EDITORIAL 313. 



quietly develop his theme in his own tramps among his mountains than his 

 way, giving his patiently wrought own "Mountains of California," "The 

 theories on some cherished subject like Yosemite" and 'Our Natural Parks." 

 glacial action in the Yosemite. He Blessed are we who can hear his own 

 often told of his travels here and there gentle voice speaking through these 

 through these mountains or others in pages and see his clear gray eyes look- 

 distant lands with a vividness of the ing at us while he paints the pictures 

 artist. His word pictures of natural of the land he loved. It w ill be long 

 scenery were masterful tor he told oi before another voice shall speak so 

 the things he loved, from the fullness truly of this wild and little known land 

 of his heart. with its ever changing moods. He 



1 remember his affectionate caressing knew how to picture for us the up- 



of a peculiarly beautiful mountain hem- heaving granite domes whose polished 



lock as he passed along a ridge trail crowns flash back the glittering shafts 



overlooking a vast forest. He always of their nearer sun, or with undaunted 



said the hemlock is the most feminine spirit lead us to the dizzy height whose 



of our mountain trees. They are al- titanic fronts are torn and rent with 



ways lovely and graceful no matter thunderbolts of ages. Turning from 



where you find them nor how severe nature's giants he could pluck a heavy 



their struggles may have been with scented orchid from the shadow or 



storm and poor conditions. In overlook- stoop to lift the snowy violet's head, 



ing this same forest, when in the full drooping beneath the chill night's crys- 



glory of blossom time, Muir was deep- taled dew, or pause to warm a sleep- 



ly moved by the rich glow of purple m g butterfly back to life, 



and blue mingled with the silvery gray As a young man he wandered into the 



of the foliage. One magnificent riot of Sierras for a few weeks of rest but 



color steeped in the full clear sunlight they cast their spell about him and he 



of the mountains — surely a picture for was theirs. Never again did he leave 



the gods and men. Long, long and them for long. He traveled here and 



reverently he looked and seemed to there about the world yet he turned to 



breathe the beauty into his soul. He his mountains after each journey as a 



said the wondrous blue of the pistillate man returns to his home. It must 



floAvers was of so fine and pure a tone forever be a comfort to us who knew 



that the best pzure of the high sky a °d loved him to remember that he was 



above us had surely been condensed in near them at the last. Often he com- 



their making. pared the g^reat Sierran range to a 



John Muir was a dreamer, yet he had magnificent wall comoosed of light be- 

 not been born a Scotchman and reared yond \\ hich might well be the celestial 

 a vigorous Calvinist for nothing. He cxt Y- a,u ' we ^haU always feel his feet 

 had eyes to appreciate the natural nave m . lt wandered into a new life be- 

 wonders and the seer's wisdom to know yond his own beloved "range of light." 

 what it might mean to generations of 



men and women yet unborn. He saw 

 me vandals at their work, saw and 



He Made the Clock Light the Fire. 



understood what money greed would John Muir when a boy was fond of 



make of our country's treasures. This tinkering with clocks, thermometers 



was enough. John Muir was convinced and various other scientific apparatus 



and he never stopped until he had sue- of his own invention. The following 



ceeded in convincing others and we from "The Story of My Boyhood and 



shall forever be deeply in his debt for Youth" tells how he made a clock per- 



saving our Yosemite and our wonder- form his task of lighting the fire in the 



ful forests. He above all others could country schoolhonse each morning: 



see and comprehend the giant Sequoia. "The winter was very cold, and 1 



He wrote and talked and argued and had to go to the schoolhonse and start 



fought and was victorious, leaving the fire about eight o'clock to warm it 



these treasures for us to enjoy forever, before the arrival of the scholars. This 



Not only this but he has also left his was a rather trying job, and one that 



precious guidebooks with us. No bet- my clock might' easily be made to do. 



ter companions can go with ns in our Therefore, after supper one evening 



