Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-06-26
SUPPLEMENT.
Newspaper Decisions.
For the Democrat.
AN AUTUMN HOLIDAY.

would speedily be resolved into fourteen
distinct days; but since in memory il
will forever remain an undivided whole
we shall persist in calling it holiday
cen though the title seem almost mis-
homer when we consider that the entire
summer had been succession of "Red'
letter days" Yet this of which we wish
to write, was a charming change in ar
every-way- delightful programme = and
what constitutes a holiday after all, but
pleasant change for period: A jour.
ney which must needs begin before one
o'clock in the morning, has little of a
holiday aspect, we allow; but as that is
a necessary preliminary,we accept it with
all possible grace, and renew our ever
increasing wonder, where and why SO
many people travel at night Trains
and stations ere always full and we ask
ourselves if the time may not come when
the hurrying crowds who find the day
all too brief for their purpose, will have
contrived some magic method of bottling
surplus sunshine for night use: For
nothing yet invented in the way Of artiti-
cial light, gives the air of legitimacy to
midnight work which sunshine would
impart, could i, once be kept in store by
some enterprising body who deems TWEEN
ty-four hours none too long for the duties
of day.
Before noon we are embarked on the
steamer "City Of Traverse" which is
taking on cargo at her pier in the Chicago
river. Lumber yards, immense grain ell
evators, shipping Of every description
constantly coming and going, give an air
Of business never -ceasing to our surround
ings; which is enhanced by the fussy
furry of tugboats rushing noisily back
and forth. BY Z. NJ. the last box and
bale is stored, and we move slowly down
the narrow river, towed by one of the
frantic little tugs. Many bridges must
be passed, and it seems long time -ie
the river mingles its muddy current with
the lake, and we are left to make our
own way over the dancing waters. We
are ce. ain Lake Michigan's beautiful
water cannot owe all its charm to the
contrast with the dirty river we have
gladly left; though that may have &C"
cented somewhat the buoyant surprise
and exhileration with which we first be-
held its sparkling brilliancy. So deli
cately green and perfectly transparent is
it, that we cannot wonder at the remark
of friend, that the first sensation it
gave her, was desire to drink the whole
lake
Our boat is a massively built propeller
Of 1868 tons burden, drawing forty feet
of water when laden, and seeming well
fitted to withstand the gales which fro
quently sweep our great lakes with such
fury. Her cargo is chiefly building
stone thus heavily loaded, her motion is
charming-she glides over the water al
most without noise or effort, and with
only enough pitch to make motion per-
ceptible. Her interior appointments are
fine; her state-rooms can accommodate
one hundred passengers and during the
summer months she carries, we may
safely say, thousands of tourists to the
far famed resorts of Northern Michigan.
Tonight, as the sun goes down,
clouds cover the sky and we begin tc
fear we are to lose our antici.
pated view of the lake by moonlight.
There are riffs in the clouds however
and few enthusiastic souls wrap them
selves in overcoats and shawls and wait
patiently on deck for at least glimpse
at fair Luna. 1t is a novel sensation
this, of being for the first time sur
rounded by sky and water-no land tc
be seen in the whole broad sweep of the
horizon: the lake is seventy or eighty
miles in width, and for twelve hours oul
course lies out of sight of land. Long
we sit and watch the foaming track
which stretches away into the darkness
in the wake of our steamer. There steal
into the heart new conceptions of the In
finite One who Holdeth the waters in
the hollow of His hand That thai
Mighty Hand is the hand of our Loving
Father, is thought which fills the sou
with restful quiet happiness too soon tt
be disturbed, by lively discussion which
is carried on within earshot by an atheist
and a Christian, touching the vital truths
of religion. Appealed to for an opinion
we are reluctantly drawn into the dis
cussion, and forced to defend our faith
no difficult task-but seemingly waste
OF words on one so blind to all thing:
spiritual Meanwhile, our vigil is re
warded by the sight Of a luminous path