The Globe-republican., 1894-06-15
NATURAL SCENERY.
a Companies Betweea That of England
~ ARericA-Ihe Former b Affected
by Man and Art. the Latter b PrimevaI
and Virgin

4 C0npoPieo0 Between That OF England
40 America-Ihe Former 10 Affected
by Man and Art. the Latter b PrimevaI
and Virgin
Having lately visited ENGLAND after
lonc absence. my mind. both there
and SiSce INV return. has been busy
with the subjsct OF the relations be-
tween our scenery and that of the Old
World. writes Mr.. Nadal Visited
hull part of Hampshire: on leaving the
house where | was staying. it was
necessary To get up to an early break
fast to catch a train Two Young SOL
iiers, very pleasant and friendly fell
lows. who went away at the same
time. were in the cab with me. Refer.
.nce was made to the scenery. and one
Of them. who had been in America,
said: You Americans NAV not al
ways say You admire England. but in
your hearts you know there IS nothing
like it" l looked out of the cab win
low at the fiat and very rolled-out
landscape. cut up into squares and
plots by iron fences. which. however,
with its sparse oaks standing here and
there. was not without classic grace.
and thought of the fresh and magic
outlines of the Viryinian mountains.
But the hour was 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
abvious answer. Here it is primeval
and virgin nature: there, nature at
fected by man and art.
The difference between European
and American trees aud woodlands is
significant of this. Early in Septem-
Der an acquaintance took me 10 look
at a remarkable oak on his place in
Essex. which he said had been thought
by some persons to be relic of the
ancient British forest. This oak. which
was not very high. threw its powerful
arms straight out in all directions over
wide space 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, l had
seen in Tennessee good deal of for
est which was almost virgin. The
trees went straight upward to a great
height. the boles being clear o.
branches a long distance from the
ground. and the LEAKAGE scant, except
at the top. where it received the sun
l rode into the middle of this forest
The trees were often so close together
that it would have been hard for 2
horse to go between them, ard my
horse followed the bed of a stream
which was so shallow that it scarcely
more than wet his fetlocks, the rhode
dendrons being very thick on each
side of me- Hating in the midst OF
the level floor of the forest. it was an
Impressive scene which l found. The
pale and lofty trunks stood every
where parallel, and with stately de
corum and regularity, except where,
half way up the adjacent mountain
side, some tumbling trees. leaning al
angles against their surrounding fel-
lows, which had arrested them in fall
ing, varied the universal propriety With
a noble confusion, the gray trunks
looking like mighty fallen pillars of
ruined temple.
1t is true that our scenery is not YER,
rich in its associations of human his
tory. This source of interest we have
here only to a slight degree But the
landscape has its own history. Is il
not we'll to consider that history? is
no, scenery made more impressive by
the study of those sublime changes
which have prepared the world which
we see. and may not the disclosures o!
men of science, so far as the unlearned
are capable of comprehending them,
be brought to the service of the sense
Of natural beauty.
Another contrast there may be in the
scenery of the two lands. There Il
this to be said of English scenery; it is
suitable to the luxury and comfort OF
English country life. 1t is appropriate
to the English flesh-pots There are
plenty of country-houses throughout
England in which material comforts
are of the best, and which at certain
seasons contain much agreeable com
pany of both sexes had some eXper-
fence of such house in Surrey. The
library was excellent; for a wonder
the weather was good, the ephemeral
British sunshine remaining ali day on
the southern walls, and really lavish
among those flowers of the gar
den you do not know by name.
Easily detained by such an ex
istence, you are not inclined t.
more active than some kind
of pleasant reading. and are likely &c
lose your place at that, while your gaze
rests upon the hills to the west Te
such life and such state of mind
the vague. soft aspect of the Surrey
hills was most suitable-two impalpa,
BILE ranges of hills, alluring to the eyes
Essences they seemed, rather than sub
stance or matter, and unreal, save in
their gentle, emerald coloring; and
they were always there. Quivering a.