The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-06-29
Astcria's Scenery.

the sonthward from our bustling little
,ity. Items and editorials alike dis
,arded, and no comp. to call for copy,
one can revel undisLurbed III the sur
passing beauty of the natural scenery
that these sloping mountain ranges
show in leafy June. Those green
walled cliffs that on the other side Of
YOung's river, rising in majesty fr3m
the sea. whether seen in the gold and
gray of early mcrning. beneath the
sapphire sky of noon, or the roseate
flush Of sunset, afford qniet joy to
those who weary vi the noise and din 0i
daily life and rest for season within
their qniet shadow. To fully app.e-
ciate all the landscape splend"r oi
scenery, one must NOT DE
too near. The graceful harmony OF
the scene Is enhanced by partial sepa-
ration from that upon which we look;
and much of the changing beauty de-
pends upon the hour at which We
view it. When beyond the farthes'
peak the morning sky is hung with
deecy clouds, the mountains with theii
sumber fronts. present Il far different
to what they do in the
broad glare "f noon, or that grandest
hour when earth and AR and sunset
sky are transfigured, and crag and
forest pine and rocky tower, are lit NJ
with Il radiance TINT is us dazzling iii
its effect as it is brief in its duration,
There's nothing good "r bad in
this world. but thinking makes ii
SO, says Hamlet: yet to those
who say p mountain is Il noun
tain and you can't make any.
thing else out Of it, it needs but a
day nf actual experiment to show
that as much depends on the time and
location in viewing mountain scenery
as does on the time and place in any
Of the actions or transactions of every
day life.
In the kindling orange light Of
dawn, when the deep azure Of the
western verge that lies upon the sea
is paling to an exquisite violet, and
far down the canyons tie cool mists
of morning are floating round IL;
gloomy base. and high above, the
morning star that glitters OYER The
peak seems receding slowly through
the waves OF rosy light that pour from
the east, the mountain, that with slaty
front looked 30 gray and grim, seems
To wake into life and change in form
and expression as the arching beams o!
sunlight Gil the air with dusty gOlj
and the dazzling spierlor Of the new.
born day calls up, near By, the birds
Gods choristers, that dit like nnima
ted gems from branch to branch anC
make the forests vocal.
During these glorious days, amt
more especially the afternoons, thu
great masses of summer ciouds tlia,
float toward the SUBMITS throw rich
reflected coloring un the moamtail
side \ magnificent sight, indeed, Il
see q ciund whose area Is tn he measur
ed hy the square mile, sweeping oye
tho landscape, where now the STATED,
pines are rc5plendent IN green anG
gold, and now in sOftened shadow thu
shows more delicate shades of emerald
and again lighting into renewed gici-
rs the cloud shadow photograph
itself on peaks too remote t" lie dim
med by its presence.
Bnt it is at sunset when the trans
cendent glory Of the scene is mos
apparent, when shattered rock an
shingly slate and broken basalt an
long cathedral aisles of pine are SUI
rounded ana rcsplendent with bla2
of evening gold and glowing scarlet an
deepest crimson that blends and soft
ems in purple and violet shades {
twilight and gray and dusk as tn
shadows thicken ana the glorious stal
come ont in cleaning line for til
grand nightly review Of the Creator
When overhead is Il delicate web ,
lace-lise clouds, creamy white an
rosy gray; Ia the east fading gleai
of purple; III the west, where dippe
the sun into the sen. tin, of richie
chrysoprase. half-green. half blue: f,
beyond and above, piled against ii
eastern sky, lie lateral lines of cumu
furrowed with crinkling gold and jai
ged scarlet, somber III the center b.
edged with sunshine: ON nearer slope
the rustling murmur of the bree;
among the waving pines, as thoug
nature were running her hand oY,
the Keyboard of the creation, striki1
here and there a chord, before begil
ning the majestic symphony of IL
night, when the great arches Of lid
shall have been lifted into upp,
ether, and half of our swinging lit
I