The independent., 1907-04-11

New York Weekly: We freely sur
render to those who love them all the
advantages of town and city life-the
hum Of business and headlong haste,
the crowded streets, the fierce excite
ment that forever throbs along their
mighty arteriesi In the city the pulse
is at fever-point and enterprise is white
with heat. Give us the country with it's
healthy hue, the broad, deep impress of
quiet and calm, of witching 1oveiiness
and winning beauty-give us the fall
of lofty fountains and the bend of stir
ring. branches, and the bud that brings
the swiftest thought Of beauty-giye us
the country with its woods and waters,
it's fields and fells its stretching hills
where the first beams of light shoot
down. The sun is brighter in the coun-
try, the sky is bluer, and the watts of
wind tell softer, more melodious tales.
There the purest and best feelings of
the heart flourish fairer and freer, and
fade not so suddenly nor so soon, for
they drink in love from the flowers and
the morning dew and the still stars of
heaven!
Yesl we love the country, and touch
ing now after a lapse of years on this
our rural life, we feel we must linger
over it while and "babble of green
fields.' We evoke the phantoms Of the
past and write a pastoral for our read
ers painting for them the landscapes,
sunny or snow-clothed, and glancing
at the joys and sorrows, the loves and
woes of our village Arcadia!
Our village was romantically situated
at the foot of a range of hills, which
girdled it round on three sides, and
lowered up boldly to heaven like chiv-
airy protecting innocence. The coun-
try about was of that soft, pleasant
description which is the peculiar prop
erty of the lowland landscape. Not
much Of the rugged or sublime was
there-no craggy rocks, no frowning
precipices where the young eagles
spirit is nursed to daring and his eye
taught to look unblinkingly on the sun
There were no waterfalls nor frown-
ing forests nor vast praries, with
scenes OF sublime and stirring Incl
dents which nature seems in some
places to have struck out in moment
of angry excitement All was calm and
quiet, and secluded, tranquil as a sum
mer sunset, green with meadows and
orn-fields, and swelling slopes, and
rivers with the morning dew of youth
about them ere their circuit had ex-
panded and their strength grown fui
to sweep them onward to the sea
There We're silent, shady woods around
and hills and wales alternating, and
mossy seats by brooks which mur-
INJURED pleasantly like voices in 3
dream, while over all a clear delicious
calm appeared to hover, like a vestige
Of the spirit which lowered over the
world when time was young and earth
had not the brand of sin upon its
brow. 1t was easy to lose oneself il
large plantations or stroll about ant
muse the liyelong summer day, anC
watch the birds and butterflies. anc
listen TO the tapping of the woodpeckel
and the low, lazy rusting OF the WIND
among the trees. We could fish fol
trout in the stream and delica.ely
favored were tho trout in that stream
and If our luck was bad. as some
times IL happened SO, we could sit dowT
upon the grass and smoke our pipe
and watch with languid pleasure the
kingfishcrs dive and dart away, .heii
blue backs glancng in the sun. Wher
circumspect. we have encountered q
badger now and anon 4 pole-eat. ant
not unfrequently we have met a fox a.
nightfall returning with well-iillet
stomach and q guilty conscience from
a successful foray on some neighborinf
/ hen-roosi Then when the moon was
up we have caught bats by the scor,
and listened 10 the owls makia-
mournful music and teaching their H.
Tic oWlets how 10 whoop.
We have a weakness for owls: they
look 50 warm and cozy. fcathercd 4
the very toes5 and they are Wise pitdr
withal. OF a grave appearance and de-
corous manners They do moi obtrud,
themselves upon tho public aud clamo
TOR its admiration. They 40 not hoI
about coquottishly In the sunshine ans
bin and COO like fowls OF fewer year