The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-01
IN COTTONWOOD.
Evening at the Camp-scenes of the
Early Morn.

On the generous top of big granite
boulder which had no doubt at one
time, formed a part of the mountain
| itself, but which had fallen and been
! caught a thousand feet above the bed
of the creek tossing and tumbling be-
low, 1 took my stand the other even
ing, just as the sun was beginning to
decline.
| The Oquirrh mountains, over 80 miles
away, partially enshrouded in a veil
like mist, were never so beautiful be-
fore. Stansbury island, still farther to
the west. was but a shaDeless mass,
now and again did I catch a faint
CLEAN from the waters of the Great
Salt Lake, as the sun slowly descend
ed.
Time and again have I witnessed.
with feeling understandable, that Won
derful panorama known as lake sun
set. But always at close range. Then
it was beautiful-even divine. What
would the result be now? l waited
with no little interest. Patience was
rewarded.
The unpaintable colors that so many
artists have in vain endeavored to put
on canvas began to appear, but all of
the marvellous tints were apparently
softened by distance. Each and every
one, while less distinct, blended much
more harmonOuSly as a whole, and
sense of the spiritual seemed hover
ing through it all. Colors came and
went as though q huge kaleidoscope
had been held to human eyes, shut
ting out all other and nearer objects.
The sun, a red globe one minute, was of
q golden hue theSnext, and each color
seemed to cover the valley, reaching
almost to the mouth of the canyon
the green and gold of the farms and
the meadows intervening making an
attractive middle distance and the
mouth of the canyon, dotted and
fringed with green, the foreground
AS the sun sank the tints disappeared
from the valley below, only to be
strongly intensified in the heavens
above. Strong and beautiful in tone,
color succeeding color as wave sue
ceeds wave on the ocean, until all was
dull gray, and / was reminded that
night was fast coming on. Still we
remained at our eyrie, enchanted with
the view before us.
IL
Cool breezes came sweeping down
the canyon; one by one the cottages of
the campers under the trees below
were blotted from our view. only to
be replaced with tiny rays of light
emerging from open doors and win
dows, or the more picturesque Chinese
lanterns, which rocked idly in the
breeze. Faint shouts of hilarity reached
us from below as the campers ate their
evening meal or paid visits to each
other. An hour passed. One by one
the lights were extinguished; all
sounds were hushed save the roar of
the creek, which seemed louder than
ever before. The canyon might have
been devoid of all life so still and
solemn was it all. The gloom grew op-
press1ve. But only for a few moments
AS if by magic the white tips of the
granite crags are touched with light.
The dense darkness below only ac-
centuates the light above, and the peak
seems as though il were suspended be-
tween earth and sky.
Slowly down the mountain side
creeps the searchlight of the almighty:
there is life, there is movement where
all was so still and solemn but mo-
ment before and as We gaze the entire
canyon is flooded with a silvery light:
the noisy, brawling creek is revealed
as the spray dashes over the boulders:
outlines of the cottages are again dis
cernib!e; the quaking asps stand boldly
out against the dark-hued pines and
spruces. 1t is the hour when
. THE fair, pale Lady Moon
looks down on the still. sleeping
world,
With its armies at rest and its banners all
fured.
And the canyon she fills with weird.
mystic light.
Oh, who can help loving clear, moonlit
night?"
1t is time, also, when
One can give himself up for awhile to
bright dreams.
And imagine that all things are Just what
they seem;
That all that doh glitter is pure, I'M
alleged gold
That the worIu IS not ,heartless and cruel
and cold:
That friends never are false, nor our loved
ones untrue
No lost hopes to MOURN and no errors to
That all is sweet harmony. purity. love:
No sorrow below and no dark clouds