The Physician's Holiday

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXX. THE CnAPEL OP THE HOSPICE--MORNING SERVICE--'CONTRIBUTIONS OP TRAVELLERS--MONUMENTS--RESCUED TRAVELLERS DOGS DESCENT OP THE VALLEY OP THE DRANSE--ST. PIERRE--LIDDES--ST. BRANCHIER MARTIGNY COL AND VALLEY OP THE TRIENT--COL DE BALME VIEWS PROM IT DESCENT TO CHAMOUNI DETERMINATION TO DEPART BROKEN--ASCENT OP THE BREVEN DESCENT VISIT TO THE MER DE GLACE--RETURN TO CHAMOUNI. September 7.--We were roused from a sound sleep between five and six, by the great organ of the chapel of the Hospice vibrating through the whole house. After dressing I descended to the chapel where I found the whole brotherhood in their stalls, with the exception of our host of the evening, M. de la Soit, who was chanting the service. The only auditors beside the brethren, were three gentlemen, travellers like myself, and about a dozen visitors of the poorer class. There was something wonderfully impressive in this scene, as well from its physical concomitants as its moral associations: the early hour, --the locality of the holy place on this bleak and solitary Pass, amid the clouds and snows, so far beyond the habitations of man, --the scanty auditory, --the fine and tender voice of the priest pouring out the holy words with a sort of rapturous CONTRIBUTIONS OF TRAVELLERS. 467 enthusiasm, --and, over all, the mighty organ making the whole fabric thrill with its louder strains. It was as impossible not to believe that the homage so expressively proffered could only come from the heart, as it was impossible not to sympathise with the mental mood in which it originated. The whole process, however artificial, seemed natural and spontaneous; an outpouring of the feelings from some irresistible impulse of the heart, like the matin song of birds in the wilderness. The chapel is of c