Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/15




 * mountain systems.  3

their several  portions  of  invented  woe. Five thous- and feet below,  and  far  as  eye  can  reach,  spreads  out a periscope  of  beauty  such  as  makes  us  loath  to  put off humanity  even  to  be  gods,  lest  mayhap  as  gods we should  have  no  sympathy  with  scenes  like  this. Often have  I  thout>:ht  when  standincr  entranced  before entrancing nature,  what  a  pity  it  was  we  could  not alwa3^s have  her  scenes  before  us;  and  as  for  heaven, give it  to  those  who  are  dissatisfied  with  earth. Only exterminate north  winds,  nervousness,  and  all  rascal- ity, and I  could  rest  contented  yet  awhile  here  upon this bench,  though  not  a  god.

Walled in  on  every  side,  without  loop-hole  or  portal save by  passes  to  the  plateau  regions  of  Utah  and Arizona, and  the  bay  of  San  Francisco,  which  across the concave  from  where  we  sit,  and  midway  between its north  and  south  extremes,  parts  the  Coast  Kange, whose green  and  grizzly  hills  it  crowds  back,  and paves the  way  through  the  Golden  Gate  to  the Pacific, we  have  before  us  what  was  once  broad  ocean, then an  inland  sea,  afterward  a  hedged-in  Eden,  God- given to  a  thrice  happy  race,  and  later  converted  into a nineteenth-century  coliseum,  wherein  was  destined to be  performed  a  play  entitled  The  New  Greed- struo-orle of  the  Nations. Time enouoh  however,  to talk  about  that  to-morrow. Sit still  awhile  and  we shall  presently  see,  out  here  upon  this  holiday  of creation,  elves  and  fays,  if  any  there  are  left  for  these new Arcadian  vales. We can  offer  them  whereon  to sport  ground  which  one  day  will  be  as  classic  as  that of Greece,  plains  up-swelling  beneath  their  feet,  and slopes of  evergreen  and  sweeps  of  forest. Then there are  warm  inviting  knolls  under  star-lit  skies, and enchanted  groves  where  heaven's  witchery  might wanton regardless  of  irate  ocean  on  one  side  or shadowless  deserts  on  the  other.

When this  mighty  Sierra  was  a-building,  this grand up-lift,  with  its  fluted  sides  flushed  with  never-