The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-05-25


VAST FAN.
whole life into obscuritv. had brought death
to those who gave her life, and her sister
years of misery. With chill she turned
away, and lifted a piteous look to Ell
shard's face. 1t had a bitter expression
mingled with disgust for all the coarse dis
play Of tyranous emblems about the place.
"Will it always remain so-thc sin and its
power 70 injurc others,' she asked.
mo, darling, it will fall" he answered.
The system which has made these valleys
simply pens for slaves must crumblc and
PASS away when the sec of civilization
flows over it.
s'Oh." she cried. with feeling, 81 wish it
might hasten! When think Of all the poor,
struggling. blind souls We shall leave here
among these mountains it makes my heart
ache. Can't we help them some way when
we are frce!"
Il hope VIC may" said Elchard, gravcly
II at least shall give time and strength and
money to it."
''Oh, thank you SO rluch!' said the girl,
gratefully, as If she were speaking fer her
whole people. Il am sure you can do q
great DEAL" and she looked 1t him with
loving eyes.
In few moments they came - the edge
Of the town, and, following q road that
passed up considerable height and wound
away into the Wasatch range, in . little
time they came out upon the side of Ensign
Peak, then turning their horses heads up
ward they rode around its green dome and
presently stood upon its summit.
All, what a nearness to heaven! How
lifted were they into sweet loneliness and
silencei When Elchard helped his betrothed
to the ground he held her moment in sheer
rapture of heart. They werc so far above
the earth, 50 closed round with halmy soil
tude, with the evening-tinted sky so near
above, and the vast ring Of swimming dis
tanccs SO beautiful below, their spirits leapcd
together in ecstasy.
He took her hand in his and they walked
across the summit AID looked down. Below
them the whole city spread out like vast,
gray fan, worked with emerald tracery of in
Vulnerable trec-tops, and shot with the silver
Of quivering streams. Above it all rose the
white work OF the great Temple and the
huge pan-shaped roof of the Tabernacle
Beyond it the river Jordan, pouring through
the purple mountains thirty miles to the
south, came down through the vast basin,
cutting it in twain like q highway of pearl.
Close upon the left the Garth dropped down.
ward iu.o great canyon, which. with its
bottom lined with grecnery, seemed to shake
creek OF clear srow-watcr whitening and
jingling downward into the liil-races Of the
city. Beyond the canyon the mountains
rose again and swept on round in o mighty
curve, notchcd and peaked, and decked with
giinting ribbons of snow. until the Jordan
cut it far in the south. Then the range rose
again and swept on in . grand mountain
wall far around to the west, huge, many
colored, domed, and TRANSPORTED in the
sunset.
up vast shield Of polished steel in hand
whose finger-cnds were peaks pro.ruding
above the cleaning rim. lay Great Salt Lake
Like Dead Sea, Indeed. it slept among its
grand surroundings, still, passive. and ua-
rufied by sail. In is midst were mount
Din islands, dead 6iuo and seeming TO lie
motionless upon the notionlcss water
Away in the north were villages, din with
distance, and Q train lilo . tiny worn creep
ing from west TO cast on the great Trans
continental Line, md beyond that, mount
aims filny as in dying dream. Directly
beyond the city, and to north and south, lay
thousand farms, chcckered by ten thou
scores OF orchards, and 1ec.rei with mimic
lakes and streams.
It was picture to make tic heart swell.
and they stood for time II wrapt silence,
gazing with luminous eyes and faces agiow
with happiness. Would earth ever give a
better hour, or even such anothcrl Were it
not almost enough il now time ceased for
them since they bad tasted its best.
After ;-srhile they sat down upon pro-
iecting shelf of stone, over which the dry
gray moss OF the mountain top lay in q mat,
and watshed the Sun melt out of the world.
Their mood was out of the common. so
great and beautiful was the picture before
them. and they talked on with. to them,
something Like music in thought and word.
''Itmakes one think of the Creation and the
making of mountains" the girl was saying
with her great eyes glowing II the sunset.
s'Ycs, what an hour Of rending and cor2mo-
ton there must have been here in that day.
SAID Elcha-d, his whole attitude alive with
fancy. i am often struck with the vastness
and extent Of these Rocky Mountains. They
ere not simple chain Of peaks. but q whole