Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-08-28
THEPRAIRIES.

Unroll the map Of the world, and look
upon the great northern continent of
America. Away to the wild west let
your eyes wander towards the setting sun
Rest them where golden rivers rise among
peaks than carry eternal snow. You are
looking upon land whose features are
unfurrowed by human hands, still bear
ing the marks of the Almighty mould, as
on the morning Of creation; region
where every object wears the impress Of
Gods image, and where His spirit lives
in the silent grandeur Of its mountains,
and speaks in the roar of its rivers. Let
the eye of your mind follow me through
scenes of wild beauty, of savage sublimity,
and Of the pnbrokcn romance of smiling
nature.
Standing on an open plain, l turn my
face toward north, south, east and west,
and on all sides behold the blue circle Of
the heavens girdling around. Neither
rock nor tree breaks the ring of the hori-
zon. What covers the broad expanse
between Wood Water Grass
No : flowers as far as the eye can range,
only flowers! Yonder is golden yellow,
where the Helanthus turns her dial-like
face to the sun yonder is scarlet where
the Malva erects its red banner. Here
is a parterree of purple monard9ssthere
the Euphorbia sheds IFS silver leaf. Yon-
der the orange predominates in the sho~y
flowers of the Hsclepiac and beyond
the eye roams over tho pink blossoms Of
: the Cleome.
The breeze stirs Them; millions of co.
rollas are waving their gaudy standards;
and the tall stocks Of the Helianthus bend
and rise in long undulations like pillows
on a golden sea. They are at rest again
" the air is filed with odors; myriads Of
insects flap their gay wings the bee
, birds skirr around, glancing like stray
sunbeams or on poised wings drink from
r the nectared cups; and the wild bee with
laden limbs, clinging among the honeyed
pistiles, or leaves for his distant hive with
hum of JOY. Who painted these flow
ers Who has woven the pictured ems
broidery? Nature. The hunter calls a
weed prairie" 1t is mis-named. lie
properly the flower garden Of the world.
The scene IS changed. am in a
SC plain as before, with an unbroken hori-
!" ZOE circling around me. There is not d
" flower in sight; nothing but one vast ex-
- panse of living verdure. From north to
- south, from east to west, stretches the
prairie meadow, green as an emerald, and
- smooth as the surface OF a sleeping lake.
the wind is upon its bosom sweeping
its slken blades they move and the YER
;. dure is dappled into lighter and darker
shades, as the shadows Of snrumer cloud:
, fitting across the sun. The eye wan
" ders without hindrance perhaps it en-
counters the dark hirsute forms Of thu
buffalo, or traces the tinny lines Of th'
antelope perchance il follows tire far
, wild gallop of the snow-white steed.-
= This is 'the grass prairie" the boundles
pasture Of the bison.
Again the scene changes. The eartl
ice is no longer level, but lreeless and yer
ay dant as ever, and is covered with a sol
he turf OF brilliant greenness. The surfac
m exhibits succession Of parallel undula
Cd. tions, here and there swelling into smoot
SIN round hills, reminding one Of the ocea
ed, after some great storm, when the crispe
llly foam has died upon the waves, and th
inn big swell comes rolling in. They loo
lim as though they had once been wave
IAN. which, by an Omnipotent mandate, ha
ver been transformed to earth and suddenl
tied stood still Such is the rolling prairie
ack Once more the scene IS changed
the There are green swards and bright for
TO ers but the view is broken by grow
, as and eiumps Of ofcopsewood. The fonda
End, il varied its tints are vivid, and It's OF
heir lines are soft and graceful. New Ian
He scapes, views, park-like and pictaresq,
ward unfold themselves continually. Gan
aith, Of buffalo, herds Of antelope, droves
ami wild horses, fnottle their far yistas Il
keys run into the copses, and Pheasaf
more whirr up from tbe paih. Where are 4
No owners Of these lands, these focks a
press fowls One looks forward expecting
1ung see the houses, the palaces, the turrei
,rsist tall ulabsions which should be embow'
lear- ed in these lordy parks. Bot no
r in hundreds Of miles around, no chimn
con- sends forth its smoke, no window glea
, has in the sun, 40 hospilabIe gate expank
welcome. These are the NOTES."
ill islands in the prairie sea- Capt. M!
d as Reid
e in