Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-11-05
HlonT IN ung BUsr.

the sfttltNl Nl~ilift~ lliFNhNu NNffu w
atienuatci iron thread of railway
strrtchc. q tortuous course Tor hundreds
~ miles. linking township With township
In very real, II distant relationship;
beyond the Vet farther removed settle
nhents, where "Cobb'- coaches" still
flourish. stand the wide--prcading plains.
the rolling hllls aud intermediate ranges,
wherr, like oases Ia vast sea ~ terrific
~. rrmote sheep aud cattle stations eX-
1T home. NJ Gar removed from the cap
lial cities a. those ~ distant European
frontier. arr from London az Paris.
The only mean. ~ communication be-
tween such homc.tcads l. the ubiquitous
spidef-whcclci private buggy" and the
eVer-rvahy saddle. Who can forget the
peculiar loose. easy canter--a mode ~
progression kept up almost automaiical-
Ia hour after hour the day through
which l. Characteristic ~ the Australian
horssf
All DAY long the rider journeys IN ~
lense through the depressing stiffness ~
The hush. the ryihmic beat ~ the horses
unshOd hoof. acceutuating the Nolceless
.illlne.s. Nothing seems "a change
.aVe the position 10 the hurnlng orb
above. which In the morning shone out
heforc him With dazzling ray- aud nov
slowly sinks behind hls track. Change
there has surely bceu, hat the conscious
ne.. ~ u has hsen lo-t Ia the unchang-
Ing sense ~ bouniless solitude which
dominates the scene. The wood. seem
o. ret In an enchantcd sleep: occasion
III, q low mumur ~ hhlfarilculaici
.onnls fOai.. or seems to hoai, past
from the shadowy depths II the lmpcne-
tnhle forest; vague li.pings ~ the long
igo, ~ from some dimly remembered
former existence. and then die. awav.
Sometimes ghostly shadows seem Ia hli
past on either hand. bat that i fancy.
~ other time. the way leads past dark,
forhldding rangcs-pasi the ,cstlgcs ~
hush fire., wherr shriyeu, spectral
trunk. ~ hlackcnc,i tire. stand by the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS heights where
the taecs assume new curves and
strength and grace a.. they climb the
mountain side: bat All in strong contrast
a. that .ua,iiy of line which character
Ire an Engll.h country side. dcscrihcd
hy our American cousins a. Mature,
With her hair cOmh~i and parted.
sometimes the silence u broken hy focks
~ pretty ro.cllas flitlng from tree io
trrc, a gray kangaroo hopping across
the path to . place ~ safety, di.tant
,lew ~ fe,i-footcd rmus, or glimpse
~ some singular example ~ the helaied
AUSTRALIAN fauna. Nor l. The way un-
rvlie,rd by the beauty ~ strange Wild
flowers. which occasionally cluster la .s-
rrrt wherr the cool. loft mossss have
lccn scrrcned fum the hcry summer
heat. springing up unhee,led wherr none
arv hy a. 49, ani love. dill We not be-
licyr
To sunmer favef 4 o. ths summsf svesi,
rlaush for itssif % oniY i've sol iis
y the day velr. ou. and the sun AZ
length sct. With q pomp aud pagcantry
II color that fOod. the woDds with pris-
mltic hue. reflected from every leaf aud
tree. in a brief space the glowing dice
.ink. behind the western hills. leaving a
track of glory. a wciri, unearihly light,
Illuminating for q moment o. IL far
the.t rrcrs.e. the unhroken cNptusc ~
What might b. taken for an uuinhnblted
world.
And then quickly .ucccc,i. the Witch
vry ~ night IN ssmi-trppical land.
The evening wind. .igh through the
.hadoWy tr,,.s. the fisrr- heat ~ day u
summarily eXtluguishc'i, and the glitter
Ing host ~ southern starr ~ dazzling
brightne.. flame out IN the mcasurrlrs.
aFurr.
Tho .errne beauty ~ the snft Nusira-
Ian night through th- greater portion ~
The year will render camping out no
great hardship, aud the peaceful blNouoc
aill he grateful enough after LAY spent
In the saddlc. The silrnc", certainly
wlll soon D. broken hy q melody ~
strange sounds. the rattle AMI chirp ~
every variety ~ bush hunting inject,
the note ~ strange birds the crarkle ~
dead hranche. in the tre"s above, where
nocturnal animals furry woodland
thing. with Wild bright cyr--arr feeding
on the sccut-laien eucalypti leaves, and
other indcscrihahlc vocal carnations all
round: bat a. these voice. ~ the night
the ear soon grows accustomed, and
they hscotne an undertone which -carc"-
ly arrests the attention. y the dark
nee. decpen.. the bright consirllaiions
will be,leck the whole eNpanse ~ Ky
with matchle.s splendor. and the famil-
lar southern Cro.. will shine down mp
on the tired hOrssman's forest couch.
WHEN the moon unycll. her silVrry
llght above the tree iop- b. will no long
er seem companionle.s. In the Pehce-
mi udilncc shed around, the carrs that
lnfe.i the day will soon take wing, and
under The soothing influence of beauty
80 calm aud milc.tir a. that ~ our great
mother forgrtfulnes. will softly come.
II 9. a wonderfully strange experience Z"
lie out under the canopy ot night, Ia the
solemn. silent shadows ~ the Wild bush.
and watch the constellation. through the
branche. ~ the great trces a. they
CLEAN and brighten, wax dim and fade.
Gradually the tree. grow familiar to the
traveller, their brinche. seem to bend
csrcs.ingly over him, aud though the
silence can b. felt, u does not disturb.
I'm a scene 81 utter LONELINESS In time he
will grow to feel not alone. lie u one
with al these forest surroundings
~ the night aud it. gladness-and he
.lumbcrs ~ fclrle..ly - though b. we're
q sylvan hwn aud had Joined the follow
Ing of the great god Fan.