222 THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 



just on the meadow edge of the pasture. I was 

 but a few rods away when the fire started and 

 saw the first dark, thick smoke roll lazily up 

 and spread out like an umbrella. The dark and 

 light masses of smoke blended so singularly and 

 assumed so many forms which were highly pic- 

 torial, my attention was arrested, and sitting 

 upon a large boulder I watched it. There was 

 little air stirring, not enough to break up the 

 clouds and columns that rose so rapidly by the 

 ascending heat, but just enough with its deft fin- 

 gers to wreathe and twist and twine them into 

 grotesque and starding forms and images and 

 give most singular and suggestive combinations* 

 Beautiful indeed these columnar masses rolling 

 upward and imaged on the bright azure sky be- 

 yond. In them we saw forests and mountains, 

 and armies and navies, great flocks of birds 

 migrating, herds of bison as they have been pic- 

 tured, in fact anything and everything ever ex- 

 perienced seemed reproduced. Imagination was 

 wild with its picturings ! What memories were 

 called up. What forces acted and scenes re- 

 enacted. Our moods took in the facts and 

 every faculty revelled for half a hour. 



The firemen attended, and would occasion- 

 ally stir the heap, throwing on gathered masses 

 of combustible material, and what showers of 



