The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-31
NATURAL SCENERY.

having lately VISITED England AFTER
a long absence, my mind, both there
and since my return, has been busy
with the subject of the relations be-
tween our scenery and that of the Old
World, writes Mr.. Nadal. visited a
dull part of Hampshire; on leaving the
house where l was staying, it was
necessary to get up to an early break
fast TO catch a train Two young sol
diers, very pleasant and friendly fell
lows, who went away at the same
time, were in the cab with me. Refer
ence was made to the scenery, and one
of them, who had been in America,
said: ''You Americans may 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
dow 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 Virginian 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
! ana strgin nature; there, nature af-
fected by man and art
The difference between European
and American trees and woodlands is
significant of this. Early in Septem-
Der an acquaintance took me to look
at 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
vast lateral extension.
1t SO happened that only few
| months before, in June perhaps, l had
seen in Tennessee a good deal of for
est which was almost virgin. The
trees went straight upward to great
height, the boles being clear of
branches a long distance from the
ground, and the LEAKAGE scant, except
at the top, where it received the sun.
rode into the middle of this forest.
The trees were often so close together
that it would have been hard for
horse to go between them, and my
hnrcn fn11nExnI tho l,al Of CIV
which was SO shallow that it scarcely
more than wet his fetloclrs, the rhodo-
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 | found. The
pale and lofty trunks stood every
where parallel, and with a stately de-
| corum and regularity, except where,
half way up the adjacent mountain
side, some tumbling trees, leaning at
angles against their surrounding fell
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 very
| rich in its associations of human his
tory This source of interest we have
here only to slight degree. But the
landscape has its own history. Is it
not well to consider that history? Is
/ not scenery made more impressive by
the study of those sublime changes
which have prepared the world which
we see, and may not the disclosures of
| men of science, so far as the unlearned
are capable of comprehenGing 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 is
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 tiesh-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 a house in Surrey. The
library was excellent; for a wonder
| the weather was good, the ephemeral
British sunshine remaining all 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 to
| anything more active than some kind
| of pleasant reading, and are likely to
| lose your place at that, while your gaze
rests upon the hills to the west To
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 as
! in a dream-a mirage which did not go
away.
If there is an agreement between
luxury and English scenery, my senti-
ment 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 a pond
filed with water-lilies Il have now in
mind the New England landscape
these are not unsuitable. But a fine
house in some way is. and my sense OF
| ;noonrr,1itv extends as we'll Ia those