Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-04-20
San Juan. April 2, 1901.

| There are two large rooms on the third
floor, which open in the rear on a roof
garden that covers the two-story por-
tion of the house. This roof garden Is
about so feet wide by so feet long. is
paved with brick and bordeied by r
wall nearly three feet high. From
that eminence there is fine view of the
ocean on the east and north, and of the
mountains on the west and south
And all about spread the city, the
woods and verdant plains. 1t is love-
ly lettering place at sunset or sunrise
and when q storm is sweeping by it is
a splendid point from which to watch
the majesty of the clouds. The other
morning | saw rainbow arching the
harbor one end resting on MORO Cas-
tie and the other in Catena, little vii
lage that snuggles close to the shore
on the other side of the harbor. 1t
tinted the town with it's beautiful hues
and changed dirty little village into
dreamland of the fairies. If | were
DOy again, L llllShI navy pVCh GU W
hurry thither and search for the tabled
pot of gold, only to find, no doubt, the
end of the rainbow resting on the
mountain side, nearly a league beyond,
just as | have found all similar quests
for fame and fortune in the days gone
by.
Here of an evening, we gather to
watch the sun go down. The vista to-
ward the west spreads out over the bay
across to the plains to the mountains
twenty miles away. 1t is a dreamy
view, filled with quiet sails, pensive
groves, and far-away mountain crests
yelled in blush mist. When the sun
crimson curtain of the sunset falls.
there is spectacle so sublime that the
heart is more ready to worship than to
wonder. 1t has the proportions and
the gloriousness of a celestial vision.
And then when the aftei-glow comes,
and the crimson melts into sapphire
zon, the bank of clouds above, chang
ing in form and color, weaves banners
of light that stream up to the zenith
1t is a field day for the fancy, which
gloats over every soft tint and chang
ing cloud, and opens wide the portals
of Paradise for weary hearts to go in
and rest.
And then when night comes on, and
the skies are filled full of stars, then
| go on the roof garden and enjoy an
hour with my old friends The stars
are brighter here than at my home and
there are more of them. Just now is
the best time to see them. There are
Adcturus, Spica, Aldebaran, Regulus,
Sirius, Cappello, Algol and all the con-
steliations that they adorn but uown in
the south there is star that we do
not see up north resplendent Canopus
next to Sirius the brightest star in the
skies. What sparkler it is! | wish
| could take it north with me when |
frcm my skies. Ever since | have been
here have been waiting for the South
ern Cross. 1t has only a brief arc,
whose terminals are so hid in the mists
of the horizon, that only short time
remains that is favorable for observa.
ton. But the other night | waited for
it until my waiting was crowned with
the joy of seeing it emerge from the
murky horizon and stand forth against
the dark south sky in all it's grace and
radiance 1t is not great constella-
tion like Orion or the DippeI, but there
is about it a romance that makes one
want to look and look till the imagina-
tion tires with revelling high among
the wonders of its being. Australia
has made it the emblem of her flag,
and think with fine sense of propri-
ETY.. Close by is King Charles Oak, a
constellation of slvery lustre, spangled
with clusters of beautiful gems. To
me there is no more interesting spot in
the heavens, and | will regret to leave
the southern skies on it's account more
than on account of all the congenies
of suns that glitter there. But greater
than the single stars or consultations
are the black depths of the skies filled
full of shining orbs. The air is very
clear and farther than the Imagination
can fly into the celestial spaces, the liv
ing light of infinite suns throbs in the
pulse of eternity.
The moonlt nights are most delight
full on the roof garden. Last night is a
fond memory. The cloud above the
horizon glowed with the light of the
coming moon. She was yet down be-
low the sea and we watched with de-
light for the first glimpses of her fair
form. The radiance that preceded her
coming spread farther up the skies,
chasing the little stars nearly out OF
sight. Has no artist yet painted the
dawn of the moon over the dark sea +?
The soft effulgence stealing up into