The times., 1899-09-10

must have enjoyed deeply the journey his
remains made from Richmond TO Lexing-
ton, by way of Goshen Pass, and in June
when the laurel was IN bloom. One is re-
minded OF Rousseau's S great love of nature
expressed in much the same way in his
instructions to his attendants: When
you think l am dying. carry me out under
meath some great oak tree and I'm sure
l shall revive"
One beautiful effect follows another 50
ciosely-no two vistas are the same in this
great pass-that one forgets the flight OF
miles and time 1t is about five miles
through the Pass proper and about seven
miles from Goshen. At the lower end OF
the Pass is fine sulphur spring, reached
by rustic bridge across the stream. Here
by the roadside in a fine oak grove are
placed twenty or thirty huts of rude con-
struction in amp-meeting style This bit
of ground and the spring was left to the
citizens of the county by some phllan-
thropic native Anyone in the county may
build here or come. here and camp on the
broad green square underneath the oaks
without let or hindranee. number OF
people, with their families, from different
parts of Rockbridge county, were enjoying
this pleasant privilege Near by is the ia
nous Rockbridge baths and it was near
there that we dined with some good farmer
people, cousins Of Mac, who gave US
cordial Virginia welcome and an excellent
dinner Our return through the Pass re-
vealed the grandeur of the place, for very
heavy thunderstorm caught US in the heart
of the Pass. The majesty OF storm Is
impressive anywhere, but in Goshen Pass
it is something to bring on nostalgia.
Mac was silent. I myself had little to say.
l was overcome with the sublimity OF the
weird experience. Once / broke out in a
laugh What are you laughing at?'' asked
Mac looking up in surprise I was just
thinking, Mac" l replied, 'of some pas
sages of Wagnerian opera l have heard
where they thought they were represent
ing scenic effect like this.
A Painters Protest.
Through the Pass some cheap-witted
patent medicine artist has recently dec
Grated rocks with oil paint-hig giaring
white letters on black ground -extolllng
the merits of some Indian pain killer. It
is an open question whether this sort of
vandalism is less offensive than obscenity
to some people. Ones blood boils at the
desecration. 1t is enough TO make the
dear old commodore, who worshlped the
Pass. come back from the other shore and
enter protest That miscreant ought to
be lynehed Public opinion in New En-
gland is so strong on this point that this
species of advertising is rare-y yentured
| there NOWADAYS in picturesque localities.
The writer recalls vividly how in 'SS or
SO some one besmirched the prominent
rocks between Pittsfield and Lenox In
Massachusetts with this class OF patent
medicine "ads" Those 'ads." were short
lived, for within twenty four hours the
seIectmen of the town had man with a
pot of paint and buggy on his track and
| painted out every last one of the ambl-
| tious "ads." In some places there are
| laws against this sort of deseeration OF
landscape features, and those Vlrglnlans
who live near the Pass should see 70 1t
that this sort of thing is stopped, If they
care for the good opinion of the intelligent
| and cultivated traveller in their beautiful
mountain country.
JAMES HENRY MOSER.