December, 1878.
THE WEST SHORE.
10.
I ONLY WISH TO KNOW.
BY K. F. VICTOR.
Pi ay do not take tha kiaa again
I riaked so much in getting,
Nor let my bluahea make you Tain
To your and my regretting.
I 'm sure I 'v heard your aex repeat
A thousand times or so,
That stolen kisses are most sweet
I only wish to know !
I own 'twas not so neatly done
As you know how to do it,
And that the fright outdid the fun,
But still I do not rue it.
I can afford tbo extra beat
My heart took at your "Oh I"
Which plainly said that kisa waa sweet
W II us I BO WISHED TO KNOW.
Nay, I will not gtre back the kiss,
Nor will I take a aeoond ;
Cbkmc dk la ouai of pain and bliss
This one shall ere be rockoued.
The pain waa mine, the bliss was ours,
You smile to hear it so ;
Hut the same thought waa surely yours,
As I have cause to know.
SNOW CLAD PEAKS.
THE WINTRY BPBNDORI Of oik MOUNTAIN
XANCKS.
A correspondent writing from the
base of the mountains made beautiful
by recent snows, says: "After a recent
storm this whole valley was favored
with one of those wonderfully pure,
well-tempered, bracing and clear atmos
pheres which before sunrise brought
out with startling distinctness every
jagged peak or 'saw-tooth.' Just be
fore the least arc of the sun's disc burst
forth above the 13,000 or iooo-foot
crest of the mountains, a brilliant
though narrow halo of straw-colored
light played for a few moments along
the unhorizoutal line a short distance
to the north and south of the exact
spot where the sun was soon to rise,
said crest being about eighty miles in a
direct line from the point of observation.
This betokened the fresh layersof MOW
with which the recent storm had clad
all the higher ranges, and as the day
advanced it became perceptible to the
naked eye with marvelous distinctness
that the snow-line had been brought
down the mountain sides to about half
their bight Old settler remarked
that the snow was quite as low down,
and appeared to cover as much of the
mountain surfaces, as at any time last
winter. Attempts ut deaeription can
give but a very faint idea to those who
have never gazed iin our snow-clad
mountain! on J clear day, of the truly
grand views thus produced. The snow
of dazzling whiteness (unlike its dense
masses in winter, which cover the h'ghta
and till the canyons to the depth of live
to fifty feet or more, changing the con
tour of the mountains in placet) now
merely whitens the face of the moun
tains for half their apparent hight in
some directions, and shows wherever
they are in the line of vision, every
dome, every peak, every spur, every
ridge and canyon, every precipice, ev
ery deep gorge through which some
stream, of .... 1 :...r .;
hurrying its contribution of limpid
water to some river of this broad val
ley. The farmer turns from his (torch
or plow, or wagon, to gaze at this truly
wierd and beautiful sight after a storm,
through the crystal atmosphere, which
gives a healthful glow to his cheek and
stalwart strength to his muscles. For
the picturesque, the grand, the beauti
ful, the lover of nature can find this
scene surpassed in few, if any, countries."
A GLORIOV8 DAY,
While our less favored citizens of the
far East are now commencing to expe
rience the rigors of a hard relentless
winter, and the denizens of Oregon are
in the midst of their rainy season, we
of the Sound are enjoying far milder
and more congenial weather, although
at times enveloped in a heavy sea log,
or at times recipients of gentle remind
ers from I'Iuviuh that he has not for
gotten us, we have a glimpse of sun
shine every day. Yesterday was even
an exception to the general rule and a
brighter, more delightful day could not
have been desired. It was more like
springtime rather than the approach
of November's ides. I". very one sought
to tuke advantage of the day. The
streets were thronged with promcua
ders and the dilfcrcnt places of woiship
were well attended both morning and
evening. As the sun sank behind the
western hills, its diurnal task complete,
and the darkening shadows of night
swept over the vasl expanse of water,
the dying day pas-ted away in a halo of
vivid colors of a glorioua sunset, seem
ing to bid a reluctant farewell, wreathed
in sweetest smiles, .is he gave way to
sombre twilight.
Night came on and us pale I. mm, in
full meridian of her glory, swept
through the azure vault of heaven, sur
rounded by millions of hei Marry snlel
litca, the cited of the scene waa greatly
heightened a we looked out upon the
night toward the chevron heights of the
Olympic range. Hehiiid us the sleep
ing citv, before us the radiant water
covereil with a silvery sheen mid seem
ingly studded with larest genu, dia
monds, sapphires and rubies, as the
lathing, twinkling; tar rerarefMN ted
on its placid bosom. I'.u Of! IVom the
distant shores came the mournful dirge
of the ever-singing An and cedera.
as the light uigiit winds mtii iimh l
through the bianchca of countless giants
the forest anil boscage attendant on
them. Not ' sound disturbs our levciic
avc the shrill piping of u Itoulswaiu'
whittle on board a barkentine moored
to the wharf; and leaving the hardv
toils: ra of the tea we wander back
through the deserted streets to home
and rest. Tribune.
MANNKKS AM) CUSTOMS,
MOM A TNAVFirnV NOTE 1100k.
The women of the Karen tribes in
Chinese Huimah wear rings of thick
brass wire bent round the wrist and
elbow, and again round the knee and
ankle, confining them o in every mo
tion that they cannot potajhly squat
down on the ground in the usuul Ori
ental fashion or kneel to pray as the
men do; while, in walking, their feet
make two separate tracks 11 fool or so
11 pint.
About ten miles from Cataract Creek,
11 tributary of the llig Colorado, in Ar
izona, is the Sapia Indian village, num
bering three hundred persons, who
have a language of their own, and are
very thrifty farmers, keeping aome two
hundred acres of land UftOtT high culti
vation. They do not associate with
other Indians, and have never been 1 on.
signed to a reservation. They me sin
gularly free from the laziness and dis
sipation of the model u red man.
A Dkatii Dkai ini. POVMTAIN--On
Nebow Ridge, in Allegheny Co.,
l'a., about four miles limn Jacklowu,
there is what is called the "gn spring."
This is probably the grantee! curiosity
in rcniisy hiiiini. 1 lie water is coin,
but bubbles and foams as if boiling,
and the greatest wouler is the Inevita
hie destruction of life produced b in
haling the gas. No living thing it to
I- c (bund within it circuit of iuo yards.
The very birds, if they happen to fly
unci it, (hop dead. c experimented
with a snake of I he copperhead variety
on its deetfuctiva propertlei by holding
it a few feet above tlie water. It laid
dead in two minutes. It will kill a
human being in twenty minutes, T di
gits which escape here in of the rank
eat kind of carliouic acid.
The Lake of (ieueva, or t.uke Li
man, is one ol the largest lake of Bu
rope, extending in the I01111 of aire
Cent. Its in-nli bunk forms an arr.i oi
about lifty-lhtca milca in It-nglli, while
its south extends mIkmiI forty-six mile.
Its breadth is about nine miles, thlM
presenting an nun Ot about eighty-tw
squuic mile. Its average depth 1 from
three hundred to ix bundled feel, but
in some part it reaehcaa thousand feet.
I I- . waters arc purr, ami of the bright
l-lue color, like thflM of tin- Mcdittci
raueau. The It bone enters it at the
eat 1 nil, a rJafkf muddy sin-aui, ami
I, .ui s il in- 11 ( 11 nevii, x-ifi - r I v 11111-
- id 1 "i iii- II neat arara hue, steam-
er ply HpOfl tl m i)' day from the low tl
.1 icnca on Ihc west, to Yillcncuw
on the cast end. The picturesque en
cry of this charming pot is the admir
ation of every traveler.
Now is the time lo buy theiuionie-tcra-
wlicn ihey are down.