Mountain trail ascending to a peak with three people hiking up. Clouds obscure the
peak. Full-page illustration with poem let in to rectangular blank space in the bottom
left
corner.
Ascent of Snowdon.
How merrily they plied the Alpine staff1
In climbing from the lowland farms and barns !2
Upward and onward still, intent to quaff3
The topmost airs, beyond the dark blue tarns4
And silver mists and echoes ! How the gales5
Of Snowdon brac’d the heart poor Willie lost6
Among the wild sweet faces of the vales !7
How his cheek glow’d, and how his hair was tost
!8
While one poor wight, too weak for that steep track,9
Sat with the boulders and the shining threads10
Of mountain-spiders, till his friends came back ;11
And watch’d their tints among the breezy ferns,12
Their shy escapes and beautiful returns,—13
And caught and kiss’d the wandering thistle-seeds.14