The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-02-28
On the Plains.

tnc curly morning Is SnlnlnS uOWn on
those dusky pools of sluggish water, on
the dense forest, on the matted under
wood, and the rank green grass. How
the railway track does not sink into this
vast mire passes our com prehension; there
seems scarcely sufficient mud on the
scattered islands to support the partly
submerged trees. But, as we are looking
out new object suddenly confronts the
eyes. Instead of that succession of still
creeks we come on a broad expanse of
coffee-colored water that broadens out
as it rolls southwark, and we cry, "The
Mississippi" And over there, on the
the other side, we see big and struggling
town picturesquely built along the bluffs,
and all shining in the early sunlight.
But the Mississippi detains us not; nor
Burlington either. Our mission is west
ward, and forever westward-through the
perpetual forest, with its recurrcnt clear
ances and farms and fields of maize.
Surely it is pleasant enough manner of
passing this idle, beautiful day. The
recent rains have laid the dust; we sit
outside the car and lazily watch the rich
coors of the underwood as we pass. Could
anything be deeper in hue than the lake
red of those sumach busiest Look at
that maple-its own foliage is mass of
pale, transparent gold; but up the stem
and out the branches runs creeper, and
the creeper is of pure vermillion that
burns in the sun. Newfoundland for
ever westward. We lose consciousness
of time. We resign ourselves to the slow
passing-by of the trees, and the farms,
and the maize. 1t is like q continuous
dream.
Of course, all our preconcerted notions
about the prairies were found to be
wrong. They we're not at all melancholy
and oppressive. On the contrary, they
were quite cheerful and bright, in the
sunshine; though there WAS still that
mysterious feeling about them; and
though the unaccustomed eye could not
get quite reconciled to the absence from
the horizon of some line of hill, and
would keep searching for some streak
of blue. Surely there was nothing here
of the dreary wastes we had imagined !.
First of all, and near US, was rich will
derness of flowers, of the most beautiful
verdure and variegated colors-masses of
yellow un-fowers, and lilac Michaelmas
daises, and what not, with the biood-red
of the sumach coming in. Further off,
the plain rose and fell in gentle undula-
tons covered with variously tinted grass !;
and here and there were the palisades of
few ranches. Further away still, were
wider and barer undulations, marked by
one or two clusters of the minutest specks.
which we took to be cattle. Then beyond
that again the open prairie land--!ong,
level swathes, of the very faintest russell,
gray-green, and yellow-gray going out
out-out-until the blue sky of the hori-
zon seemed quite close and near to us COM
pared with that ever and mysterious re-
ceding plain. This vast distance was
not awful, like the sea. 1t was beautiful
in its pale colors; it was full of an eager
interest-for the eye appealed to the
| imagination to aid it in its endless search
and if it was an ocean at all it was an
ocean that broke at our feet in a brilliant
foam of flowers. This similitude was,
indeed, so obvious that we unanimously
were of opinion that it must have been
used by every American poet who has
ever written about the prairie lands
William Black.
WHY THEY OFTEN FAIL.-Young men
often fail to get on in this world because
they neglect small opportunities. Not
being faithful in small things, they are
not promoted to the charge of greater
things. A young man who gets sub
ordinate situation sometimes thinks it
not necessary for him to give it much at
tention. He will wait TILL he gets place
of responsibility, and then he will show
people what he can do. This is very
great mistake. Whatever his situation
may be, he should master it in all its de-
tails, and perform all it's duties faithfully.
The habit of doing his work thoroughly
and conscientiously is what is most likely
to enable Il young man to make his way.
With this habit person of only ordi-
nary abilities would outstrip one of
greater talents who is in the habit of
sighting subordinate matters. But, after
all, he mere adoption by young man of
this great essential rule of success shows
him 10 be possessed of superior abilities.
TnE WORST KIND OF A MIsTAKE.-To
be robbed cannot be pleasant. To shoot
even robber, although it might become
necessary, would be disagreeable. But
to imagine dog to be robber, and in
consequence to hcot ones self, must be
especially unsatisfactory. Yet such II
fate, ms appears from the Mechanicsburg
(Pa.) Journal, befell one William Blesley :
On Saturday night last, as Mr.. William
Blesley, of Silver Spring township, was
on his way home from Hogestown, his
horse came to halt in the road and re-