In the Sierra 



mrple panicles brushing against one's feet are 

 iot felt. This is a typical glacier meadow, 



:cupying the basin of a vanished lake, very 

 [efinitely bounded by walls of the arrowy 

 :wo-leaved pines drawn up in handsome or- 

 ierly array like soldiers on parade. There are 



lany other meadows of the same kind here- 

 ibouts imbedded in the woods. The main big 



icadows along the river are the same in gen- 

 eral and extend with but little interruption for 

 ten or twelve miles, but none I have seen are so 

 inely finished and perfect as this one. It is 

 icher in flowering plants than the prairies of 

 isconsin and Illinois were when in all their 



r ild glory. The showy flowers are mostly 

 :hree species of gentian, a purple and yellow 

 >rthocarpus, a golden-rod or two, a small blue 

 >entstemon almost like a gentian, potentilla, 

 ivesia, pedicularis, white violet, kalmia, and 

 bryanthus. There are no coarse weedy plants. 

 Through this flowery lawn flows a stream si- 

 lently gliding, swirling, slipping as if careful 

 not to make the slightest noise. It is only 

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