Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-09

angels of beauty and Splendor having
come down on ladders divinely lowered.
walk those pavements of mosaic. and
they look like the floor of heaven across
which trail the white robes OF the
beatiic. The sun is so bright we looked
ut 1t through smoked glasses. The sky
was on fire. Enough clouds nearby to
make an upholstery of flame. Horses
through cities OF fire. Great master
piece of the Almighty in the gallery OF
the sky. Sunrise and sunset married.
Niagara of fire. Strange, wicrd, over
whelming spectacle. shifting all other
natural brilliancc into nhility. Search
ing enough. overmastering enough,
glorious enough to be the Eye which
never slumbcrs nor sleeps. We had
seen the morning sun. and the noon
day sun and the setting sun, but never
before had we seen and never again
Will we see the midnight sun.
From what watts of infinite beauty
were these colors dipped? \ com
mnSlinG of hues to be found in such
excess on no other sky and on no other
sea, amber and gold; lavender blend
ing with royal purple; all the shades
OF yellow. orange, and canary and
lemon; all shades of blue turquoise
and sapphire and navy and marine and
azure; all shades of green, olive and
myrtle and Nile: all shades OF red
scarlet and magenta. and cardinal, the
fiery red cooling into gray, and the
gray warming into ruby. Now
amethyst seems about to triumph un-
Ill emerald appearS. hut-thG-eEaessala-i -+-
soon outdone by the carbuncle. 1t is
in some respects the most impressive
scene in the whole world. Seeing other
wonders of nature you say they are
like this or like that. The Alps are
like the Sierra Nevadas. the Rhine is
like the Hudson, Lock Katrine is like
Geneva, but the midnight sun is unlike
anything AS there is only one Last
Judgment" by Michael Angelo In the
Roman Gallery, and only one "Sstine
Madonna" in Dresden Gallery. and go
to those places we must If we would
see them, so we must so to the North
end of the world to behold the burn
ing and delfc glory of the midnight
sun.
The sun seems disposed to go to bed
at the right time. but il does not like
the wet pillow offered it, or it changes
It's mind, for you watch expecting it
to hide beneath the wave. But no.
Like unto its behavior in Joshua's
time. ii seems to stand still. Afterward
it begins TO rise. 1t banishes the
night 1t forbids the moon and stars
to say: There is no use in our shin
ing, for the sun does enough of that
for ALL" Victory OF light over dark
ness! The shadows told to go and hide
tlcfilSelNeS Ill the QeIS ana caves OF
the earth
But do not think that it is easy to
climb the North Cape-the rock at the
jumpng-of place of the world. I adj
wise none to undertake it unless they
be strong of limb and lung and heart
From the steamer you push off in q
small boat, and after ten minutes
rowing reach the foot of the rock
which. according to the guide book is
LOCO feet high, but by the unanimous
opinion of those who climb it, about
1900 feet high.
We We're not surprised to find n SEEM
ingly athletic man give it up and re-
turn to the boat Up and up. slipping
and sliding. now holding on to q rock,
now to rope, till you come TO a stretch
of deep snow affording you no solid
place for foothold. and along by pre-
cipices, where the climbers are warned
not to look down If they become dizzy
at great heights. The most OF the
ladies got fast in the snow, and would
have been there yet but for the gallan-
try of those who had them in charge.
After you feel you have almost reached
the top. some encouraging soul will
tell you that the worst it yet to come
But you cannot stop there and so you
| keep going on and up until you reach
the top of Cape North. and find that
| you have at least a mile to walk be-
fore you come to place OF shelter.
and the points celebrated in stone for
the visits OF William II. OF Germany