Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-02-26
COMMUNICATIONS.


burro in all the Rocky mountains. In
fact, selected her for her beauty; might
have chosen Benjamin Franklin, or Ben
jamin Butler, or Benjamin Harrison, or
Grover Cleveland, or hosts of others bear
ing distinguished names; but they were a
sorry hungry-looking set of burros; be-
sides, they had been packing supplies"
to the miners in the mountains and had
carried such heavy loads that the hair was
worn off in great patches on their sides,
which made them disreputably shabby.
On the contrary, Lucy was sleek and re
spectacle as she stood resplendant with
new saddle and bride in front of our door.
Her black coat was smooth and shining,
and congratulated myself on securing so
fine an animal, forgetting for the time the
old adage that appearances are deceitful."
had been without horse or other
means of conveyance for two days; the
horses that had been sent me for trial had
been returned to their owners as too un-
safe to ride over the dangerous mountain
passes, and never had the hours passed
more slowly, never had the mountain
peaks which bounded our horizon seemed
more alluring. had the most intense de
sire to climb to the top of the very highest
of those solid rock built peaks-up where
the eagle builds his eyrie-to obtain the
wonderful views disclosed from that alti-
tude. Those peaks were continual joy
of anticipation to me. l had watched
them as the first rays of the morning sun
touched with gold their glistening snow
capped heights; / had delighted in
their wondrous beauty when bathed in
sunset splendor; they were beautiful
in their noon-tide grandeur, and not the
less lovely when crowned or partially OBJ
scured by the fantastic storm clouds which
hung in graceful wreath-like forms from
their SUBMITS or which dotted with gauzy
mist the mountain sides. The quakinas
trees which lined their base nodded and
bowed as if in welcome, while the skeleton
trees higher up in the sparse spruce timber
stretched out gaunt dead arms entreatingly
to me as 1 watched them from my win
dow.
When learned that Nibs and his master
had an errand up near that unknown and
enticing region, 1 gladly availed myself of
an invitation to accompany them, and thus
it happened that Lucy, fully equipped,
stood before the the door. She had most
shortly discovered; she would scarcely
move, and would neither be coaIed or
threatened She was apparently insensible
to the whip which 1 applied most
vigorously: indeed, ! think she contem-
plated lying down in the road,-as
heard afterward she had a habit of do
ing. when Nibs went behind and his mas
ter tried his powers of persuasion on her,
but all in vain; she moved no faster. By
dint of pushing and whipping we had ac-
complished two miles of our journey, when
we left the road and struck into one of the
toughest and most precipitous of noun
tain trails Thinking it useless to pro-
ceed further, l decided to dismount and
await the return of my companion. Freed
from his tiresome charge, Nibs ambitious
| ly climbed the steep zigzag trail and was
soon out of sight.
Looking about me l saw low-limbed
| tree growing conveniently near to which
1 assayed to lead Lucy, for the purpose of
| fastening her bride to one of the branch
es; but she was obstinately stationary.
| pulled on her bride; pleaded with her;
tried coaxing and fattery; smoothed her
sleek face, and stroked her slender ears,
| but to no purpose, with her small front
| feet firmly planted on the ground, her
| long neck stretched to it's utmost, her
narrow pointed ears laid fatty back on her
| head, she looked the picture of asinine
| obstinacy. 1t was an unequal contest,
| and 1 was forced to beat a retreat, leaving
Lucy victorious, weary and heated, L sal
down to rest upon the trunk of fallen
tree near by.
1t was lovely afternoon, late in June
Above me stretched the azure heavens, sc
brightly beautifully blue Away dowr
over the little village, a few sunny clouds
were lazily floating. 1 could just see tn
tops of the quakinas trees that formed the
southern boundary of the town. The.
were beginning to show faint tints o
brownish green, the first harbingers o
spring. Almost perpendieularly rose tn
mountain behind the quakinas groves
the snow had entirely disappeared from
its eastern slope, leaving it barren an,
sere There was no hint of the thicI
verdant carpet that nature was pre-
pairing to cover its rough nakedness; N
sign of the delicate colors an
fairy flowers she was already fashioning i
her warp and woof and which later in th
, summer transformed that rugged mour
tain side into a wilderness of beauty an
bloom.
? The woods were full of life that perfet
t summer day. Countless little red squi
| rels ran up and down the trees, leapin
from branch to branch, coming closely
me without fear and Watching me viii
bright, restless eyes, then with a whisk
. their bushy tails they were out of sigh
The strange, shy cony cautiously raised
head from his queer rock-built hous
stared curiously about for an instant ar
then as silently vanished.
The snow had melted here in plac
which had been exposed to the SUMS ray
but above me among the dense forest
spruce, it still lay heavy and deep. A Il
tie stream came hurrying down the mou
Is tain, bubbling with eagerness, as if in has
70 to reach the noisy river in the canyon
my feet, whose loud continuous roar W
the only sound heard. Near this stream
j. found a bed of pure white blossoms, whi
:, in size and shape were similar to o
IL mock orange, but unlike the
n grew on short stems and were ordorles
r They looked familiar, and yet strange
~ like tracing in the countenance of stra
- ger some feature or expression that reca
II to mind valued friend-and my ey
e. grew misty as gathered great bunches
st the starry scentless flowers, so like the
at home. When Nibs returned L ii
ID them to his saddle which, like all mou
ne tain saddles, was plentifully supplied vi
be straps, until he looked like huge amin
"a ted bouquet.
o. The solitude was doubtless beneficial
'e, Lucy, who had now ample time for
es decfiou. and I dare cav she was sol