C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

146 THE LADIES, THE G WI C H' I N, AND THE RATGwendolen Dorrien Smithin camp on Q rest d19' JuJy1926. Clara ColtmanRogers (~ !!y an) .Collection of Edward~all'Y'my diary, but when I write about crossing the rapids and Gwen murmuring"delicious, delicious" and when I note how the evening sunlight would gild allnatural objects from a spruce bough to a wide river, then I am getting near thetruth. The truth was that despite a few tremors over snags and currents, duringour four and a half days of paddling or drifting from Shingle Rock to Old Crowwe were living an enchanted life. We moved in a golden light down a golden river,free as butterflies, forgetful of all yesterdays, without care for any morrow. Thatis how I see the journey now, although I know, of course, that we did stop to wash