Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-27
Among the Mountains in October,
TcoRRrspoNpENcE OF THE spr.l

! tue IlOult AuusNs aunt ANhilNN anu llt ElllS
stood in the back porch waving us final adieu,
aud "the colt" this time enjoying the appela
ton by right Of years, started briskly oil, little
guessing the thirty miles allotted for the days
| journey.
The Connecticut river lay at our left, doing
duty as boundary line between Vermont and
New Hampshire, and the road, level aud smooth,
wound along its banks down to Wells river, where
we saw the cars in readiness for Littleton. As we
crossed into New Hampshire we cXulted that
we were not going as the majority of travel
crs, hurried among the hills by the shiieking
locomotive and dependent on the fleeing
glimpses 10 be gained from the car windows.
We had the whole day before us, and the only
stopping places on our time table were for
| lunch at noon and the Profile house at night.
The iron rails winding out of sight in the dis
tance, as we assembled the hill, were soon out of
mind. We passed along through meadows,
brown and bare with October frosts through
stretches of pine forest, with here and there
patches of the "green arbutus leaves" sug-
gestiye of spring with its wealth of fragrant
| blossoms.
| Uncle John was not silent during all this
various parties who had seen the mountains I'M
der his escort, each house and spot recalling
some amusing incident. He gave us lessons in
practical geology, explaining the composition of
the wayside rocks and the adaptation Of the va
rious soils to the crops.
The scenery had grown more and more wild
in its aspect, and Uncle John now announced
| that we were on the Buugy road. | had often
| been directed when child "tO 90 to Bungy,"
| but had never been so near il before. ! received
rather indefinite and unsatisfactory explanation
in reply to inquiries as to the distance and
exact locality of said place.
| The wild Ammonoosuc had almost vanished
from its stony bed, leaving in full sight the
huge boulders and rocks of all sizes, worn
smooth and round by the action of the water
| In Imagination we filed the channel with the
turbid, roaring river of the spring time, which,
| swollen by innumerable riyulcts of melting
snow and ice, rushes down from the mountains
| over its rock-lined bed terrible torrent,
deuging the Bungy road and often rendering
| it impossible for weeks.
| At times our road was but narrow ledge or
shelf the hills rising perpcndicularly above us
| anu sloptuS dbluplig uONh W liC ilNNl y Nt-G
below The question in those narrow passes
would arise, "What if we should meet some
Onep reminding us of the Alpine goat who,
in similar circumstances, quietly lay down and
allowed his fellow to walk over him. Fortu-
natey we were not called upon to try the cX'
pertinent.
As the time drew near for lunch we were on
the lookout for a good resting place, We Sc
ected a spot where the hills, retreating to the
right and the wild Ammonoosuc to the left,
formed an admirable camping ground. We did
not stop five minutes for refreshments" but
took ample time to do justice to Aunt Nancy
2 appctzing edibcs.
t The hours went by with the miles, and as the
&, sun declined we rode once more through cult
$ waited fields, which seemed doubly pleasant to
the eye, in contrast with the unsightly clearngs
surrounding the occasional log cabin hanked
by charred tree stumps, which we had passed in
the 'forcst primeyal." Are these the noun
tainS, we asked as the range, whose blue out
lines had appeared now and then throughout
the afternoon, drew nearer. The country also
had become less familiar to Uncle John, who
stopped an occasional passcr by to inquire if we
were in the right way to the Profile house,
After steep ascent, however, we came upon the
stage road at the entrance of Franconia Notch
The shadows OF night were deepening around
us as we still continued the ascent. After the
long ride, we were ready for a walk, Uncle
John, at the horses side, holding the reins
while we turned to look back over the land
scape below, till it was lost to sight, as the
mountains shut us in. The solitude was in
tense; the high walls surrounded us, and the
darkness gathered and deepened in the narrow
sky overhead.
We tarried by Echo Lake, which repoSed
pa"idly among the hills. Lingering by the
waters, edge, we woke the woodland nymph
echo, who responded to our call, laughing and
singing for us, as if she were no longer mourn
ing her lost love, NarcissuS, and when we said
good night" repeating graciously in her turn,
good night"
The Profile house is Il surprise, the narrow
plateau surrounded by the mountains, opening
unexpectedly upon the traveller. We drove
around to the grand entrance, but all was still
No lights appeared in the myriad windows, and
"C!osed for the Season was portrayed on its
every aspect. We now turned slowly
to the long, low building, which we
had supposed to be the servants
abode. We asked for accommodation for the
night, aud receiving a favorable reply, were
soon surrounded by Il ready throng; one helped
Miss West to alight another assisted me. a
third grabbed our travelling bags and Uncle
John was parleying with several more How de
lightfu was the warmth and light of the coy
sitting room, after the chill October evening
In reply to our questions, a lady sitting by the
ire, told us that the large house had been closed
week. but that this one would be occupied all
winter
In the morning we talked over our plans
while we discussed breakfast remarlinr the de
licious butter aud cream fresh from tbe farm he
longing to the Profile house, " hich we had pass
ed the night before, three miles below. The
mist crowned the summit of LAFAYETTE and clung
all too lovingly to its sides. Nor were we reas-