The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-06-26

TIC Wealtn anu loneliness OF the Wild
flowers, forming enc of Natures most
exquisite wild gardens, lying stretched
out at our feet, make us think how
many of our gardening friends would
md deep enjoyment could they be
here, and see what we are now seeing,
and what will try to describe, faint
and feeble though my description must
necessarily be in comparison with the
glorious reality.
The great cataract itself is in unus-
ual magnifcence; the early autumn
rains have brought a large body of
water into the lake, and the torrent of
liquid emerald pouring over the jagged
rocks is deep and massive, and its
thunder has an unwonted tone Of
grandeur and solemnity. Far away in
the distance lie the quiet waters of the
great lake, placid and unstirred as yet,
and the white sail of far-off boat is
seen as it gets an occasional CLEAN of
sun while passing from one shore of
the lake to the other. Nearer at hand,
for the space of q mile or SO before
reaching their doom, the waters, placid
no longer, foam and whirl, hurrying
madly along. Every dancing wave
crest Is turned into molten silver in
the rays of the westering sun; every
rock lying in the channel seizes pass
ing wave and whirls it upward in
masses of glittering spray, till at last,
when on the brink of the great chasm,
there comes to the rushing waters a
sudden gathering up of irresistible
strength, and they, whose only object
hitherto seems to have been to dash
themselves past all obstacles with reck-
less and eyer-increasing speed, become
all ut once possessed with q sense of
their awful power as they suddenly,
swiftly, silently. drop over the perpen-
dicular rock into the fearsome turmoil
below, great green jewels, wide and
deep, in setting of frosted silver.
And this solemn magnificence and
grandeur has the exquisite contrast of
80 lovely and peaceful foreground.
The hillside down which we are look
ing, and which stretches to the edge of
the water, is aglow with vivid color
huge golden masses of Solidago of
many kinds, great clumps many yards
wide of big, deep, purple, primrose
eyed Asters alternate with those of
pale shimmering lilac, and with others
small-howered but profuse in bloom,
while throughout the underground is a
bright blue CLEAN, as though some
spangles had fallen from the sky--the
gift of flower the name of which is
unknown to me. Then from out the
grass shine everywhere small bright
flowers of many colors. among them
delicate Gentian-like bloom bravely
lifting its head up on a slender stalk.
And there are SO many lovely flowers
besides-a bush covered with apricot
colored blossoms in shape like Mimu-
lus, a glowing mass of red Lythrum,
and delicately lovely Aster, in which
the lilac is replaced by sheeny grey
pink. The feathery blossoms of
Spir@a and some white Daisies shine
here and there among their more richly
colored sisters. 1t is indeed garden
unapproachable in its own beauty, and
with its tender loneliness made more
impressive by its wonderful surround
ings.
Just where we are sitting we have
taken advantage of masses of tall shrubs
and the stems of forest tress, to shut
out from view all buildings and roads,
and have left ourselves with the Falls
and the Nature-planted garden as they
might have been .seen long, long ago.
There is hardly breath of wind; the
great misty columns of spray rise high
into the sky from the base of the falling
water, and it is only at rare intervals
that wandering spirit of air takes one
of the lighter spray clouds and bends it
over toward us, when its soft and dew
like mist is shed over the thirsty
flowers, making their vivid colors glow
with intenser beauty in the rays of the
setting sun. AS the gentle breeze
passes by they bow their heads in graft
tude for the welcome moisture, and
rustling murmur runs FROM top to bot
tom of the hill as they raise themselves
up again in thankful praise.
And ever the vsices of the waters are
circling around us, now seeming to
raise a threatening warning of their
irresistible power, now chanting q
solemn death song as they are hurled
over the preclpice to be broken to the
very last drop into foam, and spray,
and mist on the rocks below, and ever
through the voices, now loud, now low,
with unceasing iteration, seems to
vibrate note of praise to the great
Creator of all for the use He has made
of them in the formation of one of the
wonderful sights He has given on earth
for our enjoyment.
And now, with sudden dip, the sun is
lost behind the hill; the air strikes chill,
and the flowers began folding them
selves away to sleep, but the beauty of
the scene entrances us yet. In front of
the now dark and sunless foreground
sweeps the brood horseshoe of foam
ing and struggling water; the great
emerald is now changed into myriad
tinted opal; the wavelets that leap into
the air oil along the whirling rapids are
dyed with flush pink; while from far
down in the gloom and depths of the
Great Fall rainbow rises into the
misty mass of spray. Above, around,
and through the spray CLEAN the float
ing clouds in the evening sky-now
blushing DER with rosy flame, now
slowly changing to lustrous gold. till
oil color slowly fading CLEAN by CLEAN
away, the gray hush of the coming
night falls over the wondrous scene.
As we rise To beQin our way down