THE OPEN LETTER

Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury

THE LAUGHING WATERS OF HAPPY ISLES

In some scenery there is an element of awe—a grimness that makes us shudder. The charm of the Yosemite is that, with all its scenic splendor it is so serenely beautiful, so restful in character, and so endearing. There is no lack of majesty. Lofty summits surround us—some of them stern in aspect. El Capitan is a vast, beetling cliff, the Three Brothers are grim granite companions, and the peak of Cloud’s Rest is remote and austere. But, down in the valley, all is gentle and lovely.

I have visited the valley more than once, and I know its spell. Its soothing influence dulls the edge of decision. However energetic and purposeful we may be on arrival, we find, after a few days, that we have, quite unconsciously, eaten of the lotus of forgetfulness. Plans for various strenuous activities are modified; things that at first seemed urgent are postponed; and the day of departure drops into the list of life’s little uncertainties. Events take their own course; we yield to the current. Yesterday we followed the mountain trail, and we were full of the stir and thrill of it. Today we find other and quieter joys. So we let the climbers now call us indolent. We let them take to the summits while we hold to the valley. We are content. The flowers that offer themselves at our feet are as fair as those that they find on the heights. The air about us is soft and fragrant, and “sweet is the whisper of the pine trees by the river.” Our hearts are in unison with the pastoral poet, and we ask for nothing better today than to rest here and dream in the Happy Isles.

The valley is undergoing changes and improvements. The conditions there have always been very simple. Within recent years the government, realizing that the Yosemite was a wonderful natural playground, has done much to develop it. If a visitor of former years should go to the Yosemite today, he would rub his eyes and exclaim at the changes. He would find the old Sentinel Hotel and cottages superseded by the luxurious new hotel, and the village largely transplanted to the other side of the Merced. In place of the old-fashioned stages, he would find the ever-present auto-car. He would find the Glacier Point Hotel renewed and enlarged, and many improvements in the valley camps. He would find well-equipped lodges and chalets scattered through the Park for the comfort of those who take the long, arduous trails. The Yosemite is now an all-year-round resort, where winter as well as summer sport may be enjoyed. Uncle Sam’s invitation is: “Come to your pleasure Park, forget your cares for a while, and rest and play.”

W. D. Moffat
Editor

The Mentor Association

ESTABLISHED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POPULAR INTEREST IN ART, LITERATURE, SCIENCE, HISTORY, NATURE, AND TRAVEL

CONTRIBUTORS—PROF. JOHN C. VAN DYKE, HAMILTON W. MABIE, PROF. ALBERT BUSHNELL HART, REAR ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY, WILLIAM T. HORNADAY, DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF, HENRY T. FINCK, WILLIAM WINTER, ESTHER SINGLETON, PROF. G. W. BOTSFORD, IDA M. TARBELL, GUSTAV KOBBÉ, DEAN C. WORCESTER, JOHN K. MUMFORD, W. J. HOLLAND, LORADO TAFT, KENYON COX, E. H. FORBUSH, H. E. KREHBIEL, SAMUEL ISHAM, BURGES JOHNSON, STEPHEN BONSAL, JAMES HUNEKER, W. J. HENDERSON, AND OTHERS.

The purpose of The Mentor Association is to give its members, in an interesting and attractive way, the information in various fields of knowledge which everybody wants to have. The information is imparted by interesting reading matter, prepared under the direction of leading authorities, and by beautiful pictures, produced by the most highly perfected modern processes.

THE MENTOR IS PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH

BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC., AT 52 EAST NINETEENTH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. SUBSCRIPTION, THREE DOLLARS A YEAR. FOREIGN POSTAGE 75 CENTS EXTRA. CANADIAN POSTAGE 50 CENTS EXTRA. SINGLE COPIES FIFTEEN CENTS. PRESIDENT, THOMAS H. BECK; VICE-PRESIDENT, WALTER P. TEN EYCK; SECRETARY, W. D. MOFFAT; TREASURER, ROBERT M. DONALDSON; ASST. TREASURER AND ASST. SECRETARY, J. S. CAMPBELL

COMPLETE YOUR MENTOR LIBRARY

Subscriptions always begin with the current issue. The following numbers of The Mentor Course, already issued, will be sent postpaid at the rate of fifteen cents each.

NUMBERS TO FOLLOW

October 16. JOHN PAUL JONES. By Professor Albert Bushnell Hart, Harvard University.

November 1. RUSSIAN MUSIC. By Henry T. Finck, Author and Music Critic.

THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

52 EAST 19th STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.

THE MENTOR

WE OFFER YOU
The Mentor Index FREE

The MENTOR LIBRARY is itself a wonderful time saver. The Index, however, has now made it doubly valuable. Suppose, for instance, you have a letter to write, a speech to make; some member of your household has a paper for a woman’s club; one of the children has a topic assigned at school; where can material be found at a moment’s notice? Nowhere that we know of so readily, so concisely, so interestingly, as in this Index to The Mentor Library.

Take the subject General Aguinaldo—who is often referred to in the papers these days. See what The Mentor says of him. In the Index you read:

Aguinaldo, Gen., No. 89, M. 1

You turn to Mentor 89, monograph one. There you find the life story of Aguinaldo, right down to the present.

Remarkable, isn’t it? So it is on every one of the other thousands of subjects. You have at your finger tips what ordinarily would take you hours and even days to cover in scattered volumes. We offer one FREE, if you complete your Mentor Library now.

COST OF SETS OF PREVIOUS ISSUES

Issues Nos. 1 to 110 inclusive$16.50
Issues Nos. 1 to 100 inclusive15.00
Issues Nos. 1 to 90 inclusive13.50
Issues Nos. 1 to 80 inclusive12.00
Issues Nos. 1 to 70 inclusive10.50
Issues Nos. 1 to 60 inclusive9.00
Issues Nos. 1 to 50 inclusive7.50
Issues Nos. 1 to 40 inclusive6.00
Issues Nos. 1 to 30 inclusive4.50
Issues Nos. 1 to 20 inclusive3.00
Issues Nos. 1 to 10 inclusive1.50

FIFTEEN CENTS EXTRA FOR ODD COPIES

Payable $1.00 on Receipt of Bill and $2.00 Monthly

SEND NO MONEY NOW! Merely tell us at once how many copies you need to complete your set.

THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

52 EAST NINETEENTH STREET—NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAKE THE SPARE
MOMENT COUNT