PS 9473 Ris Ws a 7 7 i : iL a A / : ; - / =! ee ' | of | rf) ‘te ; : . mt i) ~, ‘ a : - — 7 A . 7 a | ‘ vad ho » Ce — is an a aw _ 7 - 7 uo i. 1 ; ‘we JO oka 7 eo oy * ; ee —- tr oe - <% 7 er ; 7 » ae ° o ms! - 1 te ’ “as a 7 » tae 7 7 Sy, ¥ a) "T, 7 . (ae ; ‘is \eall Gn 7 Ww 7, q ; 7 c es i? ~ - 7 ; 7 io oe : 3 ae : 7 To 5 5 7 a M? of The How Censs = 7 Sok, = \ > rest their keels upon the earth, was a bank of something wondrously beautiful. The people of the Prairie, who saw it on every sunny day, said that it was the Rocky Mountains. That seemed impossible. Never were the clouds themselves less palpable. At every instant one half expected to see the exquisite mass lift up and float away or break and vanish, like mist that rises above the tree-tops and is instantly dissipated by the morning sun. The main reason why the spectacle seemed so unreal and un- substantial was that it defied both logic aud the senses. If it resembled anything substantial its features still suggested only what was impossible, for it was like a stupendous mound of tur- quoise upon which was heaped miles of emeralds, covered at the top with pearls and diamonds, suggesting crystal covered with snow. All have seen a heavy block of purest ice through which a pow- erful light is shining, and have noticed the colors that the prisms of the ice develop. Nothing else known to man will suggest how the Rockies looked that afternoon. Yet the thought of miles of clearest ice lighted up by the sun offers only a hint of the scene— the reality was ten-fold as beautiful and lovely. Think then, O pampered reader, used to rolling through time and distance in cushioned palace cars, what must have been the effect of this sight upon our fathers, the Pioneers, as they jogged toward the Rockies in creaking, hot and dusty prairie schooners in the years agone! The sight gave every one new zest for his task of nation building. It was drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, spurs to the bare of foot and a saddle to the weary. Ah! but it was not only this. It was no illusion of a land of proniise—no dream that was to vanish when the mountains were reached. To eycry one the Rockies brought more than they pro- mised. In their vales ran crystal streams, ’neath their trees was cooling shade, fruits and berries rejoiced the waywern bands, and, while perfect rest was offered, the invigorating air inspired all with increased energy. To-day the Rocky Mounteins still invite the traveler—still re- ward him. The colcrs that distance lends them vanish at close approach, but only to reappear, with yet closer familiarity, in such a weaith of flowers that one half suspects it was their blossoms that gave them the gaudy hues they showed. Flowers deck their inclined sides in great blocks of color and litter their terraces and woodland edges in variegated confusion. There is no difficult pass where they are not found, no dusky glen that does not harbor them, scarcely any height on which some will not appear to glad- den him who toils to reach the summits. fs to the West, where the cloud navies of the sky seemed to JuLIAN RALPH. oe The Making of the Flowers. SD Bail fhe Red Man—wfom none praide— AS owning poet’s breast; A dreamer fRro’ fong winter days, @WithR Song and stozy bfeat. Oho’ bfind to Grutf, Rer Book Re éeanned; @Ro’ deaf, Re tried to fea. Ofrange ad Rip Kind tRe tafed eacK bana Padded on from fip fo ear. Haze buf fo tRid, by dacBemsé grave Go dons of cRiefo made Known, Go show fRoye dciond zude and brave A power beyond fReir own. "Wid fegend tofd of primaf days, _ OWeBen Manitou, fike efay, OGe grey roe® mountain sfiaped did vaise Oo cefebrate Rip sway, He wad nof pleased. DRe mountains bare OVere Sfeak ang duff ana grey. He dnatehed a rainbow from {Re air, Wo ude ifs coford gay. Gzumbling ity 876, witB eRanted opef®, Beir radiant dust Re fHhrew, And everyosRere a Randfuf Perf A miffion ffow’rets gree. JULIAN RALPH. rs ‘a ey, we ia) bi tA eee wait ie a nt ith, 2 F f , , aaa TMANSEISAS: 3 esa | by ian in . . on yy i! eve) i Vs aa: t 7 Td “i ry ce se 7A —= . > he Den ce AW No Cromde RA ue ae PRY Ve PBN CON rts mi ine pre { ry Pa i ? ea MaMa y ei ve i : oF Wy Unt m, fat} aie oe i Wee) a Nea) mie LIBRARY OF CONGRESS iii