The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
MIST IN THE SUBURBS.
Aspects of the Air When Midwinter Was on
the Ground and Spring in tho Sky.

Aspects of the Air When Midwinter Wat on
the Ground and Spring In tho Sky.
Hard upon the great storm came the great
thaw. ~brinRing with It to the northern suburbs
an aspect OF the weather unusual in midwin-
ter. The differences In latitude. In physical
contour and in relation tn the sea between the
Battery and the region near the northern
limits OF the city are sufficient to bring about
marked differences OF atmospheric conditions.
Long after the mild humidity OF the downtown
atmosphere has helped the Street Cleaning
De apartment to rid the city Of snow many
square miles OF the northern suburbs are still
white and unsullied. II was so in the great
thaw main roads were open. but country lanes
and byways OF the great suburban parks were
etill choked with snowdrifts, and as tho tenn
perature steadily rose midwinter upon the
ground and sprinG in the sky we're brought
face to face.
Upon the wide. unbroken fields Of snow the
thaw descended, borne on wings OF mist,
Suburban jewellers woke to find all their win
dows curtained as with freshest lawn. Where
ever the eye rested. there fold on fold was the
fresh-woven mist. stainless and silvery from
the invisible looms OF air. Upward 1t reached
to unguessed heights: downward It trailed the
surface OF the snow. So white It was that It
seemed woven from the very stuff OF the snow
itself. just as the delicate bridal veil that floats
above the suburban fields on sharp November
mornings seems wrought OF diamonds and
boar frost.
Any one who understands the tricks OF the
weather could have guessed that an unseen
sunny sky arched somewhere above the uni
versal mist curtain. One guessed 1t because
the lawny screens at the windows seemed
rather to .llumine, than to darken the house.
triumphantly through the mist. but the whole
fluent mass between earth and sky Was sui;
thicfly draped electric sparks we're floating IN
air. The %stillness OF the undisturbed and
i hrin line pe mast s & fIsSt 20 Of s snser doe Does h9 proS
| the bosom Of the mist could hardly have been
more eloquent OF tho calm that possessed
Outside the mist bathed the cheeks with a
fresh darapness. The eve at the same time ac-
fatters ali distant objects to mere silhouottcs;
Black tree trunks we're mere black paste board
intruding into the !, white a5mosphere; lev lev,
earthward, Others higher were merely harsh
voices calling through the mist. The wood.
land wall which closes the subj ban horizon
was invisible. swallowed up in mist. save here
and there at near approach. when It shone
For hours the landscape was thus swathed
in misty silence. through which cane the IA;
The Rt's subHrban Worlds 'o sounds. DecuIisriS alien
on that morning OF atmospheric isolation Lit
tie by y LITE !t The flns, mist Tas sn more re- and more ; sui,
presently reach the point Of saturation and
rain sunshine. Then pure unbroken rays Of
sun shine began here and there to And their
| way through. and soon the mist merely hung
in the emerging woodland or rolled along tho
surface Of the snow over the bottom lands.
we're smoking. and suburban hens were cack.
| ling in the sunshine. The woodland tops with
their winter Narnish reflected the sunshine as
| sky was at it's old trick Of ~feiRninR spring. 80
that one saw in n prophetic vision the shining
woodland wall robed ina mist Of reddish
green. sign that the mounting sap has walked
every tree even to its tiniest twig. aud the
years miracle OF regeneration is again begun.