The Portland daily press., 1890-05-01
A TRIP TO NIAGARA.
Wedding Journeys and honeymoons
Improve With Age.

six or eight years standing. At that period.
neither your new relationship nor your new
clothes attract attention, because you haven't
any. Sentiment and an appreciation of the
beauties of nature have increased since the
callow days CT youth and independence upon
the feminine side has developed sufficiently
to allow an occasional stroll or Iamble alone,
as we'll as joint drives and walks about the
paradise of America
Before l reached Niagara | found myself
wondering what my sensations would be at
beholding its marvels and its beauties. re-
called the bride of II, who chung to her hus-
bands arm, gazed at the raging waters and
remarked "How sweet" l remember the
old lady who had never been away fro N her
home in the country till her son took her to
Niagara. When questioned, upon her return
about the grandeur of the scene an urged to
specify, she admitted, "Yes, tbs re was wa
ter; considerable water; but d orter
seen that pink bunnit that young lady wore
it was loyelyl" also recalled another dame
from "up country" who could find no adj
jectives to express her rapture, and finally
exclaimed. "Haint them Well they be!''
Should /, through the poverty of words, be
driven to some such expedient! Time would
show.
The weather was propitic 49, The BRIDE
groom of this particular wedt. ng party be.
ing immersed in business, had but fifteen
minutes of his society, and then undertook
solitary expedition on foot. o, the Joy in the
| fact that one million of New York State
| funds has protectected Niagara from goths
| and vandals fer all time! Unmolested by
hackmen or any noisy toll -gatherers, trudg-
! ed into Prospect Park, and all about its
pleasant paths. l reached the falls. My first
| view gave me a touch Of disappointment.
| The cataract did not seem so high, so stupen-
dous as constant reading and hearing had
led me TO expect. But how little l knew
what familiarity would do walked on,
crossed the Suspension Bridge, reached the
Canadian side. A half way down slanting
path along the ledge found a sunny bit of
rock. 10 somewhat sheltered spot. Here /
seated myself, directly opposite the Ameri-
| can falls, and by and by the magic of it all
| began Its work. 1t grew upon me, 1t devel-
| oped, it took On thousand changes to my
| devoruing eyes, realization of the kbeauty
| OF the scene crept over me with enthralling
| power The one word to express it is excite
ment; strong, controlling, intense excite.
4
man that thou art mindful of him?" 80
| Lord, how wonderful are Thy works. In
wisdom hast Thou made them ALL" 1t
seemed as if l could not go away from the
en-. Over the Horseshoe Falls some
light clouds hung low and the uprising mist
entered into an airy contest and tried to look
like clouds and to reach the sky, and sue
ceeded very well. too, till you felt that they
were part and parcel of each other and made
up of the same raw material. But sunset
was approaching and l bethought me was a
tired traveller and made my way / ack to the
hotel.
The next morning proved as fine and fair
as heart could WISH At ten o'clock we
started for drive, and this time the wedding
party was complete. 1--WE two are a multi
tude." Our road took us through Victoria
| Park, the Dufferin Islands, into all conceiv-
able loneliness. So far our views had been
| beside, opposite, or above the roaring waters
| Now we must 60 below.
The chute, containing railway track, is
i an easy method. The inclined railway bear
ing its cars Is run by hydraulic machinery.
Everything Is water power here, and why
not? Indeed, when you see canals and tun-
nels. through which torrents rush at any
| point from walls of stone and tunneled
heights, you begin to feel that Niagara so
far as its land goes, has only to be tapped at
| any given point for the floods to gush forth
| and be put TO all uses
| Monday morning, the weather again lovely
4 duu LLc tOuIlcb lICSu lUI u6W VIEWS. hdlQ-
bows are drug in the market. Here one is
flung out OF great radius. 1t is lying almost
/ parallel with the river, and extends to the
Canadian side and back again. There are
curves within a lesser range, but of deeper
colors. 1t is as If a. nymph of
the air were posing, constantly flinging a
| skipping rope of tinted dew.
| 1t is early for the spring flowers, tho ugh
there aas been p3 E0sS u the sE0npbd S
"Dutchman'S breeches"-a delicate, corn
colored blossom, small aud frail. to bear
such rugged name-violets and ladders
tongues" The birds are singing and here
on Goat Island. am wan ering on, drawn
all the time towards the ep, green flood,
the steady outpour at the heart of the Horse
shoe Fall, and now l am as near il as can
be, ON jutting bit of land and rock of the
Three Sister Islands. Twenty-eight feet at
the crest and down the water rushes ia col
umns, shafts, tons with heavy swiftness of
annihilating force. Dickens said: "The
finest effect-the browning one-of the tre-
mendous spectacle Of Niagara was pea ce
peace of mind, tranquility. calm recollec-
lions OF the dead, great thoughts of eternal
rest and happiness; nothing of gloom or ter
ror" This effect Is sure to come to every
one who has time to study Niagara over and
first own there was terror a fatal fasci-
nation. heard one of the men who rows a
boat under the Fall. telling of the suicides
f aaa,na had occurred l pictured myself
L
pitiless whirl Of binding floods. dreamed
at night OF stepping so far out onto projec-
ting land over the palisades that the earth
crumbled under me and / was dashed 200
feet to the dark Whirlpool below. / acknowl.
edge many creepy" feelings in the region
Of my spine and many tiutterings at the
heart. But as is usual, after the battle,
calm and the enduring" impression was
one of unutterable peace
In the afternoon, | babe adieu to the
bridegroom, so occupied with papers and
books that had to remind him of "the oc-
casion, in. order to extract so much as a
cordial reply to my salutations and took a
horse car for the town of Suspension Bridge
and visit to the Whirlpool Rapids.
noticed bank, bearing the name of the
town, l do not think Suspension Bridge" at
all safe name for a bank
The high palisades. the tumultuous rapids,
ne deep, dark pool receiving the river
| waters form fine contrast to the views at
the Falls | watched the water, flying over
the rapids in sheets of sparkling silver
rounding the crest at depth of four or five
deep, precipitating itself in volumes upon the
rocks below. upspringing there in huge
banks OF powder-like mist, touched by rain
bow tints, until 1t was so stamped upon my
vision that know all mental pictures after
TINS VIII fall before that riotous magnii-
cence.
80 ended the bridal trip of your correspon.
dent and er lord and master. L claim its
superiority over new wedding Journeys, un.
hesitatingly. Did not the groom occupy
himself, when free from pressing business
matters, in consulting his anaroid barome.
ter. exploding wild theories and overdone
legends, and luxuriating in statistics? Could
he have done this heartily with the cares of
newly married man burdening his mind ?
DID not the bride occupy every hour which
her escort could not give TO sight seeing, in
long walks by herself, with never a notion
of loneliness or neglect, quite embarrassed by
conventionalities
Yes, dear June bride of the next six
weeks, believe me. wedding Journeys and
honeymoons like most good things improve
with age. M. ID. j.