Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-11-17
"She starts-shc moves
She seems 20 feel


She seems 10 feel
The thrill OF life along her keel"
You who live within the shadow and
shine" of the hills and valleys OF that
historic and grand old town OF Paris,
will not require any description from my
feeble pen TO tell you OF the beauties oil
its most magnificent and inspiring
natural scenery, and especially at this
time of the year when the autumn hangs
red banners out among the harvest
sheayes, and all around the feet of the
great hills lie the gsrlands Of rlpened
October-the yellow glory OF the naples,
which. when touched by the setting sun,
kindles flame of celestial fire within
our souls-the carbuncle splendor OF the
osks-the flash OF scarlet sumachs, and
OF every kind of tiny leaf upon which
the frost touch has come down from the
distant tremendous heights, that stand
majestic In each rising and setting sun,
putting on white hoods whose alabas,er
folds they soon will pull down over their
shoulders, 10 stand aud wait, silent,
solemn and alone, through the "long
winter OF their discomfort" speaking to
each other silently. through the falling
aud dying leaves that whisper OF coming
dissolution, and preaching 10 Us ser
mon OF the life that lasts not, aud of AN
other life towards which our hearts, our
hopes, our aspirations reach, where
beauty decayeth not, and youth Is young
forever All this makes OF the rural
landscape scene of surprising lowell
ness impossible To describe iu words, or
conceive II In Imagination, except with
the windows Of the soul; for only the
high plIces of spirit can answer 10 these
high places of the Creator in His crea-
tion.
No work of art, however marvellous.
can compare with these noble statues,
sculptured from the foundations OF the
earth. No temples of centuries gone
can rival these eathedrsls whose walls
are the giant monarchs of the forest,
and whose paint is mixed by the Master
Artist Divine
We doubt that even in our WAN
derings In lands fsr-famed In ancien,
song aud story we shall ever look upon
anything more suhlimely beautiful than
the last sunset our ewes beheld from the
glorious old hills OF oxford.
my up- are tired with praising
Landscapes far less fair.
Nv very feet are weary
With not walking there
But mayhap there are Others who will
be interested enough TO read these mod
est sketches penned on the journey from
Paris. Maine. 10 Paris. France, even
though they have not the proud dis
tinction OF claiming for their home the
grand old Pine Tree State, the birthplace
of poet and statesman.
You are all more or less familiar with
the Journey 10 Boston, so I'll not weary
with monotonous detail, but not 80
mauv have had the good fortune to
watch one OF these magnificent great
ocean steamships move out into the sea
IL Is most impressive sight 10 watch
from the shore one of these moving
palaces, as with slow and stately move
ment she cuts loose from her fetter'
and sails out into-space We might
almost say, for il really seems, when out
Of sight OF al but the sky and sea, that
We are actually suspended in mid-aiI
with nothing above or below, or around
about US
OF all the ships that might sail this
day out of harbor, we recked nothing
but OF this that was TO bear US far from
our own dear native land; and as the
mighty craft broke from her moorings,
who shall describe the sensations OF d
pilgrim going far from home and kindred
alone, TO distant foreign land where al
best all is uncertainty and unknown:
For the benefit OF those who may be
contemplating Il sea voyage, let me en-
deavor 10 describe the sensations which
the anticipation and realization of such
A trip occasions. We may not all fee
the same way, but so far as observation
can Judge, every one who makes the
initial trip has much the same ex
perience.
When the first thoughts and prepara'
ton for the journey are in progress The
heart beats high at the prospect that the
long -sought-for, long-dreamed-for goa
is al hand, and all through the packing
season visions OF pleasure and delight
pass before Us, but when the week,-tht
day. the hour actually draws near
oh. what a wretched sinking OF th'
heart comes over Us, and the one though
uppermost in our minds Is that we arr
leaving all that care for Us here, anl
that there is no one there who really