The herald., 1894-05-27
SCENERY COMPARED
THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEl
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN.

Having lately visited England after
long absence, my mind since my retur
has been busy with the subject of the "a
lations between our scenery and that
the old world. l visited a dull part
Hampshire On leaving the house wher
| was staying it was necessary to ge
up to an early breakfast to catch train
Two young soldiers, very pleasant and
friendly fellows, who went away at tn
same time, were in the cab with me
Reference was made to the scenery, ant
one of them, who had been in America
said, "You Americans may not Away
say you admire England, but in you
hearts you know there is nothing liI,
it. - looked out of the cab window al
the fiat and very rolled out landscape,
cut up into squares and plots by iron
fences, which, however, with its spars,
oaks standing here and there, was no
without classic grace, and thought d
the fresh and magic outlines of the Vir
ginia mountains. But the hour wal
much too early and too drowsy to allow
of any expression of dissent. 1t is an
old question, that between the scenery
Of the two worlds 1t is simple enough,
however, with an obvious answer. Here
it is primeval and virgin nature; there
nature affected by man and art.
The difference between European and
American trees and woodlands is sig
niticant Of this. Early in September an
acquaintance took me to look at re.
markable oak ON his place in Essex,
which he said had been thought by some
persons to be relic of the ancient Brit
ish forest This oak, which was not very
high, threw its powerful arms straight
out in all directions over wide spacs
of ground Certainly such tree could
not have stood in an aboriginal forest.
There would not have been sufficient
sun to produce so great an amount Of
LEAKAGE, and there would have been no
room for such a vast lateral extension.
1t so happened that only few months
before, in June perhaps, had seen in
Tennessee a good deal Of a forest which
was almost virgin. The trees went
straight upward to great height the
boles being clean of branches long
distance from the ground, and the leaf
age scant, except at the top, where it re-
ceived the sun. / rode into the middle
of this forest The trees were ofoen SO
close together that it would have been
hard for a horse to go between them,
and my horse followed the bed of d
stream which was so shallow that il
scarcely more than wet his fetlocks, the
rhododendrons being very thick ON each
side of me. Hating in the midst Of the
level floor of the forest, it was an i'm
pressive scene which found. The pale,
lofty trunks stood everywhere parallel,
and with stately decorum and regular
ity, except where, half way up the adj
jacent mountain side some tumbling
trees, leaning at angles against their
surrounding fellows, which had arrest
ed them in falling, varied the universal
propriety with a noble confusiony the
gray trunks looking like mighty fallen
pillars of ruined temple.
1t is true that our scenery is not very
rich in its associations of human history.
This source of interest we have here
only to a slight degree. But the land
scape has its own history. Is it not we'll
to consider that history? Is not scenery
made more impressive by the study of
those sublime changes which have pre-
pared the world which we see, and may
not the disclosures of men of science, so
far as the unlearned are capable Of COM
pretending them, be brought to the serv-
ice of the sense of natural beauty?
Another contrast there may be in the
scenery of the two lands. There is this
to be said of English scenery-it is suit
able to the luxury and comfort of Eng
fish country life. 1t is appropriate to
the English fleshpots. There are plenty
of country houses throughout England
in which material comforts are of the
tain much agreeable company of both
sexes. had some experience of such a
house in Surrey. The library was excel
lent. For wonder the weather was
good, the ephemeral British sunshine
remaining all day on tho southern walls
and really lavish among those flowers
of the garden you do not know by name.
you are not inclined to anything more
active than some kind of pleasant read
ing and are likely to lose your place at
that while your gaze rests upon the
hills to the west To such a life and
such a state of mind the vague, soft as
pect of the Surrey hills was most suita.
ble-two impalpable ranges Of hills, al
Turing to the eyes. Essences they SEEM
ed rather than substance or matter,
and unreal, save in their gentle emer-
aid coloring. And they were always ly-
ing there, quivering as in a dream-a
mirage which did not go away.
If there is an agreement between lux
ury and English scenery, my sentiment
is that, on the contrary, luxury does NOT
suit our scenery. An iron foundry,
strange to say, does no harm. A forge,
a factory by the side of pond filled
with water hlies-I have now in mind
the New England municipalities are
not unsuitable. But fine house in
some way is, and my sense of incongru-
ity extends as well to those mansions
which friend describes as Queen Anne
in the front and Mary Ann in the rear.
Architecture, both private and public,
should be such as is suitsd to the local
requirements and history. A white spire,
for instance, marking such church as
New England farmers have built for
generations what an eloquent object in
a wide and undulating view!-E. S.
Nadal in Century