change from the dust and rumble of the ain. A half-hour's delightful ride over cars to the peaceful silence of the little depot had a soothing effect upon their minds, and they eagerly drank in rich a winding road constantly ascending through the woods, lit up by the rays of a setting sun, brought them to the stables. and here they were Smaller by degrees and beautifully less. draughts of that restful quiet they had come so far to secure. Calm and peaceful, indeed, was the scene before them. Mount Tom was thrown into deep shadow by the sun, which was rapidly drawing towards its setting, while its slant rays, pouring through the gorge between the mountains, lit up the front of Mount Holyoke, filling the atmosphere with that rich golden light, so fascinating yet so illusive. Few of the habitations of men were to be seen on either bank of the river, which, reflecting the rich tones of the mountain sides and the warm effects a feeling of nervousness crept over the of the zenith, flowed quietly but grandly passengers, which the Dominie endeavby the landing where lay the little ored to shake off with the remark that steamboat which was to carry our travel-"man is immortal until his work is ers across to Holyoke. The only sound which disturbed the silence was the rumble of the now far-away train, until the shrill toot of the steamer's whistle warned them that they had further travel before them, and hastening aboard the little craft with their luggage and impedimenta, they were soon out on the bosom of the stream. done;" this Tinto immediately supplemented with "a man who is born to be hung will never be drowned," while the Professor, who was the modest man of the party, quietly remarked, "Well, I am only a passenger," and the car went on. Twenty minutes later, when the little craft ran her nose into the shore on the other side, our trio found a low buckboard sort of vehicle, with two horses and a driver, awaiting to transfer them to the cars half way up the mount A discussion as to the most feasible way of escape in case the rope should break, was interrupted by a slight but sudden change in the grade, and the next moment the travelers found themselves gazing up into the face of the genial landlord, who warmly welcomed them to Holyoke's dizzy height. Politely requesting the autographs of his guests, ton, and the atmosphere was shimmering under the glare of the setting sun, whose rays lit up the under strata, thus destroying all detail, an effect which was increased by the long shadows thrown across the landscape; and when Tinto, with the pride of the showman, waved his outstretched hand across the visible horizon, exclaiming as he did so, "Isn't that beautiful?" the Professor was compelled to respond that he "did not see it." All that appeared to his vision was a vast plain broken up by little patches of foliage and long stretches of shadow, through which a silver band was winding its way in sinuous curves, all dimly seen as through a glass darkly." To Tinto and the Dominie, who knew what was there, and what should be seen, the mind's eye made up all deficiencies and supplied all the details which the scene lacked to the eye of the junior artist. Nevertheless, it was with a feeling of keen disappoint 66 The Connecticut Valley ment that the three friends presents itself, like Niagara, under peculiar aspects at each visit, and is ever new and interesting. To such, however, as view it for the first time, as did the Professor, there is something so grand in its immensity, something so sublime in its beauty, that the mind fails to comprehend it, or the eye to take it in. The circumstances under which the Professor saw it were quite unfavorable. The upper stratum of air was filled with the smoke from the factories of Northamp turned from the view at the call of the supper bell, buoyed up by the hope that the morrow's sun might present it under a different aspect. And it did. An hour afterwards, hen they had sated their appetites, sharpened by the mountain air and a fast since breakfast, and had taken their seats again upon the veranda, they found the scene had changed to one of calmer and perhaps more attractive beauty. The twilight was deepening in the west, while the full orbed moon, rising in the east, was throwing a flood of silver rays across the entire landscape, shedding a glamor over the scene, which seemed to invite confidences; and cur three friends, with segars alight, drew their chairs closer together and spent a couple of hours in social chat and in watching the lights as they twinkled in the valley far below them. "I should not wonder if we had a valley fog in the morning," said Tinto as they rose to retire, "and if so you will have a sight worth seeing, as it is so rare. Mr. F. echoed the artist's opinion, and the trio went to their rooms with bright anticipations for the morrow, which were amply fulfilled. Had some enchanter waved his wand above the scene the transformation could hardly have been more complete or wonderful. During their slumbers the earth had entirely disappeared, and our three friends, the hotel and its immediate sur roundings had been lifted in cloudland and seemed to be floating upon a sea of fleecy whiteness which stretched to the farthest horizon. The sun was shining in a sky of the deepest blue, unflecked by a single cloud. The air seemed perfectly transparent, as indeed it was, and there was nothing to be seen but the level sheet of vapor which formed a base for the bright blue dome above them. This was the "valley fog" which Tinto had predicted. It had come, and he was satisfied. Leading the way to the observatory, whence a view of the entire horizon could be obtained, he descanted elegantly on what was-to one of the party--a novel sight. His remarks were supplemented on the part of the Dominie as to the causes, origin, object and results of valley fogs in general, by which his companions were very much edified, and doubtless convinced of the good man's erudition. As the observers looked over the apparently boundless expanse of cloud, they noticed a gentle movement in the mass, which gradually became roughened and then broke into billowy shapes until it resembled a great white sea with innumerable waves rolling and tumbling under the influence of the wind. Then the movement increased; great white masses broke off and drifted along like billows of snow; rifts suddenly opening showed glimpses of a world beneath, then closed again. The golden fingers of the sun were playing with the clouds, or, as the Dominie expressed it, "Old Sol was stripping the coverlet from the sluggish earth." "By and by," said he, "the people in the valley will know that the sun is up; they have not seen him yet." Then wider rifts appeared, the little plateau half-way down the mountain, with the cottage and stables, came into sunlight, and gray strips and streamers of fog floated through the adjoining woods; then trees in the valley, patches of the plain and stretches of the river showed. Now the whole mass was in motion, broken into curling fragments, some of which drifted away before the wind. Others, driven against the sides of Mount Tom, crept slowly up its steeps, but all fast dissolving under the influence of the sun's rays, till in half an hour from their first view, Tinto and his friends looked down upon the earth bathed in sunlight, with not a speck of cloud or fog to dim its brightness. After breakfast the three inseparables were out on the veranda again for a more careful and critical view of their surroundings. On this occasion the Dominie and Tinto were silent, preferring to await the expression of their companion's views as the scene gradually impressed him. Neither spoke for many minutes. At length, after taking in the view from every side, and ascending once more to the observatory, the Professor quietly remarked: "What a splendid grazing country, and the trees are so small; I don't see a good-sized one in the whole landscape." "Why!" said Tinto, pointing to an island in the river which flowed close to the base of the mountain. "Do you see that tree at the upper end of the island there? Well, that is one of the eleven famous elms of the Connecticut valley, and its shadow at noonday will cover four thousand people." Silently the Professor gazed at the little spot upon the island and then allowed his eye to wander across the field of vision until it reached the far distant horizon, on which rested the faint blue outlines of the Green Mountains. He was beginning to comprehend it. After a still longer silence he remarked: "Another strange feature of the landscape is that in all this vast expanse I see no cattle, no figures, no life, no movement." "Let me call your attention," said his companion, "to this field directly at the foot of the mountain. Do you see these minute objects moving about? You can just discern them; those are cattle, and there are scores of them. Do you see yonder, just across the river, that movement which looks like a caterpillar crawling among the grass? That is the down train from the White Mountains with six Pullman cars, besides mail and baggage cars." Once more the artist's eye glanced upward toward the horizon, and his friends saw that he had taken in the full conception of the scene before him. The Dominie and the Professor remained at the Prospect House for several days, while Tinto made a visit to some friends in the valley, agreeing to meet his companions at Northampton after making arrangements for a team to drive up the valley. "Monday morning at 9 o'clock sharp, I will be there," he had said, on leaving, Friday afternoon. Punctual to their appointment, the three tourists, reunited, were storing away their traps in the comfortable and convenient rockaway which Tinto had secured, many a stalk, until they reached the banks of the Connecticut at a point where it was crossed by a noble iron bridge nearly eleven hundred feet long. As they drove upon its quivering floor, Tinto recalled the old wooden structure which formerly occupied its place, and which in a terrific storm several years before was blown off its piers into the river, some twenty feet and which was to take them on their way; and, after driving through some of the elm-shaded streets of the charming town, to visit some of its institutions and to make a few purchases, they took the road to Hadley, their first objective point. They were bubbling over with fun and good nature. Stimulated by the fresh morning air, they prodded each other with the shafts of their wit, discussed the characteristics of the scenery and the people who passed them, and gave loose rein to each fancy as it struck them. Their Jehu, a bright and intelligent Yankee lad of about seventeen, entered into the spirit of his passengers, and would occasionally interject a piece of information when the conversation flagged; this would start the flow again, and thus a running fire was kept up hour by hour and day after day. Just as they were leaving town, the driver pointed out the Northampton Bank, the robbery of which gave it a worldwide notoriety, and a few minutes later the old brick school-house, in the attic of which the robbers had hidden themselves for weeks after, until the hue-and-cry had sufficiently subsided to enable them to escape with their plunder. So, on past the cemetery, under the shade of noble trees, picking fruit from every bough and flowers from below, while several teams were upon it. Jehu volunteered the information that but one woman and two horses were drowned. Descending rapidly from the bridge to the level of the Hadley delta. the party pursued its way along a road, bordered by broad unfenced fields, in which tobacco, broom corn and various other crops were thriftily growing, until. a little before noon, the carriage drew up at the door of the charming Elm Inn, on Hadley front street. This was the first stage of their journey. The next morning found our friends still lingering in the charming town, which has been so sweetly embalmed in Holland's verse. Attracted by the picturesque beauty of the place, soothed by its calm, restful quiet, and interested in its rich historical reminiscences, they ignored Jehu and the ponies, and wan dered, fancy free, through its broad avenues, gathering food for thought and nuggets of wisdom as they went. The grand old elms which shaded their pathway had looked down upon generation after generation of pious men and women who had long since passed away; they had echoed the Indian war |