of
the three that rise above the waste of surfy sand and hillocked
shore--the lighthouse for life, and the belfry for labour, and this--for
patience and praise.

"I cannot tell the half of the strange pleasures and thoughts that come
about me at the sight of that old tower; for, in some sort, it is the
epitome of all that makes the continent of Europe interesting, as
opposed to new countries; and, above all, it completely expresses that
agedness in the midst of active life which binds the old and the new
into harmony. We in England have our new streets, our new inn, our green
shaven lawn, and our piece of ruin emergent from it--a mere specimen of
the middle ages put on a bit of velvet carpet to be shown; and which,
but for its size, might as well be on a museum shelf at once, under
cover:--but, on the Continent, the links are unbroken between the past
and present; and, in such use as they can serve for, the grey-headed
wrecks are suffered to stay with men; while, in unbroken line, the
generations of spared buildings are seen succeeding, each in its place.
And thus, in its largeness, in its permitted evidence of slow decline,
in its poverty, in its absence of all pretence, of all show and care for
outside aspect, that Calais tower has an infinite of symbolism in it,
all the more striking because usually seen in contrast with English
scenes expressive of feelings the exact reverse of these."

At Tergnier we alighted for dinner, being allowed twenty minutes for
five courses and dessert. But hunger of a violent kind prevented any
unreasonable grumbling, and we fortified ourselves for a long night's
journey. Of course, when our dinner had digested, we thought of all the
horrors of midnight railway journeys, and remembered seeing the poor
Curate of St. Pancras after the same journey into Switzerland a year or
two ago. His head was plastered and bandaged, and he, poor fellow,
looked a sorry pickle after the burglary and attempted murder, but was
it not a splendid subject for a sermon when he found himself at
Chamounix and able to preach! And did he not profit by the unusual
opportunity! In thinking of this we each said our prayers quietly, when
we fancied the other was not looking, and towards midnight we wound up
our watches, which we understand are seldom remembered by travellers on
night journeys.

At this stage of the narrative it seems highly desirable to describe
ourselves, and we hasten to prove a total absence of an