156 LAND OF THE LINGERING KNOW. 



left bare its substance. All of these peaks 

 rested upon a sky of gold flecked with crimson. 

 All of them were repeated in the placid lake, 

 which also copied the glory of the sky and of 

 the descending sun. To the east of the lake a 

 forest of ancient pines extends from the shore 

 part way up a ridge. Above the pines the 

 ridge is covered with young birches, poplars 

 and maples. The tender foliage of these trees, 

 bathed in the last rays of the sun, formed a 

 glowing veil of color. The most delicate greens 

 showed where young leaves were unrolling on 

 poplars and birches, soft reds covered the maples, 

 and the silvery white perpendicular lines of the 

 birch stems formed a thousand graceful columns 

 for the support of the light masses of color which 

 clung to them. That the sky behind this gay 

 fresco of the spring was pure pale blue only 

 added to its loveliness. Lake, mountains, woods, 

 sky gave joy to the eye and peace to the heart. 

 Watching them I said : " Had they but a voice, 

 how eloquent it would be of praise, how full of 

 courage and hope. The lake is pure and deep, 

 the mountains strong and high, the woods hope- 

 ful and kind, the sky infinite and full of mys- 

 tery." Then there came from the midst of the 

 dark pines nearest the shore a vojce, and it 

 seemed to me that no other voice in all that wild 

 New Hampshire valley could have come so near 



