reared themselves to these high altitudes and there remain century
by century unseen by any human being. From deep within the
interior of the earth they have arisen. And they are only touched by
the whitest snowflakes. They are only touched by snowflakes
fashioned from the moisture which the sun's rays have raised off the
surface of the Indian Ocean, and which the monsoon winds have
transported in invisible currents, high above the plains of India, till
they are gently precipitated on these far-distant heights.

"Blessed are the pure in heart," we are told, "for they shall see God."
And blessed are they who are able to ascend to a region like this, for
here they cannot but be pure in heart, and cannot _help_ seeing God.
For the time being at least, they _have_ to be pure. In the spotless
purity of that region they cannot harbour any thought that is sordid
or unclean. And they pray that ever after they may maintain what
they have reached. For they know that if they could maintain it they
would see beauties which in the murky state of common life it is
impossible to perceive. In the white purity which this high region
exacts they are forced to pierce through the superficial and
unimportant and they catch sight of the real.

They are in a remote and lofty solitude, and in touch with the naked
elementals of which the world has built itself. But they do not feel
alone. They feel themselves in a great Presence, and in a Presence
with which they are most intimately in touch. And it is no dread
Presence, but one which they delight to feel. Holiness is its essence,
and their souls are purged and purified. They are suffused with it; it
enters deeply into them, and translates them swiftly upward.

CHAPTER VIII

THE HEAVENS

The remote glacier region gives us a sense of purity, and gives us,
too, a vision of colour in its finest delicacy. But for depth, extent,
and brilliancy of colour we must look to sunsets--and sunsets in
those high desert regions where the outlook is widest and the
atmosphere clearest.

In deserts everywhere marvellous sunsets may be seen, for the
comparative absence of moisture in the atmosphere and the presence
of invisible particles of dust gives these sunsets an especial
brilliancy. In the middle of the day a desert in its uniform brownness
is dreary and monotonous to a degree. But at dawn and sunset when
the sun's rays slant across the scene the desert glows with colour of
every shade and hue