The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-23

summer and I'm winter; have dreamed
by the hour I'm lovely Taormina. look
ing down. through the arches OF her
Greek theater, 500 feet 10 the winding
shores of the blue Mediterranean and
up 10000 feet to the snow crowned
summit OF Aetna, the smoke OF her
torment ascending forever. her black
ened sides torn with the conflict of
ages; have seen the tropic splendors
of Cuba, Central America. Mexico and
Morocco: | have crossed the glaciers
of the Pyrennees. and seen the snowy
Sierras of Granada above the Alham-
bra: | have repeatedly ascended those
matchless valleys OF Hawaii. lao. Wal
pio, and Waimanu; l have basked I'm
the dreamy beauty OF the English lakes
and of Maggiore. Lugano, and Como;
have spent nights on the rim OF ki-
lauea. the largest active volcano in the
world, walked on its burning mari and
descended to the very edge OF It's thun-
dering. surging cauldron: but l count
yesterday the greatest day OF my life
| for looking face to face on the glorics
of Gods creation. The night or the
great eruption of 1859. which l spent
on the quaking sides and amid the
SHOWS and the fiery torrents OF Mauna
Loa. surpassed in terrible majesty and
sublimity, but this northern night sur
passed in glory. To think OF such un-
imagined splendors being created hour
| ly on our earth to be seen only by po-
| lar bears!
| Every condition favored. About 10
O'Clock it became slightly misty and
rainy i'm front of us. The green and
snowy granite hills closed in on every
side; the sun appeared to have set be-
IA spl hn tat A
had, though il was still light and we
could see it's rosy flush on distant
snowy peaks. The CLASSY sea became
so smooth that every mountain, cas-
cade. tree house. sail, line, or mass OF
snow was perfectly reflected, as we
once saw the like on Loeb I.omond and
later on the Italian lakes.
Where high rocks throw
Through deeps below
duplicated golden glow"
We appeared to be floating in infinite
space between the upper and theyneth-
| er heavens. Then the cloud-capped
mountains shut in our path so com
pletely that we couldn't see any pos
sible way out Many said that we
would touch at a village and turn back.
but suddenly the mountains opened
and we swept through the iron gates To
scene of growing and unparalleled
fspfendor.
The perpendicular cliffs to the right
began to flush rosy red, as though
bathed in volcanic light Before MS
now stretched many miles OF smooth
water, with mountains. valleys and
fairy inlets on either hand. IL became
evident that as we advanced the sun
would appear from behind some noun
tains to the left. There was a weird
light, as OF eclipse or OF prolonged sun
set, as the sun was skimming along
the horizon Int hidden by the noun
tains. III -
1t was II. 30 p. N. The long miles OF
silent sea were enclosed by arrange of
jagged mountains directly in front of
us. These gradually became SO golden
in their whole length and from sum
nit to base, that IL was difficult TO be-
lieve they were real, granite noun
tains, suffused and transfgured as they
were in that unearthly splendor. They
were the veritable gardens OF the an
gels on the slopes of paradise could
see the fitting, of silver wings In the
luminous air and over the diaphanous
sea. The level lines of clouds above
the mountain tops were all shades or
gold. The long. level waters were one
mass of living gold, slowly increasing
in brilliancy. Every change came
gradually and yet SO rapidly and with
such unexpected growth of beauty that
we all became greatly excited.
Right in the middle foreground, I'm
the center of that light which never
was before on sea or land, as IL placed
there by the hand OF some consummate
artist, there now foated a tall, dark,
phantom sail, with it's long black
shadow dividing the gold of the 1urni-
nous waters. Ii was as motionless AK
the night, but / should never have
compared 1t to "a painted ship upon n
painted ocean," IL was so much more
beautiful and perfect than any possible
painting 1t gave just the contrast and
still life needed to perfect the enchant-
ment OF the whole.
We all thought of the delectable
mountains on which Christian wan
dered, and OF the gates OF pearl and
the golden streets OF the city which
came down out OF heaven. The king
had not yet appeared, but was mani
festly approaching with his royal at
tendants from behind the snow and
rose-bIoom mountains 10 the north: or.
rather, we were going forth TO meet
the bridegroom at midnight. He real
" had not bathed in the waters at all.
His red rays deepened in color by the
mists TO the north, were now glowing
on the snow-covered mountains TO the
right, and slowly creeping TO their
base. In the distance before US some
thing mysterious began to glow like
opals, soon TO flame like fires. and
finally to sparkle like diamonds; we
then discovered that they were the
windows OF a cluster OF cottages: but
we had not yet seen the king. We al
most held our breath. One OF the
French priests whispered in the gener-
al hush OF expectation, Don't
breathe" Then from behind a lofty
due north, at 11:55 y. m,
just stepping on the golden pavement.
the bridegroom came out OF his cham
Continued on Page 14)