Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-08-21
Poesy In a swamp.

The best time TO visit a swamp
''aright," as Scott says of Melrose, we
must ''go visit it by the morning light, T"
when the sunbeams are nearly level,
and the dew hangs heavy on the grass
blades. Then it is picture that would
be worth all the works OF Rubens and
Titan for splendor and richness of col
or, if art could copy it. On one side
and curving round the end is a large
bed of grass that at distance looks as
smooth as carpet of velvet. Here and
there spots and ridges of higher growth
and darker tint vary the surface, which
with every breath of breeze sends shad-
ows dancing from the higher points
across the lower levels like the play of
some strange shot silk. On the other
is ranker grow tn of coarser grass and
flags, the latter set in clumps, now
round, now oblOng, now irregular tri-
angles, now long narrow lines, like
soldiers in battle order, their large pur-
pie and lavender flowers now in the
fullness of bloom, standing in spots
that their curved leaves interloek, ex-
tend its whole length, thinned to line
here, broken across there by enroach-
ing grass or yellow scum. Through
the middle, nearly, runs broad band
of water so closely covered with scum
that it looks solid sending out winding
little branches, sometimes yellow and
glossy as satin, sometimes clear as crys-
tai, into the lines of purple blossomed
flags on one side or the changeful en-
erald grass on the other.
The low lying beams of the sun shine
out all inequalities, hide every little Of
fensiveness, and light up every dew
drop on the grass blades, on the flag
leaves, on the leaves of the bushes, with
a flashing radiance that would shame a
royal velvet robe covered with dia-
mOnds, while the yellow scum is
turned to silky lustre that Lyons new
er approached. A rotten log half way
up the grass bed is covered with green
lsh yellow moss so closely that at lit
w II ioohs ilht a THAT
had been laboriously covered with vel
vet, and turtles glistening like silver
plates that cover it from end to end.
Here and there above the scum is a
frogs head, which, when it catches the
light properly lets one see that wonder
ful golden iris which makes the frogs |
eye the most beautiful in color that can
be found Sin any human head" In |
the bushes OH the left, and darting
thence to the other bank and back, are |
a flock of red winged starlings, the
showiest bird in the woods, with their
glossy black and blazing scarlet.
\ jay bird on beech on the bank Is
Grating TO the woods in the genuine
voorhees, style-two squats and a squall
and then a squall and two scuats. OPP
posite on the peak of a fence-stake a |
meadow lark pours its musical call; |
higher, lower, higher and lower again, !
like an audible expression of Hogarth's
line of beauty. Away in the distance
the doves doleful plant in three notes |
is heard, when the rattle of the robin |
and the stump-speech of the jay bird
don't fill the air. y slight cloud pass
es over the sun, and its shadow in an
instant changes all the hues of the vel
vet carpet and the satin scum, the sill
turtles and the shaft of en-
erald and chrvsophrase they are lying
on. The diamond gleam of the sun and
its rainbow glories go out all over the
swamp. In an instant all comes back
again, as the cloud floats on and away,
and the glow and glitter, the radiance
and the richness of color come back as
i a curtain were suddenly jerked from
over them. There is something worth
seeing even in a swamp.