Swiss Letters and Alpine Poems
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com 600022057M II 600022057M I aM z z o .t » * NE. -».'-< » T» -u$'f?mT ?%* ; Jr.* ' - Swiss Letters AND ALPINE POEMS. BY THE LATE FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL. EDITED BY HER SISTEK, J. MIRIAM CRANE. JAN'F«2 .) JAMES NISBET & CO., 21, BERNERS STREET. 203 butler & tanner, the selwood printing works, Frome, and London. PREFATORY NOTE. THE world-wide interest excited by the writings and " Memorials " of my lamented sister, Frances Ridley Havergal, has led her family to think that such of her letters as I have been able to collect, written to her home circle from Switzerland, will be acceptable to her many admirers. Some will feel pleasure in mentally revisiting the sublime scenery she describes with such vigour and simplicity ; and others will be inter ested in observing how unconsciously these letters illustrate her enthusiastic nature, her practical ability, and her ardent desire that every one should share her earthly pleasures and her heavenly aspirations. JANE MIRIAM CRANE. Oakhampton, near Stourport, October 20, 1881. CONTENTS. I. Encyclical Letter in 1869, during a tour with HER BROTHER-IN-LAW, HENRY CRANE, HIS WIFE, AND DAUGHTER MIRIAM LOUISA . page I-IOI Dover — Calais — Brussels — Obercassel — Bingen — Heidel berg — Baden — Basle — Neuhausen — Rhine Falls — Zurich — Berne — Thun — Interlachen — Lauterbrunnen — Miirren — Grindelwald — Giessbach — Meyringen — Rosenlaui — Briinig Pass — Lucerne — The Rigi — Altdorf — Langnau — Fribourg — Vevey — Montreux — Glion — St. Gingolph — Novelles — Chillon — Bouveret — Gorge du Trient — Martigny — T6te Noire— Col de Balm — Chamouni — Pierre a 1' Echelle — La Flegere — Montanvert — Mer de Glace— Mauvais Pas — St. Gervais — Geneva — Morges — Neuchatel — Dijon. II. The Mountain Maidens . page 102-113 III. Nine Letters to her sister, J. M. Crane, in 1871, DURING A TOUR WITH HER FRIEND, Elizabeth Clay .... page 1 14-190 Newhaven — Dieppe — Rouen — Paris— Belfort — Basle — Olten— Lucerne — Altdorf — Amsteg — Wasen — Geschenen — Andermatt — The Furca — Viesch — The .(Eggischhorn — Bel Alp — The Sparrenhorn — Zermatt — Visp — The Riffel — The Gorner Grat— The Hornlein — St. The"odule— Chatillon— Aosta — Morgex — Courmayeur — Mont de Saxe — Col de la CONTENTS. Seigne — Chapiu — Col de Bonhomme — Contamines — Col de Voza — Les Ouches — Chamouni — The Breven — La Flegere — Argentiere — Col de Balm — Col de Trient — Martigny — Montreux— Lausanne. IV. My Alpine Staff page 191 V. Holiday Work, written for " Woman's Work" Magazine, in 1873 . page 192-207 VI. An Alpine Climber . page 208-210 VII. Seven Letters to Mrs. Havergal, of Leaming ton, in 1873, during a tour with the Rev. C. B. Snepp, his wife, and daughter . page 211-268 Dover — Calais — Paris — Chalons-sur-Saone — Dole — Neuchatel — Berne — Lucerne — The Rigi — Fluellen — Alpnacht — Briinig Pass — Meyringen — Interlachen — Giess- bach — The Scheinige Platte— Grindelwald — Lauterbrunnen — Miirren — The Schilthorn — Thun — Berne — Geneva — Chamouni — Montanvert — Mer de Glace — Mauvais Pas — Col de Voza — Les Grands Mulets — La Tour — Col de Balm — T£te Noire— Gorge du Trient — Geneva. VIII. July on the Mountains . page 269 IX. Three Letters from a series (nine of which are missing) to Mrs. Havergal, in 1874, during a tour chiefly with her niece, Constance S. Crane . page 270-302 The Faulhorn — Ormont Dessus— Saanen — Col de Pillon — Chateau D'Oex — Gorge de la Tine — Montbovon — Allieres — Col de Jaman — Montreux — Sex Rouge — Auvernier — Pontarlier — D61e — Dijon — Paris. CONTENTS. X. Golden Land page 303 XI. Our Swiss Guide, written for the "Sunday Magazine" in 1874 . page 304-318 XII. A Song in the Night . page 319-320 XIII. Memoranda, by Maria V. G. Havergal, of a Tour in 1876 with her sister, F. R. H. page 321-351 Newhaven — Dieppe — Lausanne — Montreux — Vernayaz — Finshauts — Argentiere — Martigny — Orsiere — Hospice of St. Bernard — Orsiere — Martigny — Champexy — Berne — Interlachen — Schonfels — Pension Wengen — Interlachen — Basle — Strasbourg — Brussels. XIV. The Voice of Many Waters . page 352-356 SWISS LETTERS. I. ENCYCLICAL LETTER, Specially for the benefit of Maria, Ellen, and Frank. May 31, 1869. AFTER raining and roaring all Friday, and nearly all Saturday, the weather smiled out on Sunday, and promised for a beautiful passage on Monday, so we started from Dover this morning in good spirits. I have no notion of waiting till I am too ill to stir, before making myself comfortable ; so I made a regular nest in the lee of a deck cabin with a shawl for a mattress, carpet bag for pillow, pile of tarpaulin for back rest, hat off, and cape of waterproof over my head and pinned under my chin in sister- of-mercy-looking style. Then I lay down, and as rain seemed imminent was covered with a tarpaulin all but my nose. I) SWISS LETTERS. " You will be walked over, Fanny," says M. L. C. ; " you don't look like a human being ! " H. C. did not look much more like one I opined, for he was cased in a tarpaulin coat down to his heels, with a hood which stuck up in two stiff points, leaving little of his physiognomy visible but his venerable beard. So we joked each other for the first half hour, which was in all senses smooth sailing ; then sleep was suggested ; then kind inquiries were ex changed ; after that, silence ; after that, well, we won't talk about it, as it does not belong to the pleasures of memory. Poor J. M C. ! " Is that lady going to die ? " asks H. C. of the steward. " Oh dear no, sir ; not yet awhile," says he ; " but you 'd much better have all sat still up here." " In ten minutes, sir," says the steward. That keeps up our spirits ; sea trials can be borne that long. But a quarter of an hour passes, and we ask again. " Not much longer now, sir ; ten minutes or so will take]us in." So we get unbelieving and give up asking. At last we are in, and happier in mind and body, rather ! A most uninteresting rail ride, leaving Calais I. IS, arriving at Brussels 6.30. Hotel de l'Europe, in Place Royale. Table d'hote speedily, at which we chattered with a Swiss gentleman, who " could DOVER TO BRUSSELS. afford to be generous," as M. said, and praised the Rhine astonishingly, far more than I could, who have only Scotland to compare it with. After this, the lady who was " going to die " in the morning proposed going out to see what could be seen in the lovely evening light ; so the three went, and I stayed to rest. For this piece of prudence I had a reward. Very soon a pleasant Belgian maid came in, with her white frilled cap tied under her chin. - She asked if I was not well, seeing me on the sofa. I explained that I had had a long journey from England. She asked how it was that England was all surrounded by water ; she had heard so, but could never understand it. My explanation led on to more talk, and she told me of a fearful illness she had last year when " la maladie " was raging in Brussels. This was a nice opportunity to speak of Him who " healeth all our diseases." She seemed thoughtful, and so inter ested that she stayed talking half an hour. She told me how near death she had been ; she did not know it at the time, but when she had since thought of it, " that one must die, and all alone, — " and she finished the sentence with a most expres sive shuddering gesture. Evidently she felt the ceremonies of her church were not enough to give peace in death, nor in life either ; for when I appealed to the feeling, certain to exist even if SWISS LETTERS. denied, that the heart is not filled, that it has a craving for something that is always at the bottom unsatisfied, even when things are smoothest and brightest, she looked almost startled at hearing her feeling put into words, and said most sadly and earnestly : " Mais oui, mais oui, mademoiselle, mais c'est vrai, cela ! " She promised me that she would pray for the Holy Spirit. Poor girl ! she will have no earthly teacher. After she was gone I marked all I most wanted her to notice in a French St. John's Gospel, and gave it her next morning. She seemed pleased, and promised to read it. In marking it I was struck with what I have so often felt, viz. that when one reads any part of the Bible with anything special in view, it is wonderful how much seems to bear on the particular subject, as if written on purpose. So it was that every chapter seemed full of just the very teaching poor Victorine needed, the satisfied thirst, the promise of eternal life, the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and all through "Jesus only," all pointing to Him and to none other for peace and salvation. June i. From Brussels to Obercassel. We had no sunshine for the lovely Verdre valley, but the evening was exquisite. H. C. and the others stayed to see Aix and Cologne, while I went OBERCASSEL. on to see Fraulein Kramer, at Bonn, where papa stayed the winter. They were heartily delighted to see any one who could bring news of him, " the best man in the whole world, so through and through good, who had left a blessing which had rested on their house ever since." Then I walked down to the Rhine ; the stream was very full and strong, and the colouring vivid as we left Bonn ; the Rhine a delicate silver blue, the east bank golden green, houses and walls almost scarlet in the evening glow ; then beyond the low sunny shore rose the Seven Mountains in deep cloud shadow, soft dark blue sharply outlined against the pale clear sky.