In the Lake Country 113 
give rise to original impressions—the reaction 
upon American birds, American skies, and 
American fields and vineyards. 
They are blessed who, possessed of seeing 
eyes—painter’s, poet’s, naturalist’s eyes,— 
have a charming landscape and a varied 
topography with which to stimulate their 
inner vision and refresh themselves. A see- 
ing eye in a commonplace country is in an 
unhappy plight and must seek to solace 
itself in the sky. On the other hand a 
commercial eye ruins the most delightful 
landscape for the mind that uses it and it 
would be fitting enough if the commonplace 
regions of the earth could be reserved for dull 
and commercial minds. Consider what a range 
of hills means—how much more the land- 
scape is our friend by reason of that mound of 
earth to relieve the monotony, to cast shad- 
ows, to reflect colour, and to hold the clouds. 
Rigid as stone, the hills none the less yield 
to the tender and mysterious lights of dawn, 
of sunset and moonrise, as the human face is 
softened by an emotion. 
How much more, then, does a lake reflect 
the moods of Nature, for the lake is the very 
eye of the landscape, where one may always 
detect some play of emotion. No matter 
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