New-York tribune., 1886-08-22
A DAY Al LAKE GEORGE.
LAZ,NESS AND LONELINESS.


o'clock in the morning Yesterday was swetering in
New York; to-day am strolling noble lawn,
canoped by stately trees. Before stretches of
he most beautiful of lakes In the distance to the
north heavily wooded islands break the view.
Across the bright blue dmplng water range of for
covered hills runs, their wavy outlines defined
clear and sharp against sky blue as sapphire yet not
resembling the color of the water. With what silent
IRONY nature protests against the color theories of doc
trinaire artists How unconcernedly she blends her
blues and greens and yellows How audaciously she
creates what the schoolmen of art declare must he
discords yet which in fact harmonies of the most
satisfying kind. In her composition there are no
crudities She is not afraid of sensationalism,
witness her sunrises and sunsets All, the secret OF
theso sunset colors! There is ineIiable BLUSH
green or greensh-bue. shaded with miraculous deli
cacv from zenith to horizon, which seems to me very
type of purity and which mortal pencil has eve
reproduced. How indeed can the Incompatible trans
cency the liquid tenderness of these tones rather than
shad es of the dying light be represented by pigments
upon canvas! The task is hopeless as the attempt
TO convey an idea of the beauty and majesty OF
Niagara by the camera
As the sun rises higher the diffusion of the light
seems to take something from the depths OF the rma-
mental azure. but in compensation the vivid green OF
the distant woods is brought out more strongly aud
the ripping waveets of the lake sparkle and quver
with greater hrancy. Over in the embowered
v;llaqe of Caldwell white wood smoke rises lazily
from the cottage and hotel chimneys. Through the
clear still air the monastery bell sounds sweetly,
calling to morning devotions. Surely the Paust
Fathers were well advised plant here their summer
retreats to provide in this lovely 50 hrshed and
peacefui place of meditation.
Yet it really the that the beauties of nature
tend to spiritual elevation The history of this lake
scarcely supports the contention 1t is hard to realize
that there was q time when the man who ventured TO
sun himself openly this point as am DONG To-Day
would have rsked his life. Yet there are few spots
nrolGc in memories of strife and carnage than Lake
George There perhaps not mile OF its clrcnmier-
encc which has been the scene OF some battle or
skirnish. The Indians. the French. the Englsn,
fought around it for years 1t was as beautiful then
as now The same waters. the same forests. the sinc
hills. were exhibited and illuminated by the same
vorying splendors of day. twilight and dawn: but
tie waters then bore the canoes and baeaux OF
savares voyageurs soldiers. and the whispering trees
served IA shelter to the steatby combatants who
sinncd with vicilant outlook. from trunk TO trunk,
, or crouched TO take aim at unsuspecting foe
To-day eace reigns here. As i lie, i'll the aban-
don Of city fatigue not yet reacted from, upon the
lawn whose soft green refreshcs my neutrality-suspicious.
yes splendid butterfly hutters in narrowing circles
round me examining ali over with curious IN
ouisitveness and manfesing a tameness which de-
lights me- | lie quite STILL hoping the gorgeous
ere AZURE nav be tempted to alght upon me- lie comes
nearer and nearer. He even sweeps across my lace,
50 that can see his black bead-like eyes plainly.
think he knows for a newcomer and Is taking
stock of me- Perhaps he looks upon all humans as
dull kind of grubs condemned to crawl about the
Ground But the butteray's mind is a sealed book
What | wonder. does that pretty little chipmunk
think of me lie has just appeared on low branch
of tree within ten feet of me. He has run out to the
end of the branch, and there he has seated himself
upon his launches in the attitude of begging. ana
with his graceful little head cooked on one side he
is watching with a pert curiosity ana an entlre
absence of self-consciOusress which give me qlite
solkirkian feeling He is as tame kitten. If l
had some crumbs perhaps he would come and eat them
out of nv hand lie and his family live here upon the
lawn People passing all day. AT short
distance a party of young folks are playing lawn
tennis with an energy and activity which marvel at
in An indolent way. And by the way, why does not
some superior person take in hand the artistic reform
of the iawn-tenus costume worn by the young man
of the period 1t is ugly. 1t is ungraceful. 1t is
loud as regards color and grotesque as IT rgards
pattern 1t calls for amendment But the chipmunk
is evidently Injured to it, lie looks upon IT with the
| calm eve of philosopher He is afraid OF nothing,
| not even of the children, in whom the organ OF
destructiveness is generally very fully developed
and who exhibit the savage instincts of their prog
nathous ancestors in their desire to kill every small
living creature brought within their reach. Here
and nOw however, even the children are harmless
| and the chipmunk knows IT. -
did hear a young woman talking in a cold -booded
| Uay about catching butterflies and killing them with
! choroform and then pinning them down. but don't
believe she would commit such atrocities If put to the
| test and | am the more convinced that she was
romancing by the fact that my friend the brilliant
butterfly has returned and brought companion as
MAGNIFICENT as himself, and together they wheel and
flame and flash about the lawn and in and out
between the trees. until through contemplation OF
their beauty become very Hindu III the matter ol
| reverencng life in all creatures
| There are people who after coming here cannot
rest coptened with the lovelncss OF the place. They
are SO subducd to what they work in so saturated
with conventionaltytha they are never easy until
they have reproduced much as possible OF the city
life relief from and contrast to which Is supposed TO
| he the desideratum in these months OF exodus.
Sroling in the grounds on respendent night, when
| the moonlight battles and transforms everything,
| when the soft breeze just sways and ristes IN
the treetops when the lights of distant cottages set
in dark masses of woods glow warmly amid the pale
eful gence-I have wondered at the perverslty that
| nrefcr, TO such scenes the hot stufness of hotel
parors the too familiar strains OF piano, and the
| dubious pleasures of the regulation hop"
| This afternoon we had strange visitor par OF
| French itncrsnts brought with them performing
| hear. lie seemed a good-naured bear, though mad
he been freed from his muzzle perhaps few present
| would have cared to test his amabilty lie was
resented to be native of France aud answered to
| the name of Jean Pierre" SO addressed he went
through urslne version oi tne manual anu pidiooD
| and presently set to waltz, his master singing
| Tiri la Ia ta TIN Ion ton ton to keep him III the
step Then he ordered to climb tree, and did SO,
| nrotesting however, against exercise evidently
not to his taste. Finally the bear was gwen bath
in the lake. which he plainly enjoyet and bis keepers,
their wallets much heavier with nickcs and dimes,
went away with him This kind Of thing is a sort OF
excitement here. We all flock out and ponder IT
oravely and lazly Just as all lounge out to see
the steamboat come in to the dock and go out again.
All these little episodes to give It's new effects,
| in fact A brown bear, either a green lawn or up
a tree is picturesque. a steamboat always looks
lively il not graceful. We have saiboats also, and
one fitted with bright red sails The idea is that OF
| a distinguished artist who comes to the lake every
| year and whose son sails the boat speak OF. IL
happy thought. The red sails form brilliant con
trast to the blue water aud the green woods. Seen
II ia a bit of Venice set down in New ork, 4
reoognitior of effect quite foreign to sober and