of
the features of the landscape from which, in the winter, the freighters
measure distances--a kind of millarium or central milestone. Surely
this is a country of vast horizons, both mentally and visually.

About every twelve miles we pass a stopping place where the winter
freighters and their teams are fed. These houses and stables are built
of logs and are sheltered by the forest. I prefer to say they have a
roof-tree, the words seeming to suggest a good deal more. In spite of
their splendid isolation, these stopping places do an excellent
business and, while warm and well-provisioned, are still somewhat in
the rough. The purser says this roughness is not worth regarding, for
while here is the country a fellow roughs it, in the city he "gets it
rough."

"And that reminds me, ladies, of my errand to you," he continues; "you
are probably aware there are only sixteen bunks on this boat and eight
mattresses. You, of course, will use your own blankets and pillows,
but I perceive you have not secured mattresses. It would be
wonderfully easy if you were to carry off one, or even two, from the
priests' state-rooms, for at this very minute the priests say prayers
on the lower deck."

"And believe me," he concludes in a highly chivalrous manner, "you two
ladies have an unquestionable right to the mattresses, so that I shall
consider your act to be one of perfect propriety."

Thus encouraged by the pursuer I proceeded with my room-mate to seize
our "unquestionable rights," but, approaching the priests' door, my
heart failed me, and our undertaking seemed a plain and undeniable
demonstration of wickedness like the robbing of a child's bank. They
are such quiet, well-deserving men, these eight black-smocked Brothers
who are going North to the jubilee of the great Bishop Grouard, the
like of whom there never was. Also, they are very polite, and the one
who is an astronomer and comes from Italy, picked out the tenderest cut
of beef for me at supper.

"Pray don't be silly," snorted my room-mate, "the rules of their Order
say distinctly they shall deny themselves and not sleep softly.
Besides, when men take terrible vows that they will never get married,
it is a woman's stoutest duty to steal their mattress whenever the
opportunity serves."

She also told me with rapid brevity some names which Clement of
Alexandria, a Father of the Church, applied to women in the early days
of the Christian era. She had read about t