MOUNTAINS AND HILLS 



231 



the color in such a way that it appears odd to 

 our eyes. This is peculiarly true of the noon- 

 day light, which flattens a dark stone-color to 

 a silver-gray, and will turn a belt of pine 

 timber from a dark green to a pale blue. Fi- 

 nally, there is always some difference in moun- 

 tain appearance, dependent on the thickness or 

 thinness of the atmosphere, to which must be 

 added allowance for the distortion caused by 

 the top of the mountain being usually ob- 

 served through a thinner layer of air than the 

 base. 



When all these features are considered, the 

 mountain instead of being a steadfast, unvary- 

 ing tower of rock is, to all appearance, one of 

 nature's fickle creations. It shifts countenance 

 as many times in a day as the sky above it. One 

 moment it is blue under direct light, the 

 next it is green under cloud-light ; at dawn it 

 is gray ; at sunset it may be golden or even 

 red ; at night it is cold purple. The changes are 

 less marked on a cloudy day, and a mountain's 

 bulk, height, and surface are seen to better 

 advantage then yes, even on a rainy day, when 

 clouds are hanging about the peaks than un- 

 der sunlight. 



A hill, as we have already noted, may be a 



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