Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-05-04
Miss Florence, Minis Sees the
Aurora Borealis.
Dear Advertiser:

Earlier in the year, l spoke of the
wonders of Aurora, under the ground
the form of the excellent schools, and
ders of the surface of the earth, in
the form fthe excellent schools, and
the wonders in the sky, meaning the
aurora borealis.
Until about week ago, I had new
er seen the northern lights in all their
splendor. The sky had been lit up by
them, but I didn't happen to be out
at just the right time of night.
About a week ago, I came out of
the Hearding building at about nine
o'clock, and on looking up in the
northern sky, saw sight that made
me stand still, and I couldn't quite
restrain my enthusiasm.
The light was the shape of very
large rainbow lying along the horizon
line in an arch. There were rose lights
and other colors playing along this
bow, and long vertical streamers of
light that shot away up into the heav-
ems and then disappeared only to re-
appear in another part Of the sky.
If you can imagine a magnifed
rainbow lying near the horizon line
with streamers of light above it, you
have some idea of what the aurora
borealis looks like. find some diff
Guilty in spelling it with small letters,
since the name of our school paper
is the "Aurora Borealis," and the
town is Aurora, and am accustomed
to capitalizing those two names.
l am sure there is some technical
explanation for this phenomenon, but
I accept it without trying to investi-
gate the cause. Sufficient to say that
it is very beautiful, but nothing very
unusual to these people who are ac-
customed to it, not only here in Au-
rora, but probably in Norway and
Sweden, where. number of them
journeyed from,
Beside this interesting display in
the sky, this part of the country has
wonderful woods, which even this
{earlyin in the spring are very lovely to-:
off as as took a hike ssunda
walking for over a mile down Ees4l !
railroad track from town and then
entering the woods, which are already
beginning to show green among the
white Dirches. We had no guide, but
the sun and our knowledge of the di-
rection in which Aurora lay.
One can walk miles and miles in
the woods without getting nearly so
tired as on smooth ground, because
there are so many things to attract
the attention. After walking some dis
tance, we came to boggy marsh,
and beyond that we thought there lay
sort of promised land, where every
thing was high and dry. We climbed
over huge logs that must have lain
there for very long time, all cover
ed with thick, green moss, like car
pet, and jumped from one foothold
to another, holding on to bushes and
sinking in the spongy damp moss.
Finally, my roommate, whose dar.
ing is as good as mine, gave the cry
of land ahead, and we felt like Co.
lumbus discovering new country.
Here We took our bearings and de-.
cided to forge ahead, guessing that;
the town lay in certain direction
ahead of US. Finally, after much walk
ing and no sign of civilization, moth
ing but illimitable spaces of trees,
and more trees, and more trees, l be-
gan to wonder if we hadn't been rath-
er fool-hardy, but didn't tell my COM
panions, for didn't want to lose nay
hard won reputation for being as
good a scout as the rest, even though
l am Southerner.
Suddenly we looked up and saw
perfect avenue of white birch trees,
straight ahead, as clearly cut as could
be. Probably it was the beginning of
road, at one time. At least we knew
that the hand of man and not the
fury of a storm, had broken down
the trees, and that since intelligence
had done the work, it must lead some
where, and before a great while we
saw the red roof of the Hearding
High School looming far in the dis
tance.
Aurora stops abruptly at the edge
of pasture land on the South, the
way from which we were coming, and
adjoining this pasture is the forest
which stretches on and on for long,
1onp Wav. That bit of land happened