-de-Comiers, dissatisfied
with the conduct of their cure, invited M. Fermaud, pastor of the
Protestant church at Grenoble, to come over and preach to them, as
they were desirous of embracing Protestantism. The pastor, supposing
that they were influenced by merely temporary irritation against their
cure, cautioned the deputation that waited upon him as to the gravity
of their decision in such a matter, and asked them to reflect further
upon it.

For several years M. Fermaud continued to maintain the same attitude,
until, in 1865, a formal petition was delivered to him by the mayor of
the place, signed by forty-three heads of families, and by nine out of
the ten members of the council of the commune, urging him to send them
over a minister of the evangelical religion. Even then he hesitated,
and recommended the memorialists to appeal to the bishop of the
diocese for redress of the wrongs of which he knew they complained,
but in vain, until at length, in the beginning of 1868, with the
sanction of the consistory of Grenoble a minister was sent over to
Comiers to perform the first acts of Protestant worship, including
baptism and marriage; and it was not until October in the same year
that Pastor Fermaud himself went thither to administer the sacrament
to the new church.

The service was conducted in the public hall of the commune, and was
attended by a large number of persons belonging to the town and
neighbourhood. The local clergy tried in vain to check the movement.
Quite recently, when the cure entered one of the schools to inscribe
the names of the children who were to attend their first mass, out of
fifteen of the proper age eleven answered to the interrogatory of the
priest, "Monsieur, nous sommes Protestantes." The movement has also
extended into the neighbouring communes, helped by the zeal of the new
converts, one of whom is known in the neighbourhood as "Pere la
Bible," and it is possible that before long it may even extend to La
Salette itself.

* * * * *

The route from Vizille up the valley of the Romanche continues hemmed
in by rugged mountains, in some places almost overhanging the river.
At Sechilienne it opens out sufficiently to afford space for a
terraced garden, amidst which stands a handsome chateau, flanked by
two massive towers, commanding a beautiful prospect down the valley.
The abundant water which rushes down from the mountain behind is
partly collected in a