Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-11-02

anywhere, except IN close proximity 70
the broad Hudson, we drove onto a
ferry and steamed out into, and across
the Hudson, landing at Rhinecliff, and
driving up steep grades to Rinebeck,
we resumed our journey northward
over the N. Y. A. & T. Post Road to
Hudson on the east side of the river.
The drive on this side was even far
Their from the water than on the other
side, so that we could not get view of
the river itself but could realize where
it ran. Resolved that next time We
win park our car in Albany or Troy
and take river steamer to New York
City and back. Our disappointment in
not getting a better view of the
river was fully offset, however, by
the splendid view we had, for hours,
that afternoon, of the Catsldll
Mountains away across the valley
to the west; and even after we
had headed eastward for the Berk-
shire Hills, on each succeeding hill
top we looked back at the supposedly
receeding Catskills only to see them
standing out more distinctly as the
late afternoon sun threw their indi-
vidual shadows toward US making high
lights and dark valleys, waving us
farewell, almost till we crossed the
state line into Massachusetts at Hill
side.
We soon leached Great Darlington,
on the Housatonic River, followed the
river, northward to Stockbridge, then
turned eastward and started the as
cent of Jacobs Ladder" on the road
to Springfield. But Jacobs Ladder is
no place to be climbed at night so we.
camped on the top of Beckett Mountain
four miles east of East Lee, where
there was no limit to the distance we
could see to the westward and as we
prepared our camp and our supper
we watched the last red rays in the
west fade into gray. We were less
than hundred feet from busy high
way and being on the top of the hill
we got the full effect of open cut
outs on all approaching rucuks and
autos; but they glided away silently in
departing in either direction. As dark
ness closed in on us and we were Won
dering how much we would be dis
turbed by the passing traffic, it ceased
almost suddenly, for there were others
who cared not to climb the ladder in
the dark; and closing then my eyes
recalled that the original Jacobs lad
der was the dream of a man using two
stones for a pillow after outwitting his
twin brother. However with my head
on feather pillow and a conscience
clear, the next thing knew the night
was gone, the sun was up, for us; but
had not yet lighted the valleys to the
west through which we had come, anG
we watched it touch the hill tops
everywhere as with magic wand, and
each hill, beginning with the tallest
stood up as he was touched, until the
roll call was completed, and still there
was sunshine to spare, and it flooded
the whole valley. Now the original
Jacob" (Isaacson) awakened out of
his sleep and he said, "Surely the
Lord is in this place and / knew it
not" And he was afraid and said,
"How dreadful is this place! This
is none other but the house of God and
this is the gate Of heaven;" and / said
it is all equally true in the Berkshire
hills of Massachusetts,, save that we
are not "afraid" and there is nothing
to 'dread." ! turned my camera on
the west, and again on the north east,
and was wondering how many of his
Holstein cows Jacob would have given
for a Kodak; when my wife said,
"Come, Charles, the bacon and eggs
are sizzling" and / came, too. We
ate, washed dishes, packed up and pro-
ceeded to negotiate the rest of Ja-
cob's Ladder, for the next two hours
up hill, down hill, around to the right
and then to the left--a most beautiful
drive, often obscured by trees from
everything but the sky above for a
mile or two and then, suddenly, get
ting grand view that almost stopped
our car-to be exact, we did actually
stop, look, listen, and marvel at the
prodigality of nature when she once
gets agoing in her art work. This
route to Springfield, while not quite
as stupendous as the trip over the
Alleghanies, was equally interesting
and the art exhibit hung up along the
way was more of a continuous and
harmonious panorama. One naturally
expects greater refinement in scenery
as he gets into the same state that
Boston is in, and all the landscape did
its best to live up to our expectation.