SKY II 



They reached for miles toward the zenith, 

 and spread north and south for leagues on 

 leagues. Their tops were dazzling white, 

 and their sides were ruffled into countless 

 snowy bosses, softly edged with gray and 

 mauve; while descending valleys and cav- 

 erns, that would have held the nations of 

 the earth, were revealed in slaty shadow. 

 From a height of perhaps a thousand feet 

 hung a long curtain of dark, which at its 

 northern end was pulled aside as if by an 

 impetuous giant hand. It hid the base 

 of the mountain-range, and seemed to be 

 made of rain. Not until next day did we 

 learn of the cyclone that had worked in 

 that belt of dark, felling houses and trees 

 within five miles of us, and then bounding 

 up and whistling away to sea. 



We lose much fine scenery because of 

 our habit of looking down. We look down 

 so much because that is where most of the 

 dollars come from. 



A friend whose word I never had cause 

 to doubt, and whose any statement was as 

 good as gospel, nearly strained my credu- 

 lity once, and I made him tell the thing 



