eir path.

For a long time they proceeded in silence, the muffled sound of the
snow, as it sank beneath their regular footsteps, being the only
interruption to the universal stillness around. There is something very
solemnising in a scene such as we are now describing--the calm
tranquillity of the arctic night, the pure whiteness of the snowy
carpet, which rendered the dark firs inky black by contrast; the clear,
cold, starry sky, that glimmered behind the dark clouds, whose heavy
masses, now rolling across the moon, partially obscured the landscape,
and anon, passing slowly away, let a flood of light down upon the
forest, which, penetrating between the thick branches, scattered the
surface of the snow as it were with flakes of silver. Sleep has often
been applied as a simile to nature in repose, but in this case death
seemed more appropriate. So silent, so cold, so still was the scene,
that it filled the mind with an indefinable feeling of dread, as if
there was some mysterious danger near. Once or twice during their walk
the three travellers paused to rest, but they spoke little, and in
subdued voices, as if they feared to break the silence of the night.

"It is strange," said Harry, in a low tone, as he walked beside
Hamilton, "that such a scene as this always makes me think more than
usual of home."

"And yet it is natural," replied the other, "because it reminds us more
forcibly than any other that we are in a foreign land--in the lonely
wilderness--far away from home."

Both Harry and Hamilton had been trained in families where the Almighty
was feared and loved, and where their minds had been early led to
reflect upon the Creator when regarding the works of His hand: their
thoughts, therefore, naturally reverted to another home, compared with
which this world is indeed a cold, lonely wilderness; but on such
subjects they feared to converse, partly from a dread of the ridicule of
reckless companions, partly from ignorance of each other's feelings on
religious matters, and although their minds were busy their tongues were
silent.

The ground over which the greater part of their path lay was a swamp,
which, being now frozen, was a beautiful white plain, so that their
advance was more rapid, until they approached the belt of woodland that
skirts North River. Here they again encountered the heavy snow, which
had been such a source of difficulty to Hamilton at setting out. He had
profited by his former exper