The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-23
SCENERY COMPARED.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN.

but Not So with Us.
Having lately visited England after
long absence, my mind since my return
has been busy with the subject of tho re-
latlons between our scenery and that of
the old world visited dull part of
Hampshire. On leaving the house where
was staying it was necessary to ret
up to IN early breakfast to catch o train.
Two young soldiers, very pleasant and
friendly fellows, who went away OF the
Same time, were In the cab with mo
Reference was made to the scenery, and
one Of them, who had been In America,
said, You Americans may not always
say you admire England, but In your
hearts You know there Is nothing like
1T looked out of the cab window ct
the f1at and very rolled out landscape,
cut up into squares and plots by iron
fences, which, however, with its sparse
oaks standing hero and there, was not
without classic grace, and Thought Of
tho fresh and magic outlines Of the Vir.
ginia mountains But the hour was
much too early and too drowsy to allow
OF any expression of dissent It Is an
old question, that between the scenery
OF the two worlds. 1t is simple enough,
however, with ON obvious answer. Here
1t is primoval 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 mo to look at q re-
markable oak on his place In Essex
which he said had been thought by some
persons to be u 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 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, 1 had seen in
Tennessee good deal Of forest which
was plmost virgin The trees went
straight upward to great height, the
boles being clean of branches n long
distance from the ground, and the leaf
age scant, except at the top, where 1t re-
ceived 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 horse followed the bed of a
stream which was so shallow that it
scarcely more than wet his fetlocls, the
rhododendrons being very thick on each
side Of me- Hating In tho midst OF tho
level floor Of the forest 1t was IN i'm
pressive scene which I found The pale,
lofty trunks stood everywhere parallel
and with stately decorum and regular
ity, except where half way up the ad-
jacent mountain side, some tumbling
trees, leaning ut angles against their
surrounding fellows, which had arrest
ed them in falling, varied the universal
propriety with noble confusion, the
gray trunks looking like mighty fallen
pillars Of a ruined temple
1t is true that our scenery IS not very
rich i'll its associations Of human history.
This source of interest we have here
only to slight degree But the land
scape has its own history. Is 1t 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 sec, and may
not the disclosures of men of science, so
far us the unlearned are capable Of COM
pretending them, be brought to the serv-
ice of tho sense Of natural bcautyi
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
lish country life 1t is appropriate to
tho English fieshpots There arc plenty
of country houses throughout England
In which material comforts are Of the
best, and which at certain seasons con-
tain much agreeable company Of both
sexes had somo experience Of such
house in Surrey. The library was excel
lent For wonder tho weather was
good, the ephemeral British sunshine
remaining all day Oh the southern walls
and really lavish among those flowers
of the garden you do not know by name
Easily detained by such an existence,
you arc not inclined to anything moro
active than some kind Of pleasant read
ing and arc likely TO lose your place ut
that while your gaze rests upon the
hills to the west To such life and
such state of mind tho vague, soft as
pect of the Surrey hills was most suita-
ble-two impalpablo 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 dream-a
mirage which did not go away
II there is an agreement between lux
nry and English scenery, my sentiment
is that, on the contrary, luxury does not