The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-05-24
Aspect of Clouds.
rse.ec,ed from RusAin. ]


Stand upon the peak of some isolated
mountain at daybreak, when the pivbt
mists first rise from of the plains, and
watch their light and lake.like fields. 90
they float in level bays and winding gulfs
about the islanded SUBMITS of the lower
hills, untouched yet by more THAI dawn.
colder and more quiet than MINDLESS
sea under the moon of midnight; watch
when the first sunbeam is sent upon the
silver channels, how the foam of their
undulating surface parts and passes
away, and down under their depths the
glittering city and green pasture lie like
Atlantis, between the white paths m
winding rivers; the flakes of light fall.
ing every moment faster and broader
among the starry spires, as the wIeathed
surges break and vanish above them
and the confused crests and ridges of the
dark hills shorten their gray shadows
upon the plain. Wait g little longer
and you shall see those scattered mist.
raIlying in the rsvines, and floating ur
toward you, along the winding valleys.
till they couch in quiet masses, iridescent
with the morning light, upon the broad
breasts of the higher hills, whose Leagues
of massy undulation will melt back and
back into that robe of material light
until they fade away, lost il its luster
TO appear again n the seEs%
heaven like wild, bright, ip-
possible dream, foundationless and
inaccessible. their very bases vsnish-
ing in the unsubstantial and mOeking
blue of the lake below. Wait yet little
longer, and you shall see those mists
gather themselves into white towers, sud
stand like fortresses along the promonto-
ries, massey and motionless, only piled
with every instant higher and higher into
the sky, and casting longer shadows
athwart the rocks, and out Of the pale
blue of the horizon you will see forming
and advancing troop of narrow, dsrk,
pointed vspors, which will cover the sky
lHCh luCI Win
and take the light off the landscape with
an eclipse which will stop the singing oil
the birds and the motion OF the leaves
together and then you viii see hori-
zontal bars of black shadow forming
under them, and lurid wresths create
themselves, you know not how, along
the shoulders of the hills; you never
seem to see them form, but when you
lock back to place which was clear an
instant ago, there is cloud or it, hang
ing by the precipices, as hawk pauses
the sudden rush o. the awakened wind,
and you will see those watch-towers OF
vapor swept away from their founda-
tions, and waving curtains OF Opaque
rain let down to the valleys swinging
from the burdened clouds IN black bend
ing fringes. or pacing in plain columns
along the lake level, grazing its surface in
to foam as they 60. And then, as the sun
sinks, you shall see The storm drift for an
instant from off the hills, leaving their
broad sides smoking, and loaded yet
with snow white, torn, stcam>lIke rags of
capricious vapor, Eow gone, now gathered
again; while he smouldering sun, SEEM
ing not far away, but burning like red
hot ball beside you, and as if you could
reach it, plunges through the rushing
wind and rolling cloud with hesdlOng
fall IS if it meant to rise no more, dyeiug
all the sir about it with blood. And
then you shall hear the fainting tempest
die in the hollow of the night, and You
shall see a green halo kindllng on the
summit OF the eastern hills, brighter
brighter yet, still the large white circle
of the slow moon is lifted up among the
barred clouds, step by step, line by line ;
star after star, she quenches with her
kin6ling light, setting in their stead an
army of pale, penetrable, feecy wreaths
in the heavens to give light upon the
earth, which move together, hand in
hand, company by company, troop by
troop, so measured in their unity of
melton that the whole heaven seemsI. to
move with them and the earth to reel
under them. And then wait yet for one
hour, until the east again becomes purple,
and the heaving mountains, rolling against
it in darkness, like waves of wild sea, are
drowned one by one in the glory of its
burning watch the white glaciers blsze
in their winding paths about the noun
tains like mighty serpents with scales OF
FIRE; watch the columnsr peaks of sOli-
tary SNOW, kindling downward, chasm by
chasm, each in itself new morning, their
long avalanches cast down in the green
streams brighter than the lightning,
sending each its tribute of driven snow,
like altar>smoke, up TO the heaven; the
rose light of their silent domes flushing
that heaven about them and above them,
piercing with purer light through Its
purple lines of lifted cloud, casting q new
glory on every wreath as it passes by
until the whole heaven, one scarlet
canopy, is interviewer with a roof OF
waving fame, and tossing vault beyond
vault. as with the drifted wing of many
companies OF angels; and then, when
you are bowed down with fear and love
of the Maker and Doer of this, tell me
who has best delivered his message unto
men.