The record-union., 1898-01-24
For the Record Union"
THE SIERRA NEVADA.
1S4S-JANUARY 24TH-1S9s.

AO1S~J AN O<Ah1 lIl-1cSc.
Immeasureably vast and silent space;
AND dimlit. save where distant rolnhg
spheres
Move meath the unseen prescient eye of
grace,
That watchful Spirit of tn eternal years;
Move in their aeon'd course, maze
which bears
The impress of that power, divine from
birth.
Lo. from the vaults of Time a gem ap-
pears,
Another star of dazzling hope and worth.
Sun-llt earth.
See! how tits drawn by Fate's dark
Its path, appointed far from others
light
A world of barren waters without bound,
shining globe like crystal hung IN
night
Evolv'd from clouds, once massive fire,
AS trailing meteors which resplendent
fy
Flashing between the gloom to pass from
Leaving the viewless depths OF quiver-
ing sky,
Spite Of the pillow'd stars, all darker to
But, SOFT the futtering of myriad wings
Fills the empyreal deep like winds at
Whose breath the primrose dew of
memory brings,
Our senses ba thing with a fresh delight
There comes marv'lous vision pure and
bright:
They come tn unnumber'd hosts from
highest Heaven
In countless glistening rings, in splen-
doris might.
Till the whole armament seems flower
strewn;
Amid those swinging orbs they come thro
air Song-riven.
Onward and downward to the silvery
world
And as it's gimmering wastes they
A voice. Loves thrilling utterance, is
hurfd
Throughout the universe; Creations
Then, like pond that shivers meath the
paw
Of some strong wind, so shakes at stern
command
Those lonely leagues of water in deep
awe;
And spots appear, dark-shadow'd, which
Above the level waves, newborn myster-
ious land.
And still the hand of change lies on that
Rolling around its sun of blazing gold;
The spots grow bigger and of greater
Those rocks rise higher and in outline
bold
Mid the wan waves which once resistless
But down, still downward sweeps tn
angelic throng,
Until their wings of light the world en-
With sheen of majesty and sweetest
song.
Surely a change exceeding all is meant 'ere
long.
Great shadowy mountains for moment
Their iame-pierc'd peaks in many a
snowy range.
Fair dreams! they come and dream-like
On that bright world which sees a cease
less change
In its vast shifting monuments. o.
That thro tn innumerabe aeons dim
O'er, fan-shap'd land and sea in inter
Like rainbow'd clouds there rest those
Seraphim
Whilst ages mark the bars of their celes-
tial hymn.
Whilst the weird Jotun-haunted Urals
sink
crumbiing upon the broad Eurasian
Whilst the huge saurian roams wide
Obfs brink
Whilst Man grows conscious of his rea-
Soning brain
Which makes him monarch, childish tho
his reign.
Whilst glaciers grind the Appalachians
And fair Atlantis melts within the main
Still from that pure souPd choir to earth
Rich paens like ripen'd peaches fall in sun
warm glow.
Yet not for these. The Plateau of Pa
meef
With Koosch and Altais rise to fringe
Proud Everest in Himal may appear
Then Sinai, Pindus Alps and Pyrenees
All noble. Yet that host awaits not
Listen! Those spirit-forms are gently
stirr'd
Like leaves of summer forests when
Comes with a welcom'd whisper; and the
word
BY every living thing thirsting for rain is
heard.
Deep trembIngs do foretell this great
Convuls'd with, pain seems pregnant
mother earth;
She groans and heaying nightly is bent:
Look big fold OF mountains is brought
The Sierra Nevada. This, the birth
momentary silence broods DER all
Hark, bark! song o. hail! celestial
Hail! for its echoing swells far worlds
Hail for the hosts at Heavens high
throne their welcomes call.
o. Sierra Nevadai on thy brow.
Bright angels stoop'd to kiss a diadem
OF matchless wealth was PLACID so man
may know
What power had set each pure unfading
gem.
Thy robe. a purple tire with 'broider'd
hem
Points but the royal dowers thy heart
must hold
So that the sparkling glories born of
them
AS fables seem however simply told,
Thou vision land Of forest 1owers and
fruitful gold.
Upon thy shore Of centuries would lie
One generation like a grain of sand
How long is 1t since man first cast his
eye
Ger thine untrodden solitudes. and
stand
BY Tahoe blue? Whence came that
dusky band?
Our. fancy pictures them slow moving
down
Thy slopes with stone wing'd weapons
press'd in hand
Their children grew to tribes of high
renoMn
All gone, those noble tribes that calrd thy
wealth their own.
Lost is their history In forgotten Time;
Buried beneath the mold Of ancient
years;
y IT 4