Over The Alps

oreiirn Corresponde tice of the Argus. Lausanne jnov. yth. The valley of Lauterbrunnen is a mere gorge between mountains. lts entrance is between rocky precipices, which look frowningly upon you. - Through it runs the Black Lutschiue, which is fed by glaciers and mountain streams. The village oí Lauterbrunïen with difficulty adapts iteelf to the larrowness oí the valley, and upon ono side the mountuins slanting more gradually, oífer a place for the herdsman to construct his chalet, and the 'armer to cultívate his field. The glory of the vale, and that which draws many a traveler, is the Staubbach. It is not Niágara : its music is not like ton thousand thunders ; nor does it dash over the precijice a boiling soa. But it's a mere veil of water - a waving column. Boldly and unitedly it rushes over the ïock, eight hundred feet above, but ere it reaehes the earth below, its enemy the wind, attaaks it and scatters it in every direction, and dilïuses it into spray. - Yet wilh skill it unites ils wanderbg torces as il tomines tne eaun, iorms once more, and joins the phalanx of the Lutschine - the grand army of the cascades of the valley. Having spent a night in this gorge, on the morrow our company of three set out for a grand promenade. We were the representatives of Ireland, Wisconsin, and Michigan : and with strong limbs and ardent hearts we were bound for an adventure - no iess a one than crossing the Wergera Alp, and reachiffgi ere night, the valley of Grindelwald, tvventy miles distant. What cared we though old fogies at a dietance had said that it was too late to cross the mountains ? What cared we though the titnid were sure that the mow covered the passes, and winter had set in upon them ? Our good landlord at Lauterbrunnen had said it wasn't so ; our own though ts, too, said amen to this, and we were bound at least to rnake the tria!, and experionce for ourselves the temperature of the Wergern ! Behold us then, with our packs thrown over our shoulders and our Alpine stocks in hand, bidding bonjour to mine host and setting out for our journey. Having crossed the Lufschine, we vvound up a steep ascent by the inevable "zig-zag." Up, up, we toilod, passing through a hamlet and its surronndiog cultivation. Now a youngster comes running out of a chalet to give us a serenade with his squeaking mouth-piece, partly for our pleasure, prinoipally for our pence. Now we see two diminutivo mountaineers, over whose heads four summers have passed, performing wonderful feats at wrestling and rough and-tumbling-all, all for us ! Now a bouquet of doubtful beauties issiuck before us; and now a beggarly looking fellow kindly ofíers to guide us over the mountain. How many attentions we do receive ! The whole hamlet seem3 determined to please us ! But at length we leavo it bebind, and ifcs crowd of pleasant people, borrowing that we could not remain longer in such agreeable society ! And now as we ascend higher - the valley of Lauterbrunnen becomes smaller and smaller; the Lutschine dwindles into a mere brook ; the Staubbacb, which had Iooked down so haughtily upon us, was in turn Iooked down upon ; the village seemod a boy's plaything, and everything below tiveness itself. The weathor joined with the scenery to give us pleasure. - Never was it more beautiful for climb ing the mountaius. ïho sun was biight, but not oppressivc ; the air was bracing and invigorating. The breath of Autuma had ctinnged the foliage of the mountain loreste, and produced a variety of colora surpassmgly beautiíul. No snow appoarod save that whiuh cnveloped the summits of the Bernese Alps, vvhich we vvere approaching. Al noon we sat down near the top of the Wergern, and took our lunch, which we had brought with us. We dined in the presence of an illustrious compony. Just across tbe wild gorgo which lay beiore and bcneath us, the Jungfrau and the Deut'd'Argent sat upon their eternal thrones. How glorious wero thoy in their robes of dazzling white, as beautiful as punty, and " shining like truth." Tben the Monch, tbO Wetterhorn, tbe Eigher, noble prinees to adom the Courtof the Alp, attended their monarch and added importance to the assembly. Waa there ever a noblerking, ora grandercourt? Eepublican that I am, I could not bot take off my hat, and cry vive Ie roi, before him. In the presence of this illustrious company we ate, humble as we were. And as we sat, suddenly we heard the rausic of the Court begin. And what think you it was ? A harp of a thousand strings ? Or the lyre of Orpheus? No, but it was the grand organ of the A]pS - the hvalanche ! whoso musio, solt at ftrst, becomes at length like the thunder of heaven. Then above the Court thin clouds of snow, driven by the winds, curled up majestically, "white and sulphury, like foarn from the roused ocean of deep heil !" Think you not the scène paid us ior one morning's toil ? Think you not it was distinction to dine in the presenco of these monarchs of reountains? Come and do likewise, and see how you then regard it. We spent an hour here, rested our weary limbs and filled our empty stornachs. Then we were again upon the march. The summit was passed and the descent commenced. We noted the forest of withered pines, with its dead trunks all white and scraggy, striDDed and barkless which reminded Byron "of himself and family." We noted the rocky precipices which towered upon our right and upon our lef t. We noted the hamlet of the berdsrnan, occupied in slimmer but deserted in winter. We noted at length beneath us the Valley of Grindelwald, yvhieh seetned to be near but keptreceding as we proeeeded. The shades of night had fallen ere we found ourselvcs at the inn of Grindelwald. " Supper and to bed " was our cry that night. Our adventure had been crowned with success. We had proved the fallaey of old croDies' predictions and women's iears, and had crossed the Wergern among the last of its voyagers.