The Holy Mountain of La Salette.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

14 TEE HOLY MOUNTAIN OF
out to stop his career from Elba. Beyond La
Mure, the Alps send forth their giant arms to
receive the traveller. Arthur Young has observed,
that no portions of the Alps present
scenes of more striking beauty than the southern
parts of Dauphinb. Here the scenery
begins to grow sublime in the highest degree,
and the interest increases for the rest of the
way. The roads, however hilly, are excellent.
And now this road goes down, winding and
turning upon itself like a huge serpent in broad
meanders for several miles, until it narrows
into a very deep-seated oval of rich vegetation,
and then it goes up on the other side to greater
heights with similar contortions. Look back.
It is a prodigious hall sunk in the earth with
giant staircases, and their balusters are beautiful
trees. Vast and sombre ranges rise upon
the eye of the approaching traveller, crossing
the line of the horizon in all directions, here
fantastic in their form, there broken with sheer
precipices thousands of feet in perpendicular.
At last Mount Obiou reveals himself distinctly
above all his brethren. The masses of
rock narrow, stage, above stage in their ascent,
as the tower of Babel is represented, and the
huge pile leans on one side, like the tower of
Pisa, untilthesnow covered summit has attained
a height above the sea of nine thousand two
hundred and twenty-five feet. It is said to
be visible on the Mediterranean at a distance
of one hundred leagues. Our way is not without
its records of La Salette. There are vineyards
as black, and, apparently, as lifeless as
the withered fig-tree. And we pass through