The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Village in the Mountains; Conversion of
Peter Bayssiere; and History of a Bible, by Anonymous

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Title: The Village in the Mountains; Conversion of Peter Bayssiere; and History of a Bible

Author: Anonymous

Release Date: January 25, 2004 [EBook #10831]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND OTHER STORIES ***

Produced by Renald Levesque and PG Distributed Proofreaders

THE VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS;

CONVERSION OF PETER BAYSSIERE;

AND

HISTORY OF A BIBLE.

* * * * *

THE VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

M. ----, a merchant, at the head of one of the first commercial houses
in Paris,[1] had occasion to visit the manufactories established in
the mountainous tracts of the Departments of the Loire and the Puy de
Dome. The road that conducted him back to Lyons traversed a country
rich in natural productions, and glowing with all the charms of
an advanced and promising spring. The nearer view was unusually
diversified; not only by the fantastic forms of mountains, the
uncertain course of small and tributary streams, and the varying
hues of fields of pasture, corn, vines, and vegetables, but by the
combinations and contrasts of nature and of art, and the occupations
of rural and commercial industry. Factories and furnaces were seen
rising amidst barns and sheep-cotes, peasants were digging, and
ploughs gliding amidst forges and foundries; verdant slopes and
graceful clumps of trees were scattered amidst the black and ugly
mouths of exhausted coal-pits; and the gentle murmur of the stream
was subdued by the loud rattle of the loom. Sometimes M. ---- and his
friend halted amidst all that is delightful and soothing; and after
a short advance, found themselves amidst barrenness, deformity, and
confusion. The remoter scenery was not less impressive. Behind them
were the rugged mountains of Puy de Dome; the lofty Tarare lifted
its majestic head beside them, and far before appeared the brilliant
summit of Mont Blanc.

[Footnote 1: An American gentleman then residing in that capital.]

In this state of mi