Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-29
Sunbeam.

modating. Nothing can fall more
softly or more silently upon the earth
than the rays Of our great luminary-
not even the feathery fakes of snow
which tread their way through the at
mosphere, as If they we're too flmly tc
weld to the demands If gravity, like
grosser things. The most delicate slir
of gold leaf, exposed 8 target to the
suns rays, is not stire, to the extent
of hair, though an iafant's faintes
breath would set it in tremulous mo.
ton. The tenderest of human organ:
the apple of the eye-though pierc
ed and bufeted each day by thousands
of sunbeams, suffers no pain during
the process, but rejoices in their sweet
ness, blesses the useful light. Yet q
few Of those rays insinuating them,
selves into mass Of iron, like the
Brittania Tubular Bridge, will compe'
the closely knit particles to separate,
and will move the whole enormous fab,
ric with as much ease as a giant would
stir straw. The play OF whose beams
upon our sheets Of water lifts up layel
after layer into the atmosphere, and
hoists whole rivers from their beds,
only to drop them again in SHOWS up,
on the hills, or fattening showers upon
the plains. Let but the air drink in a
little more sunshine at one place than
another, and out cf it springs the
tempest or the hurricane. which desc
lates whole region in its lunatic wrath.
The marvel is that a power which is
capable of assuming such a diversity
Of forms, and Of producing such stu
pendous results, should come to US in
so gentle, so peaceful and so unpreten-
tious a manner.-BritiSh Quarterly
ReUicU.
Tn the last letter Of Henry Day,
Esq, written from Egypt to the New
York Observer, he gives as a very in
tcresting description of Cairo, which
indicates how modern civilization is
penetrating the land, aud, in time,
hand in hand with Christianity, these
old land marks viii come fo. th in more
than their former glory.
Cairo is about 130 Mills south OF
Alexandria, It is one of t tIAmost sin
gular and interesting Clues in the
world. II is the meeting place Of all
nations. In It's streets are men and
women Of all shades Of color, and all
varieties of dress. It is really two
cities in one--an ancient and modern,
an eastern and western. The western
part Of the city reaching to the Nile,
is entirely new and modern. Large,
vide avenues are laid out, paved. gut
tered, ana lighted with gas and sup
piled with water. This part is being
built with modern houses, with yards
around them filed with tropical trees
and flowers. Many cid streets have
been demolished, and new, wide and
regular streets are being laid out and
built up Oh the western side. When
in this part of the city you can well
imagine yourself in Chicago or some
thriving Western city of the United
States. On the eastern side of this
new part Of the city is the Esbekeeyah
"a large, beautiful park, surrounded
by an elegant stone and iron fence,
containing an artificial grotto, lakes,
fountains, walks, trees and flowers,
embracing all that is enchanting in
Oriental scenery and picturing before
you the fairy-hke scenes of Italia
Rookh" or the ''Arabian Nights. .
Two years since this park was a mo-
rass. In this part of the city are
many other squares or parks, with
large circular marble fountains, and
all has such an air Of life, enterprise
and improvement, that no one would,
for a moment, suppose themselves in
one of the old Eastern cities Of the
world. Here are located the hotels,
whch are filed with Americans and
EngIis,lmen, and you hear nothing but
English spoken. Even the donkey
BOYS will address you in English, and
YOU seem more at home than you do il
Paris. But pass across the street
from Shepherds hotel, and there you
will see the Bedouins of Mount Sina
loading their long trains Of camels fol
the Journey across the Desert, all ar.
rayed in the costumes which these ma
tions have worn since the days Of
Abraham. At this spot the East and
the West come up face to face with
each other. Pass on east for two min
utes, and YOU are buried in the mar
row. crowded streets of Cairo, as We
have always imagined it, filled with
donkevs, camels and crowds of men OF
all kindreds and tongues under heaven.
dressed in costumes most diverse, and
yelled women, with bright silk
pantaloons or riding on donkeys, and
entirely enyeloped in black silk bal
loon. AS the carriage Of some pasha
or the harem of some dignitary comes
along. you will see it preceded BY two
runners. dressed in. white turbans,
flowing white robes bound at the waist
with a bright scarf, and with a colored
silk vest, holding a long rod in the
right hand, and clearing way for the
carriage among the crowd. Thesf
runners are called sahis. They are
exceedingly picturesque and very
swift. They will run for hours as fas
as any carriage will 90, and every car
riage in Cairo is obliged to have then
to prevent accidents IN the crowded
y IL -