University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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18 THE REDWOOD. motion. I could see my companion no longer. Victory is mine! I have conquered V I am at last among the great ones of the world V and similar thoughts rushed through my mind, causing me to experience a sensation which I recall now with grief, be- cause I afterwards learned it was the sensation of Pride. Pride has cast many a man down from the elevated heights of wisdom and of power and this would have been my fate, had it not been for the kindness of my friend. ' You are dizzy, said he. That I am, murmured I. Then fall to the earth or you Avill be carried from this height to the very depths of humiliation. I did as he said and after this little act of humiliation was once more able to stand erect and view the surrounding scenery. WM. JOHNSON, Sophomore. CHAPTER III.— On the Summit. And what a grand vista spread out before us on all sides! Behind us, stretching beyond the limits of our vision, lay the wintry clouds, their white and black so blended that they resem- bled a turbulent sea, and in fact for a moment I imagined that from some tall cliff I was in reality gazing on the storm-tossed ocean. Somewhere beneath that vaporous mass was the busy, restless city with its millions struggling on in search of hap- piness ; the same coming and going and wrangling and discussing that I had heard but a short while ago ! But what a different prospect when I looked out over the scene before me! Instead of the expanse of darkness, I beheld a brilliantly illuminated panorama; instead of the dark clouds my eyes rested on a wonderfully picturesque valley. Nothing was disturbed, nothing agitated. All was serene and calm. Wood- land, hill and river were clothed in wondrous beauty, and as I gazed on the scene in rapture, some soft sweet strains, such as ideal birds might sing, broke out from all quarters of the valley and mingling with the fragrance that rose incense-like from the surrounding foliage, floated sweetly through the tranquil air. But more wonderful still were the varied streams of light pour- ing from the trees, from the waters, and from the many build- ings. I could not contain myself and in ecstacy I exclaimed : Hail, holy light,offspring of Heaven first born ! Or of the Eternal, co-eternal beam ! (To be Continued.)

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THE REDWOOD. 17 that I feel as if I had been in this delightful spot all my life? This is your first intellectual delight, he said, you have done well so far and in the eternal order of things.it is so or- dained that man does not labor long without some sensible re- ward, but you must guard against the fatal error of such as, hav- ing reached this point, think that it is their goal, whereas it is but a foretaste of what is to come. I have seen some pause at that fountain yonder for years and years, although if you take the pains to examine the inscription thereon you will not be able to understand how they could do so. I did take the pains, and to my great surprise found these immortal lines of Pope, which were written there by this great high priest of an age of reason and prose, when he was strug- gling up this self-same mountain side: A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring; There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers it again. Returning, I begged my guide to lead me on, promising t » stay with him until we reached the summit, in spite of any dif- ficulties, and again we started off. Soon, however, and to my great chagrin, notwithstanding strong resolves, we came to a slide of broken shale rock through which the trail led. This shale rock, I may remark here, when broken in small fragments, forms a very disagreeable path, for the feet sink into it as in sand, and when in addition to this the path is steep, it is all but impossible to make any progress. 1 started to climb, however, nothing daunted, but was so very soon exhausted that I paused and turned to my friend, who smiling gently moved cautiously along through the treacherous stuff, step by step, giving the rock a chance to settle beneath one foot before moving the other. I did likewise and soon found myself on solid ground. This place, I was informed as we proceeded, was the Grade of Perseverance. As I had the good fortune lO work my way through it, the remaining part of the journej was comparative] y easy. As we approached the top, there being few obstacles, we naturally made great progress. But, alas! I w as not accustomed to the rare atmosphere and so was seized with a sudden dizz? ness, which gave to surrounding objects a peculiar whirling

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THE KEDWOOD. 19 In flDemodam fatber Milliam flDclkinnon Sleep, gentle shepherd, sleep, and may ' thine be The peace of Saints: nor yet fore ' er abide Beneath the silent mound; but lo! inside Those heavenly realms of souls departed, free Repose; and dwell there everlastingly. With Angels pure, at thy Creator ' s side. Oh! good Samaritan, when anguish cried Thou heardest, and to shores beyond the sea, To fight for Christ didst sail, and on the field The dead and dying soothed, while soldiers round thee reeled. From volleys. Truest shepherd thou didst tend Thy Master ' s Sheep, and in their woe befriend. Rest thee, dear Father, not beneath the sod. But in the bosom of thy loving God. J. H. RIORDAN, ' 05.