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Alpine Climbers Seeking Crystals
VERY- come to the level plain exclaim, "Oh, what body who a beautiful country!" It is so different can, goes from anything they have ever known to Switzer- that, while to most of us, it would be land, for all only a dead level and anything but beauhave read tiful, to them it is most captivating. accounts There is much more to see in Switzerof the won- land than tall mountains covered with derful snow. These are very beautiful and sub- Alps and lime, and persons travel from all parts of romantic the globe to gaze upon the sublimity of scenery. Alpine scenery. The most famous moun- Boys and tain is Mt. Blanc, the summit of which is girls who 18,000 feet above the level of the sea. live in This is the highest mountain in Europe the little and is covered with perpetual snow. cottages There is a village at the foot of Mt. perched Blanc, which is a great resort for travelup on the lers, and from this point tourists often steep sides ascend the mountain. This is considered of the asomewhat daring achievement. There Swiss are guides whose only business is to conmountains duct travellers to the summits of this and when they get down into the valleys or other Alpine mountains. (157) It often happens that on Mt. Blanc the as much appreciated as the magnificent mountaineer is overtaken by a blinding summits crowned with everlasting snow. snow storm; this adds very much to the The annexed engraving represents several danger of the expedition. At all times tourists gathering crystals. These in the danger is great, for there are chasms, various forms are found upon the mounsome of them thousands of feet in depth, tain sides and are eagerly sought. The and when one is crawling along the edge young geologist who wishes to make a of such a precipice, knowing that one valuable addition to his cabinet can very misstep would be sure destruction, he is profitably spend a month among the likely to become somewhat nervous, and lofty needles and rocky summits of the to conclude that it is not worth while to Alps. It requires hard climbing and not thus expose his life simply for the glory a little skill to get the coveted specimens, of ascending to the summit of the highest but no young person is properly fitted for mountain in Europe. It really requires life who has not learned that only by an athlete to climb the Alps, and even difficult labors and hard struggles are the then the greatest caution must be exer- best things to be secured. cised lest one misstep should land the climber thousands of feet below.
Every boy and girl will have Alps to climb if they live long enough, and will Not only is Switzerland rich in scenery, need strength, courage and fortitude. not only are the loftiest mountains to be Beautiful crystals are not to be had withfound there, yet there are other attrac-out strenuous effort. What comes the tions for some travellers which are quite hardest is always the best.
