Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-21


which stooped down between the two mount
ain ranges. to let its angels revel in the green
beauty Of that valley and walk amid the
groves which dotted it everywhere. Near by,
saw within twenty or thirty milee, we're many
fields, whose stubble showed at that distance
like gold, dazzling and glistening in the sun
shine.
Toward the west, at o distance OF forty
milea, perhaps was the beautiful range OF coast
mountains--lofty, but undulating with grace
fnl curves, and so decked with green pines,
that no thought Of mountain ruggedness oc-
CURED while looking at them. They seemed
as peaceful and as lovely as the valley at their
base and imagination readily filled their un-
troubled solitudes with all imaginable beau
ties, and those unimagined and yet yearned-for
delights, which one will believe the earth can
afford, if we but knew where they may be
found. There they were--those beautiful
mountains The sun shone upon some of their
sides, giving golden tinge to the deep green
tree-tops, while shadows fell upon other places,
darkening and making solemn the color Of the
trees without giving the smallest touch OF sad
ness to their beauty The eye would follow
this great range of mountains, rising and fall
ing with their massive waves OF beauty" TIL
the deep green grew blue at last, and melted
slowly into the all-covering heaven.
Toward the east, however, was scene be-
yond all this, too grand for description, too
wonderful for painting. The high peak from
which we gazed went rapidly down, down,
faster and farther than we could follow it with
our eyes. In the gorge at its base grew great
trees, much greater, probably, than those about
us. Their lofty tops filed the narrow space,
and kept US from seeing the river, which must
have r0ared over n chaos Of rocks below; for,
at the height we were, its voice came to ns
softened and mellowed, until it mingled in har-
mony with the breeze which made holy music
in the pines above us.
Beyond this chasm the mountains rose high
and higher, but with gentle slopes, 80 that We
could see, between the treea, the reddish yellow
clay, which at this season of the year Is Tree
from all grass, but contrasts not unpleasantly
with the green trees
Higher and higher roee the mountains until
at last we saw beyond the sources Of the riv-
ers the great majestic masses Of the Sierra
Nevada Here rose giant cones, far above the
mighty hills about them, but still green with
their fitting crowns of pines Between them,
far in the faint distance, rose others yet higher,
whose proud SUBMITS bore no tree, but were
decked with white shining snow-purest Of
earthly things-and fitted to rest against the
blue heaven Below-thatis south of these conf
cal mountain tops-stood bare, grand, rocky,
broken mountain, which seemed to have re-
ceived upon it's broken and splintered crest all
the shocks which defed Heaven had hurled
upon it for six thousand years and yet it Stood
all battered and broken into thousand crags
as boldly and defyingly as ever, trusting In It's
granite strength TO outlast the wrath OF storms,
and weary the omnpotence Of Heaven.
Many things have been omitted in this at
tempted description. have not spoken OF two
eagles, which scared far above these mountains,
and stopped not for hours toward their loftiest
submits, as if even that glorious world had
been unworthy Of them. And have not told
how We sat npon gray rocks, and lay upon the
fern leaves, and thought Of the past and re-
membered those we love, and threw off, there
in that holy place, much Of the stuff which
gathers upon mems souls in life's tiresome
travel, as bsrnacles gather upon the keels Of
vessels in long voyages through briny seas
and hoy we turned from each other then, and
walked apart among the grand trees, to feel
such emotions as men are unwilling to own,
except to the great God Beyond all that |
have tried to sketch, there was much in the
scene well fitted to touch and soften our hearts,
had they been harder and colder than they
are. Over all the wide world we saw-be-
tween it and the clear blue heaven, enwreath-
ing, yet not obscuring, every hill and valley
and tree-was an almost imperceptible haze
IL was delicate as the subtlest dream. II was
more beautiful than the sunshine. IL was
softer than the sky. IL added q thought to the
depth Of the mountain shadow. 1t yelled the
glare, without lessening the glory Of the sum-
Il waved and trembled in the breeze-you
knsto it, vet saw il not IL was as the constant
fight Of angels II was rs an atmosphere of
crowded love. Could it have been the kind
thoughts Of unforgetting friends which had
gathered to us there upon that mountain top
Could IL have been loving words Of prayer,
breathed afar of for US, by loved ones who re-
member us before the good God We are prone
TO forget which gathered TO us there, and made
the air 80 loving and the heaven so kind
Could il have been the love Of the blessed dead
which met MS there in that spot 30 near heaven,
and wooed us to good thoughts and made us
long to be pure, as the sky over ue, and the air
about US and the spotless snow We saw? l
know not that it was either of these--but do
know there was something about that noun
tain top which found its way TO our hearts,
and mingled with our memories Of home, and
blended with our love for the dear absent ones,
and made sweet and pure our thoughts Of the
dead
TRAGIc INCIDENT AT A BALL--At Quccho-
lar, Mexico on the 3lst Of January Don Juan