The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-13

pronounced as spelled), and prepare to
ascend the famous mountain. A path
is plainly marked out. and though steep,
| it is not difficult. No trees or shrubbery
OF any kind is seen. The beautiful pur-
pie heather and broom abound on every
hand, the large foxglove, and in the val
leys the club moss, staghorn moss, al
pine moss are found, and in places the
ladies' mantle and birds eye primrose.
A singular scarcity of bird, quadruped and
insect life is everywhere noticeable. OBJ
served raven or two, maybe, rabbit,
some jackdaws and rocks, but no insects,
and none of the manifold insect voices
that fill the air among the American
mountains. To the very summit sheep
and lambs were numerous, and their
presence everywhere gave singular
charm to the scene. Continually rained
upon, their feeces we're snow-white and
blended with the peacefulness of the
scene in perfect harmony. There are
said to be fifty kinds of fern among the
1
Two hours of steady climbing and we
reach the top, a long ridge of loose stones,
sloping off somewhat gradually on the
side on which we have assembled, but very
abruptly on the other sides-almost per-
pendicularly indeed toward the lonely
tarn near which was found the young
man immortalized by Scott and Words
worth. And here the words of Scott
'The mighty Helvellyn" are realized, for
the vast bulk on which we stand extends
seven miles north and south.
The view is one of rare beauty. The
lakes Ullswater, Brassenthwaite. Thisl-
mere, Windermere and Coniston, and
the tarns Harrop, Blea and Red, are in
full view, the lovely valleys and the sea
of mountains on every side give great
variety to the view, and an impression of
peaceful solitude and quiet beauty is pro-
duced on the mind such as sublimer
heights fail to yield. Added to this is the
charm that is produced on the mind by
the muse of Wordsworth, which has touch
ed every peak and lake and stream and
almost every object that can be discerped
from this summit. For example, looking
almost perpendicularly down into the Red
tarn the whole spirit of the place is called
forth, and one seems to see the shade of
the great poet as he recites his descrip.
ton:
IL was a cove. huge recess
That keeps till June December's snow.
lofty precipice in front.
A silent tarn belowl
Far in the bosom of Helvellyn.
Remote from public road or dwelling,
Pathway or cultivated land,
From trace of human foot or hand
There sometimes doth leaping fish
Send thro the tarn a lonely cheer;
The crags repeat the ravens croak,
In symphony austere;
Tt her the rainbow comes-the cloud
And mists that spread the flying shroud,
And sunbeams, and the sounding blast,
That, if it could, would hurry past,
But that enormous barriers hold it fast
And no words than his better describe the
oOOuO 5pIOdO Oub OolOTo us.
Lol the dwindled woods and meadows;
What vast abyss is there
Lol the clouds. the solemn shadows,
And the glisteninss, heavenly fart
And a record of commotion
Which thousand ridges yield;
Ridge, and gulf, and distant ocean,
Cleaning like silver shield
Aud what a magnificent theology did
the great poets musings produce! As he
surveyed the phenomena around him he
saw that God had
turned the thistles of curse
To types benehcent."
And so he sang
"Sin-blighted though we are, we, too,
The reasoning sons of men,
From one oblivious winter called
- Shall rise and breathe again,
And in eternal summer lose
Our threescore years and ten."
1t seems singular, even to myself, that
descending the mountain, and leaving
these scenes of beauty, the impression of
Wordsworth is deeper on my mind than
all the rest, and that I remember as WV
idly as anything else the little daisy / saw
on his grave the flower that he said has
function apostolical" He was the
first to interpret nature, and the greatest
of all who have attempted to tell her les
sons to mankind. And we may we'll say
with Matthew Arnold:
Time may restore us in his course,
Goethe's sage mind, and Byron's force;
But when will Europes latter hour
Again find Wordsworth's healing power?
Keep fresh the grass upon his grave
Rotha. with thy living wave,
Sing him thy bestl for few or none
Hear thy voice right now he is gonel
GEOhGE WESTINGHOUSE
HORSES.
Washington never lost his liking for
good horse, and he knew what a
good horse was. He had servant who
had been General Braddock's servant
and had been with Washington ever
since the battle of the Monongahela.
Bishop, as he was named, was terrible
disciplinarian, and devoted to his mas
ter's interests. At sunrise every day, he