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I had expected to see the town; and it was part of the town no

doubt that stretched away before me, but it had rather the

beauty of the country There was nothing regular in streets or

buildings, nor co here and there, alone and in groups, with

fields or pieces of fields interh sloping roofs We were on a

height, I found, frohtfully

over this bit of the ra trees, was the first thing next the house on

this side; which I found was not the front; then the ground

fell sharply, andthe lake A stretch of the lake lay there, s the reflection of soe; where softened under a misty at bank And then, just behind

it, rose thedown upon lake and towns as if

to forbid a thought of foolishness in any one who should ever

live there So, in its beautiful gravity, Mont Pilatte seemed

to me, then and always Are not mountains alitnesses for

God? This first time I saw it, a misty cloud had swept across

the breast of the mountain and hid part of the outline; but

the head lifted itself in sunlight just above the veiling

cloud, and looked down in unspeakable majesty upon the lower

world Always my eyes went back to that wonderful mountain

head; then fell to the placid lake and the little town

sleeping in ht

the sharp pointed towers of a church or cathedral close by at

my left hand, just within my picture; I could not see the

whole church; then back to the soft veiled mountain A more

picturesque combination never went into a view I sat still in

a trance of pleasure, onlyslowly fro to the hiddenI do