The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-04-17

bre pines to the left path leads to
the Glen Sanitarium, overlooking the
lake.
We descend another path to the
Glen and goto the Upper Glen, and
soon come to the concrete stairway to
Sylvan Glen. We descend to the
dark pools where from their LAYERS
the cliffs uplift their huge forms,
mantled with dark green foliage and
ferns. Great columns and towers also
lift their forms to the stars, and loom
massive and inspiring against the sky.
The path here is narrow and we go
in single file. The Sylvan cascade
flows down with silvery dashings to
its intermission of rest, the silent pools
that overbrim and softly flow down
the terraces. Just before us is the
Glen Cathedral, whose massive walls
bear out the resemblance to some an
cient crumbling church pile. The
shallow stream brightly reflects the
stars above and the great walls of col
ored rocks. Next we behold the Gen.
trail cascade, one Of the most beauti-
full in the Glen. Onward and up
ward" is our watchword tonight, and
soon we stand opposite the wondrous
rough -hewn Pillar of Beauty.
To my mind there is in this Glen
no more beautiful scenery than that
to be witnessed at this Pillar of Beauty,
looking up the Glen. One does not
here behold foaming, sparkling cas-
cades, but quiet beauty is all preva-
lent. Here are limpid pools, cleaned
with faint starlight, sleeping at the
feet of great walls. To the left is the
Pillar, adorned with its fretwork of
ferns and red-berried young hemlocks
with feathery grace, the walls check
cred with moonlight, and in daytime
glowing with golden light, save where
the shadows rest and dream. The
columns of rock carved by the ele-
mental implements of nature, are
beautiful in their rugged symmetrical
formations. Just beyond we hear the
faint roar of a cascade and we 60 for
ward to new scenes of beauty, almost
too numerous to mention and describe,
but among them are the Pools, the
Artists Dream, the Pluto Falls, Elfin
Gorge and the Poets Dream.
We continue our way up the Glen,
at times cautiously, for the way is
rather narrow, though safe, as guard
rails protect us from an unwelcome
descent. The State has begun work
of transformation here that will be of
great benefit to all who visit the place
from time to time. Even now one
beholds the great beauties of the
place With the least possible incon-
venience. It is a welcome change
from former conditions in approach
ing and traversing the Glen, and is
fully appreciated by all visitors.
Now we pass the Triple cascade
and ascend short stairway to behold
another enchanting scene, the Rain
bow Falls. We hastily pass under
this ever-descending crystalline cur
tain of rare beauty and shortly ap.
proach the Emerald Pool. The
glamor of moon and starlight gives to
all these places an indescribable weird
ness. The walls ascending far above
seem to shut US away from the busy
world, with its fret and roar, and we
feel the almost magic influences of the
radiant light, and the music of waters
that laugh, or roar, or dance like
Spanish maidens with sparkling eyes
and softly murmuring song:
Here are cascades that merrily trip down the
Of each old rocky fortress, in garments of
That sparkle with moonlight, or CLEAN wheu the
stars
Gently kiss their fair faces through all the long
night"
On both sides of the Glen are the
"Card Rooms" where thousands Of
fat pieces of shale are placed along
the walls, with names of visitors to
the Glen written thereon. Here are
names of people from other countries
and from all sections of our own land.
Here many have rested and pic-nick-
ed, and tonight where are they ?
Some, perhaps, in their homes rela-
ting their impressions of these beauti-
full scenes; while others, like those
along the terraced slopes above Wat
kins, in places afar, are sleeping their
last sleep, with lips mute and eyes
closed to the beauties of all things
terrestrial. The same radiant light
that reveals to our gaze their names
also covers their earth houses with
panoply of silver texture. May their
eyes some day open to yet greater
beauties, and may their ears be at
tuned to hear the endless songs in the
pleasure park of Eden, adorned with
its primeval beauty.
Our path is more even now with no
stairs to climb or descend, and no
cascades to behold and admire. The
waters flow quietly down the Glen,
at times hidden from our eyes under
rocks thrown from the sides of the
Glen when this new path was made.
The stop for moment to drink the
cool water from a spring formed in
the rock near the path. Our stroll is
about to end, for we are in Glen
Omega, many hundreds of feet above
Glen Alpha, to reach which requires
walk of several miles.
Now we are at the upper end Of the
Glen, and ere we turn to retrace our
steps we look up at the lofty bridge
of the N. Y. c. Railway, spanning
this wonderful rift of past ages.
| Above US shine the stars, the thoughts
of God in the heavens, and how great
and innumerable they are They
have given us their radiant light, and
also the moon to brighten the rough
way and to shed an awesome glamor
over the marvellous scenes of Watkins
Glen, the wonderful, the unrivaled,
the glory and the fame of which have
been carried to countries afar off, and
whose beauties, cleaned with the
golden and silver light of other worlds,
we shall remember ever more.