The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-12-29
A GLIMPSE OF Already.
Being Jack London's Pen Picture o.
Canon in the Sierras.

Being Jack London's Pen Picture Of
a Canon in the Sierras.
1t was the green heart of the canon.
where the walls swerved back from
the rigid plan and relieved theiI
harshness of line by making little
sheltered nook and filling it to I'M
brim with sweetness and roundness
and softness. Here all things rested
Even the narrow stream ceased its
turbulent down-rush long enough tc
form quiet pool Knee-deep in the
water. with dropping head and half
shut eyes, drowsed a relocated
many-antlered buck.
On one side, beginning at the very
lip of the pool, was tiny meadow, q
cool, resilient surface of green that
extended to the base of the frownin9
wall. Across the pool a gentle slope
of earth ran up and up to meet
the opposing wall. Fine grass COW
cred the slope-grass that wcs
spangled with flowers, with here and
there patches of color, orange and
purple and golden. Below the canoi
was shut in. There was no view The
walls leaned together abruptly and
the canon ended in chaos of rocks,
moss-covered and hidden by a green
screen of vines and creepers an6
boughs of trees. Up the canon rossI
far hills and peaks, the big foothills.l
pine-covered and remote. And far Le
yond, like clouds upon the border oil
the sky, lowered minarets Of white
where the Sierra's eternal SHOWS
finished austerely the hlazes of thf
sun.
There was no dust in the canOlS
The leaves and flowers were clea
and virginia. The grass was younH
velvet. Over the pool three cotto5
woods sent their snowy tufts flu
tering down the quiet air. On tn
slope the blossoms of the win
wooded mapzanita filed the air Y
springtime odors, while the le
wise with experience, were ali \
beginning their vertical twist aga
the coming aridity of summer.
the open spaces on the slope, beyo
the farthest shadow-reach of
manzanita, poised the mariposa liliel
like so many flights of ieweled mofl
suddenly arrested and on the vergeij
trembling into fight again. Here
there that woods harlequin, the Il
drone, permitting itself to be caut
in the act of changing its pea-grn
trunk to madden red, breathed its q
GRANGE into the air from great g.
tiers of waxen bells. Creamy v's
were these bells. shaped like liliaof
the valley, with the sweetness OF r.
fume that is of the springtime.
There was not sigh of wind tpe
air was drowsy with its weisulof
perfume. 1t was a sweetnessnat
would have been cloying had tIair /
been heavy and humid. But th1l,
was sharp and thin. It was as lar
light transmitted into atmospre, {
shot through and warmed byun-
shine, and flower-drenched 1tn I /
sweetness. I
An occasional butterfly drift In
and out through the patches ofght
and shade. And from over allose
the low and sleepy hum Of NOLAN
bees-feasting Sybarites that tiled
one another good-naturedly atthe
board, nor found time for rougdis-
courtesy. quietly did the title
stream drip and ripple itssway
through the canon that it spok 5nly
in faint and occasional gurglesl The
voice of the stream was as cwsy
whisper, ever interrupted by dlngs
and silences, ever lifted again the
awakenings.
The motion of all things IS a
drifting in the heart of the mon.
Sunshine and butterflies drifted and
out among the trees. The humi the
bees and the whisper of the ,team
were a drifting of sound the j
drifting sound and driftinsfolor
seemed to weave together the
making of a delicate and intgible
fabric which was the spirit the
place. 1t was spirit of peal that
was not of death. but of Doth q
pulsing life, of quietude that not :
silence, of movement that wasot ac-
ton, of repose that was quiz with c
existence without being viole with
struggle and travail. The sit OF t
the place was tee spirit of III ice S
of the living. somnolent WI fne 9
easement and content of prt ity,
and undisturbed by rumorf FAR
wars.-From Jack London's r. told
Canon in the Century.
India's PopuIationi md /