The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-04-19
Ctc Californian.
For The CALEDoNI,y.I
''f'A\ FS FROM OAKLAND.
Bp Julia Ndwlborue.
A March Isan.ble.


Dinna complain o the snaw. John" said
the OLD Scotch clergyman to his crumblinp
par'sh'oner; "Solomon ha' tould us that 'ev-
erythIng IS beautiful in its season"
Aye, nae doot it was beautiful to him. SIT
TN l his palace wi the rich wines. and the
iaSses o Jerusalem aside him; but, an he'd
been puir stane mason, he'd ha' said nae
such thing
Vow. am not gong to complain of the
snow, or of the coId-that is past; nor am
going to endorse the poor Scotchman's rath.
er irreverent notion; but vet am uuitc
ready to agree with him that circumstances
alter cases :" and also, that they materially
alter our appreciation of things. Certain it
Is, that another saving of Solomon, "A pleas
ant thing it is for the eyes to behold thu sun"
never came home to my heart with such a
wealth OF beautiful meaning, as to-day. when
tor the first time in many months s-montlIs of
frost and snow, of bitter winds chilling clouds
and scaniv sunshlnc.-I went ont for a lono.
exhilaratins walk.
We made our way through the belt of So
penng." then through thick growth of
bushes. to the serious peril of shoes and dress
eS. across the little prairie, Cor marsh, As it
is sometimes called, in honor of the water
which l~suppoSed to have existed there) and
up the steep bluff on its opposite site, in the
'ace OF a most perseveriny March wind.
which. by threatening us with disarranccd
garments, frizz'ed hair and tanned faces. did
ITS utmost to dIssuade us from our underta-
KING. But once upon the summit with faces
to the sun, and backs to our rude adviser.
his annoying interference was quite forgot
ten.
Very quiet and sunny, and beautiful was
the prospect which greeted Us from the hill
top. On our left lay the prairie We hal
crossed a few fenced farms and oc-honses
>klrtlng It's edges. and the line of unfinished
railroad stretching along its southern border,
Just at the base of the ridge of oak-crowned
bluffs which sweep around nearly three sides
of it. Beyond the bluffs as seen through
depressions in their SUBMITS. an immense
prairie spreads itself away, miles on miles,
farther than the eve can trace its bare brown
outline.
TO the right lies a broken. diversified
country. nnciI older in appearance than il,
ncigh3Or over the ridge. Smooth, well-cul-
tivateI farms boast their two-storv whit. hon.
ses with green blinds, their picket garden
fences. and their snug, tidy ou,huildnss.-
On hill, beyond some intervening wood
land, stands windmill. stretching ont It's
huge arms to decoy the idle wind into man )
service.
Before us lies the Iake-cold, white. and
still. as the face of dead friend All its
laughing. restless summer life is silent and
pulseless in the icy clasp OF Winter But
beyond the lake. hcyord the dark line OF
trees that frlngeS its distant shore, the glitter
ing steeples of the city point upward into
: the clear, bright atmosphere, as if they
would say to Us. This way lies heaven-bc-
yond the grave Of earthly Joy and beauty"
D We sat down on the trunk of fallen mon
n arch Of the forest. and said to each other. a.
). our ewes wandered over the broad landscapc
K that there WAS but single object wanting I,
V make the picture pertrct-a mountain;
blue. solitary mountain on the horizon. Iik,
j one Of our New England acquantanccs. A.
g Quincy, or Monainoc, or krar>arce. Th
II dry leaves ru>tIed in the wind, bat not bird
- note, not single sound of life came to ou
v. ears. 1t seemed AS if all the world Law a
y sleep in the sunshine waiting to be quicken
c ed by the isht and warmth
" TO me, there is something very impress
i've in this rafting aspect of Nature. in IT.
! lntcrrcgnum between the going out of Win
ter and the coming in of Spring. peculiar t
this climate. II is as if we were LOOKING O
e, the finished form Of creation. perfect in a
"a its proportions, before tie Master Spirit ha
hrcathed into it the breath of life. There
i. little OF the excitement and exhi!aration o
u spirits, attendant upon this change of season
'c IN New England. where the melting of III
: snow and the bursting Of the buds arc nearl
r. simultaneous events
,e Another feature Of tie scene I must ne
lie forget. On small promontorv which in,
&c into the lake, stands cluster of wicwam
,d which were erected last fall and part O.
VS. the Menomonee tribe of Indians passed tn
Winter in trapping and fishing on the spc
y which, twenty years ago. was all unappropr
ated by the white man. Occasionally the
60 into the towns and villages. carrvinc
|. 10 quantity of pickerel strung upon a poll
- which is laid upon the shoulders of two me,
er Noble fellows these pckerel are, weiphia
from ten to twenty pounds often think
ut would be curious to know the thoughts an
:" feelings of these Indians, as they 90 stakin
to 70 along, with such apparent indifference to tn
IS. change that has come over the face of thing
10, What, to the son Of the forest, are the in
IN provements Of the age, which are a sourc
~ ~ OF so much pride to the Anglo Saxon? Tru,
Tx ne can exchange his skins for hat, or
el broadcloth blanket, by few miles of trave
IN whereas it used to require long journeys; :