The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-26


dies. That fish story is reliable. A
few goods-coffee, sugar, especially
coda, calico, etc.-had been brought
to "the settlement" that day and the
mountaineers fiocked in TO buy. /
heard one stout fellow ask for a "par
OF gallusee," but they were not in the
stock. Sturdy fellows they are, with
a native courtesy OF manner and sim.
plicity that are delightful. Thii STOP
ping place was abou. twenty miles
from our starting point, and the topoi
Whitetop WIS seven miles away. We
made this seven miles next morning
by 10 o'clock without seeing much, for
1t was steady climb, and the
road lay through q deep forest I'M
til we reached the top OF the
mountain. We found quite num-
her OF people already there. Among
them we're several melancholy looking
individuals, who bad fed from the
ne'ghboring village to escape hay fever.
One of them sat on rock and with
our glasses watched bis hands plowiDg
in his field twelve miles away. must
correct one statement / made about
Whitetop. 1t has long been consid-
cred the highest mountain in Virginia,
and 1t is very high. Pile three Mont
eagle mountains one on top of the
other and you begin to get up to the
lofty level OF Whitetop. But 1t is not
the highest. A recent official survey
has deprived 1t OF this distinction and
placed the crown on the brow OF q
neighbor. Balsam, now named Rogers
mountain, is 140 feet higher than
Whitetop. But rs yet the summit OF
Rogers is inaccessible except by q
bIjdle path. Some future day ] shall
climb that azure cone. The summit OF
Whitetop 10 denuded OF timber over
an area OF perhaps 100 acre., which is
covered with q thick sward OF wild
grass, very much resembling blue
grass. The "old field" as 1t is
called, affords admirable opportunity
for observation. 1t is supposed
to bs natural clearing, for the memo
ny Of man runneth not back 10 the
time when q forest was there. The
rest OF the summit is covered with q
dense jungle OF lashorps, A little
down the side OF the mountain there
are open woods that present very
much the appearance Of park. M
merous springs gush out near the sum-
init, afording abundant water facili'
ties. noticed that the stream issuing
near our cabin, at whose crystal spout
we made our toilet, flowed with twice
the volume OF water in the morning
that it had in the evening, and all
these streams are as cold az ice water.
The land from base to summit is as
rich as mississippi bottom land. There
is delightful freedom ftom insects
spiders, mosquitoes, flies, ct Id omne
genus, OF pestiferous vermin that
plague us mortals cannot live in these
serene lights. What delicious nap
| had, stretched prone on the soft
grass on the mountains brow! shall
not attempt to describe the scenery,
for only those who have gaz9d upon
1t aud felt the exhiarating effect
OF that lofty atmosphere can real
ice it. But we beheld one spec
tacle 80 vast, resplendent and unex-
pected that must refer to it. AS we
went out of our cabin to breakfast one
morning, paused to look at the val
ley below. 1t lay in tranquil beauty,
a world of wooded bills and highlands
and inferior mountains, dappled over
with clearinss, from whose cabins the
blue smoke was curling UPWARD and
walled in by loftier mountains that
upheld a sky of cloudless azure. We
were at breakfast the usual time, but
when we came out 10 what a change.
The same crystal dome of sky was
above us, but the valley mad disap-
pesred farms, hills, highlands, noun
tains, were all submerged in one
bound!ess ocean of vapor, WhitetOp
was an island in this wondrous ocean,
and far away in North Carolina
spo her lofty mountain lifted its blue
form above the pillows, but as far as
the eye could sweep, all besides was
an unbounded deluge OF cloud. A
short distance down the side OF the
mountain, saw the shore line OF this
mystic sea 50 definite that | might
have plunged my arm into its ETHEREAL
waves while my body was in limpid
sunlight. As the wind moved over
the surface OF this wide ocean of mist,
the effect was indescribsbly grand.
Billows leagues in length and dazzling
in whiteneis, rolled noiselessly across
that aerial sea until they were lost in
radiant distances. No ship sailed that
mysterious main that had 30 suddenly
engulfed us, and the sense Of loneli-
ness became almost painful as ]
thought of being ahoat above a world
that had gone down under that mighty
deluge. As imagination yielded to
this Illusion, II was a positive relief to
reflect that old Whitetop was anchor
ed to the core Of the world, and would
stand firm amid encircling seas. Then
thought of the sea OF glass John saw
in the vision OF heaven and the eter.
nal splendors of the world to come.
"An undevout astronomer Ia mad"
Strange indeed, also, must be the mind
that could gaze on such scene of
glory az enchanted us that morning
and not bemoved TO adoring reverence,
How sublime are the works of God?
How ennobling and blessed is the belief
that the Almighty who reared these
Htupendoue mountains and stretched
above them this canopy OF sky and
adorned them with these vernal for.
ests, and filed these vast cathedrals
OF nature with the everlasting music
OF the waterfalls-that the being OF in
finite power, wisdom and beauty is
"Our Father in Heaven"
have scrubbed these hasty notes
for the pleasure Of those who have
not enjoyed the privilege Of sojourn-
ing above the clouds. Old Whitetop
was visible from my window when /
was u student at Emory and Henry
College, and these Wits to it's lofty
nights were the fulfllment of the
dream OF the long ago. On the slight
est opportunity am ready to 20 again,
and 80 Is Thompson, who protested
that he was not stiff from the ride
homeward, though noticed he eat
down very quietly the most of the
day following, s, A. STEEL,
Thread From MIX Weed.