A New World 



that of the many species of hyla, a sort of 

 soothing immortal melody filling the air like 

 light. 



We reveled in the glory of the sky scenery as 

 well as that of the woods and meadows and 

 rushy, lily-bordered lakes. The great thunder- 

 storms in particular interested us, so unlike 

 any seen in Scotland, exciting awful, wondering 

 admiration. Gazing awe-stricken, we watched 

 the upbuilding of the sublime cloud-mountains, 

 — glowing, sun -beaten pearl and alabaster 

 cumuli, glorious in beauty and majesty and 

 looking so firm and lasting that birds, we 

 thought, might build their nests amid their 

 downy bosses; the black-browed storm-clouds 

 marching in awful grandeur across the land- 

 scape, trailing broad gray sheets of hail and 

 rain like vast cataracts, and ever and anon 

 flashing down vivid zigzag lightning followed 

 by terrible crashing thunder. We saw several 

 trees shattered, and one of them, a punky old 

 oak, was set on fire, while we wondered why all 

 the trees and everybody and everything did 

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