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NATURE FOR ITS OWN SAKE 



The western 

 barrier. 



mountains at sunset, for then the light is behind 

 them, and they stand in dark relief against a 

 sky brilliant in color. The strength of an out- 

 line lies in its revealing the bulk of the body it en- 

 closes, and how well the silhouette gives the feel- 

 ing of the mountain-mass ! The shadowed side 

 turned toward us is a great belt of cold purple, 

 extending along from valley to valley, creeping 

 up toward the crests, and seeming more purple 

 than usual, perhaps, for the complementary yel- 

 low light that is above it in the sky. At twi- 

 light this range of mountains seems the division 

 line between the world of day and the world 

 of night. Deep shadow is flooding in from 

 the east, brilliant light is in the west, and be- 

 tween them runs the dark mountain-barrier. 

 It will light up presently under the pale glow 

 of the moon, and the pines on the ridges will 

 wave ghost-like in the blue night air ; but now 

 how shadowy and cool the mountains lie, and 

 what a vivid contrast to the glowing heat of 

 the firmament over them ! It is one of the 

 contrasts we all love, and however little people 

 may fancy nature, there are few who will not 

 turn to see the splendor of the western sky 

 flaming above the mountain-ramparts. 

 If we shift our point of view, we shall see 



