The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-09-16

memory with her magic style can catch and
hold up on the tablets Of the mind the lights
and oolari Of these glorious Views, The road
grew rough and ropgher I'LL Pris and Cricket
declared that His Satanic Majesty must have
constructed it himself in a moment of fury, by
kicking all rocks within ! Is reach into the bed
of a dry brook, Then the way became wilder,
trees and tall bushes arched and met over
head and Slyly tapped our checks or pulled
our hair, The golden sun light filtered
through the foliage and danced before us like
merry will.o'-thc-wisps reckoning US to Gu
destination, 4 final jounce and we turned 10
the left and drove quite into the woods, SIS
this the paee2' 81 am almost shaken to
pieces!' "Where are we going to have din
ner?' and like remarks rained on the devoted
heads Of the gentlemen as they assisted the
la.!ies to alight, Afer caring ior our four
footed friends, it was decided that we should
dine in the Den itself.
The procession started down the steep,
slippery incline, headed by cousin Pizarro
bearing TIE huge dinner box with a dignity |
and assurance that called for the murmur of
admiration from the feminine portion of the
procession ill, by an uulucky slip, the note
was changed TO one OF anxious inquiry, as for
q moment there was prospect OF our having
but one article on our bill Of fare-hash
But box and bearer were soon rghted and we
picked our way down the uncertain path,
with care, holding to tree or rock or stump,
slipping stumbling but fortunately reaching
the bottom without accident, and found our
selves in the famous Devils Den A huge
curying wall of blacNish gray rock rising
many yards above Us aud then shelving out |
abruptly overhead forming a natural awning |
that could shelter alike from sun OF rain. I
Some of the party were struck b. the resem
blancc Of this rock formation to that over |
which grand Niagara pours its waters, The
shelving roof is cracked and scanned and some
day Jack Frost will send it crashing down on
the boulders that already lie in wild disorder
at the mouth of the Den, silent witnesses to
some awful long-past disturbance in nature.
These buildings, gigantic and oddly shaped,
are the Devils household effects and are
known as his table, cradle and chair And
paradoxical as it seems there is also his pulpit.
But why not? Are we not told there are SER
mons in stones? and besides the Devil has en-
tered so largely into politics and society Of late
that he is never home to occupy it. One
stands on this rough hewn pulpit, looking out
on a green valley carpeted with waving tree
tops, then on to where the valley widens into
fields and then stretches away TO meet the
mighty mountains, those symbols of endurance
which God has placed on earth as examples
to men, and standing thus in the stiffness and
before those master pieces not made with
hands, one feels why the ancient Greeks rails
ed affairs "to the unknown God" and forgive
the ignorance that worshipcd nature as
q God. But while we gazcd and
dreamed, auntic and Cricket spread the
feast and their call to dinner was as
music to the ears of that hungry party.
How the chicken disappeared and with
what astonishing cclcrity the other
goodies vanished washed down with
the best of old - water from the
Devils spring. After dinner we climb
ed to the top of the Den, stood on the
projecting shelf and peeped down into
the rocky depths below. But such a
climb as it was. Tiny streams trickled
down the rocky sides, beautiful green
moses in deceptive lovelincss made
the path slippery and uncertain, and ill
hammered roots and dead branches off
cred obstacles many and often. and the
girls unhesitatingly dubbed Mr.. Crook,
Frederick the Great, as he possessed in
unstintcd measure that helpful, courtc-
GUS strength that was attributed in the
oidcn times to royalty alone, while |
Pizarro without Il nickname lent a help
ing hand to all who needed it. Having |
reached the road again the DEVILS cave
and oven were duly explored. Teaser
crawled into the former and climbed
into the latter. Thanks to the i'm
promptu ladder set up by former visit
ors. lie returned to the waiting party
deliberately decorated with mother
earth, saying ''thcrc wasn't much to see
any way and it was wet in the cave"
We found traces of the party from So.
| Derry; not that there were foot prints
| in the sand but there were cucumbers
in the spring, and Pris brought the
laugh upon herself by installing a
piece of one of those vegetables that
was in the water, for fine bit of quartz
and compelling Fred erick the Great to
assume u very devout attitude in getting
it for her. How fast that day sped.
The lengthening shadows in the road
and the hands of four watch told us it
was time to begin the homcward journ-
ey. Perhaps it was the fact that the
party would soon separate to meet none
knew when or where, but the way was
smoothcd and shortened and we were
back at cousin Pizarro's as by magic.
Tho sun fell lower and lower, the huge
red ball, as loath to bare the world to
darkness, hung low in the sky and
looked with kindly eye on the half
merry, half sorry adieus and then
dropped out of sight. The lamps and
smoking supper came to the table to-
gcthcr and the diminished party gather
ed about the board to discuss the meal
and the days doings. We all agreed
that the Devil cannot be as black as he
is painted or he would have left some
stain or tarnish in his wild, beautiful
abode; and then with a vote of thanks
to the kind promoters of our days
pleasure as well as to his Satanic Ma