reach the journey’s end, very likely with 
some abrasions of the skin, or good hard knocks. 
What matter, if in the end you accomplish the jour- 
ney,’ and don’t go over the precipice ? Our readers 
may say, “Your argument is not sound, it’s all luck 
and chance, you might have been killed or mained 
for life.” We might have been, but were not, and we 
have frequently before remarked that we have little 
belief in luck and chance, at least not to the same 
extent as many. The simple fact is, that, when one 
is travelling over a rough road in the dark, whether 
it is a jungle path or the path of life, you walk or 
scramble much more cautiously and warily than if you 
saw all about and before you plainly enough. Just 
to simplify my meaning, many of us have heard 
of, seen, or even possessed (the writer had possessed 
many a time), a horse or pony whick it was hardy safe to 
ride on the well-kept high-road : he required a good 
sharp look-out, and if you got carelessly gazing 
about without attending to your bridle-hand down 
he would suddenly come, skinning his knees and 
pitching you over his neck and head. But that same 
horse, when on a rugged jungle path, is perfectly 
