Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-06-05
A Landscape Of Alsace.

The recent opening Of the Strasburg
Library, which attracted SO much at.
tention throughout Europe, was fol.
lowed by an Acadmical Excursion to
the rural districts. A correspondent
of the London Daily Ne,os accompan.
cd the excursionists, and gives in one
of his letters this glowing picture Of
an Alsatian landscape:
"Beyond Klingclthal the valley mar.
rowed till it became gorge. At
length we were IN the heart of forest.
The factories had given place to butts
that recalled the woodcutters of NM.
Erckmann-Chatrien. Sheer above us
rose tho steep boulderstrewn noun
tain side, with the tall spars of the fir
trees clinging 10 the seemingly earth.
less face--the stream being a mere
brooklet, with half dozen water falls
in as many hundred yards. Atlength
by winding glens and devious tracks,
we reached the summit Of spit Of
mountain top projecting out into the
plain we had traversed below. There
were small fields, interspersed with
huge time and water worn rocks as
big as Temple Bar, studded all over
with shells. Suddenly and without
warning the view burst upon US as we
came out from behind great buttress
of rock upon q national esplanade.-
The prospect was confusing in sublim.
ity; one required time to realize it,
Before us lay the broad plain of Alsacc
of tho Rhine. Over its remoter
edge hung faint haze that did not
hide the silver stream OF the noble riv-
er. The green bosom of the valley
was studded with pretty villages, link.
ed together BY the white roads, Dor.
dered by trees. Far across, rising
dimly in undulation above undulation,
was the bill country of the Black For.
est. In our rear, and to right as to
left, rose the confused peaks of the
Vosges, of which ours seemed the cen.
tral one. Lofty SUBMITS, crowned
with ruined castles, had their shoulders
swathed by the dark pine woods. Out
In the plain before us stood up the
noble spirc of Strasburg Cathedral
Those blue hills 10 the extreme north,
dimmed by the haze which rises from
the vast expanse Of plain were the
mountains Of tho Rbeingau on the
south the eye could discern the spirc
of Freburg Minister, with the dusky
Feldberg over against it, the low hills
of tho Bresgau and the clean cut on.
trance to the Hollentbal Part of this
we saw on the esplanade; but the full
extent OF the prospect was only real
lied when we have traversed the fore.
court Of the convent, passed through
its corridors, along its quaint garden,
past the door of the little chapel, and
10 TO the look out place before the re.
treat under the great elm trees.
Standing here, one looked down Ia
the foot Of precipices hundreds of feet
deep, that fall sheer down on three
sides out Of the four. 1t seemed as II
we could amuso ourselves by throw
ing biscuits into Ottrott, which VIC had
lett two hours before. Oberchnheim
six miles of, seemed at our feet
Who could believe that Strasburc, tb,
spire OF which seemed to close, wai
eighteen miles away as the crow flies
The spot was one to linger in for hours
TO become imbued with the spirit o
Inc scenery, as one leant alone owe
Inc containing wall and looked dow
now on the rich plains OF Alsacc, nov
on inc crags and the variegated iorcs
verdure. T7I7a