St. Gotthard Pass
175
arrived about ten o’clock in the evening, and found excellent accom-
modations at a hotel near the station. After a good night’s rest, we
were ready to continue our journey at an early hour.
About thirty miles west of Turin we left the vast plains which
“stretch like a garden for two hundred miles along the foot of the
Alps,” and, passing through a narrow opening in a low range of moun-
tains, entered the Piedmont valleys. Only one of these valleys, that of
Lucerne, is traversed by the railroad. Soon after entering this valley,
several others spread out like a fan, some at our right and some at
[231]
our left. But it is in this central and largest valley, at the terminus of
the railroad, that Torre Pellice is situated, and thither our course is
directed, that, if possible, we may encourage the little company there
who are striving under great difficulties to obey God. We reached this
place Friday, about 9 A. M., and were welcomed to the hospitable
home of Eld. A.C. Bourdeau, who, according to the vote of the last
European Council, had just located here with his family.