The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-10-17
For the Gate City.

What land or country is better calculated
TO awaken the poetic feeling, to inspire tn
soul with the liveliest imagery, than tbs
scenery of the West, made up as.i is OF tn
broad praries carpetcd with their green YER
dure, ornamented with their richly coloret
and manifold variety of flowers, intersperseC
with groves, looking in the dim distance lik,
faint lines making blue margins upon th'
horizon, the noble rivers and lesser streams
winding with torturous course far as the eye
can reach, while the observer stands upon
one of those soft rolling swells or elevation,
which breaks the monotonous appearance,
and relieves the prospect of that sameness Sc
/ fatiguing to the beholder. These, With
countless other beauties which, TO be apprt
ciated must he seen. and when seen are caicu-
lated to elicit the admiration of the wander
er, call forth expressions of pleasure ard
delight, and make him to exclalm in the lam
euace of the red man, "this is the place.
In d particular manner is the varied pic
ture presented along the course OF the Des
Moines river. from its mouth to it's sources,
qualified to inspire feelings Of admiration on
the part of the lover of nature. Not that
the cliffs are so high, rugged, or bold.
as to present daring or threatening aspect;
not that the river deals in roaring waterfalls.
whose tumbling waters in ceaselesS and
deafening roar, awaken fear or dread In the
mind but because the rich valley which
skirts along the margin of that river, unrival-
ed in beauty, is bounded by n soft rolling
bluff, covered with It's elump of trees which
the annual prairie fire did not dare to touch
or seattle: and because, too, the river winds
along in noiseless current rs If fearful of
disturbing the sacred silence, which beyond
tho busy hauns Of men lends enchantment
TO the scene.
Whilst the wanderer rests upon the summit
of the bluff beneath the shade Of a wide
spreading oak, the soft brcezes gently bestir
ring the leaves Of the tree above his head,
al the same time saluting him with refresh
ing and kindly feeling as if to WOO him to
repose, the bird above his head breaking in
upon the silence of the moment with notes of
Joy, mingled with tones Of sadness, as if
sorrowing that the summer was SO soon to
pass away, the frost showing by an occasion
al sere leaf the fast coming CT autumn, with
It's boar and blighting frosts, while in the
current below, flowing on and on, contlnn-
ouslv and noiseessly, like the passage Of
time, which rW move on whether we allow
ourselves to float in the current or not, he
can appreciate well the force aud beauty of
the lines of our own sweet poetess, ''kate
Harrington, in your last, and dedicated to
"0ctober."
Ireoice that there is one who can appreci-
ate the beauties Of the seasons and the scenes
of the West, which abound in the neighbor-
hood Of her village home on the banks Of
the Des Moncs, and bounded by rccedng
bluff. Ayr itself had not more beauties 10
awaken lofty sentiment in the mind of Old
Scotia's bard, than the beautiful stream
which gldes IN full view from her cottage
door. | would not breathe her name, nor
surprise her in her modest retiraev, lest she
should not touch her harp again;
mo more it, strings her fingers move
aud lest, too, the rich melody Of her voice he
no longer heard. will not, then, drag her
forth TO public gaze, nor disturb her in her
retreat, although | would gladly bring her
before apuhlc it is her ability and pleasure
so much to please, and introduce her as
"Iowa's own sweet bard"
SCOrIA.