St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-09-02
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
Burdette in Brookl.n Eaql..


One mountain I particularly desired
to climb. 1t is a splendid mass of
rock, treeless, high and promising an
outlook of 10000 or 10000 miles from
its summit. Viewed from our camp it
doesn't look so bad. With me, to wish
is to will, and to will is to do some
easy things. l wished to climb the
mountain and clumb it. / don't know
how to spell it, but [ did it. A smooth
looking mountain, with terraces of low
green bushes and easy lodges of rock
looks well enough to blind man across
the lake, but when you essay to slide
it under your feet, it becomes rOugher
than pigs back. | stepped on firm
looking logs that were as rotten as
politicians promises. L was precipi-
tated down great pits so deep that
could look up and see the stars, just
after reaching bottom. | got lost i'm
the briar-patches that shred my raj
ment from me in great shreds from
Shredville, and lacerated my inmOst
feelings. | lost my hat. / dropped
my alpenstOck down a hole that ex-
tended 400 feet up inside of a mountain
in China. | broke my knife cutting
another stick. | took off my coat and
laid in on the inaccessible top of an
unapprOachable rock, intending to get
it as | came down, and now, the entire
United States Geographical Commits
sion couldn't find that rock in a million
years. l pulled the sole off one boot
and tore the upper off the other. l ate
handful of strange red berries before
learning that they were poison. | STIR
red up nest of hornets in the dead
thicket of a fallen pine tree, and heav-
Ell and earth came together in six or
seven places at the same time before
could climb a perpendicular cliff eighty
feet high to get away from them. But
l did it. When l saw the boss hornet
disappear within his workshop min
| ute and then come out with an arm full
of scythe stones which he began dis
tributing to the strikers, 1 could have
climbed the North Pole.
/ got along little farther after this
| interview with the hornets. The view
| from the mountain top repaid me.
Thirteenth pond was gem, a dainty
sea of crystal, laughing in it's setting of
mountain, woodland, cliff and meadow.
Benefits farm and the Van Dusen
place were emerald stretches of fertili-
ty, and Reeds Maple Cottage and our
tents glittered like snow drifts in the
meadows. 1t was all so beautiful |
stayed up on the mountain top to see
the sun set. 1t set on time, as usual
with a fine display of meteorological
scenic effects.
Then it occurred to me that had to
go down that mountain in the deepen
ing shadows of the cleaning. l emit
ted one of the grOans for which am
justly famOus-yOu must have heard
that grOan in BrOoklyn-and prepared
to descend. AS l slid down the first
incline, little rush of 200 feet over an
abrading surface of garnet rock, l
brought up against a fine old stump,
about half petrifed, and noticed a
bear, full weight, all wool, sound in
wind, limb and condition, walk around
the stump and look at me. My heart
bounded with a joyous sense of great
relief. "Major Ursus 2" said, 81 am
glad to meet you. | have been up the
mountain to see the sun set, although
| could see it set from the meadow. |
am now going down. | don't know
just where, but I have a presentiment
that l am going down. If you have
not been to tea, would you be kind
enough to eat me 2" "No," said the
bear, coldly, 81 never eat FOOLS" If
there's anything | do hate, it's bear.
Well, come up here before the sunset
is over. It's just the kind of place
you would like, and you're just as safe
in the woods as you are at home.
was going to tell about big trout
caught, but l see 1 haven't ROOM
Robert j. Burdett in Brooklyn Eagle.