k. The other five miles were soon accomplished, all feeling
the exhilarating effect of drinking in copious draughts of mountain
air--God's pure and unadulterated stimulant to strengthen the nerves,
string up the muscles, and clear the brain, free from every drop of
spirit except the glowing spirit of health. And now the omnibus was
abandoned by a little roadside inn to the care of a hostler, who took
the horses (poor dumb brutes!) to feast on corn and water, God's truly
"good creatures," unspoilt by the perverse hand of self-indulgent man!

The driver, with the rest of the party, toiled up the hill-side, and
all, on gaining the summit, gazed with admiration across one of those
lovely scenes which may well make us feel that the stamp of God's hand
is there, however much man may have marred what his Creator has made:
wood and lane, cornfields red-ripe, turnip fields in squares of dazzling
green, were spread out before them in rich embroidery with belts of
silver stream flashing like diamonds on the robe of beauty with which
Almighty love had clothed the earth. Oh! To think that sin should
defile so fair a prospect! Yet sin was there, though unseen by those
delighted gazers. Ay, and thickly sown among those sweet hills and
dales were drunkards' houses, where hearts were withering, and beings
made for immortality were destroying body and soul by a lingering
suicide.

An hour passed quickly by, and there came a summons to luncheon. Under
a tall rock, affording an unbroken view of the magnificent landscape
outspread below, the tablecloth was laid and secured at the corners by
large stones. Pies both savoury and sweet were abundant, bread
sufficient, salt scanty, and water absent altogether. Bottles were
plentiful--bottles of ale, of porter, of wines heavy and light. Corks
popped, champagne fizzed, ale sparkled. Mark surrendered the eatables
into other hands, and threw his whole energies into the joint
consumption and distribution of strong drink. He seemed in this matter,
at least, to act upon the rule that "Example is better than precept": if
he pressed others to drink, he led the way by taking copious draughts
himself. The driver, too, was not forgotten; the poor man was getting a
chance of rising a little above his daily plodding as he looked out on
the lovely scenery before him: but he was not to be left to God's
teachings; ale, porter, champagne, he must taste them all. Mark
insisted on it; so the unfortun