258 THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 



days. Here a boy was calling to his cows, and 

 the sharp barking of his dog answered to the 

 call, blending with the musical tinkle of the cow 

 bell; the bleating of the sheep calling their 

 strayed lambs for the night's repose. An or- 

 gan grinder, pied-piper like, was collecting the 

 children in the street. The church bell rang 

 out its vesper call to prayer. Then there was 

 that indefinable undercurrent of noise, not loud 

 nor continuous, but indicating the subdued ac- 

 tive life below. Close by was the dull, slow 

 chirp of a half-asleep cricket; the leaves occa- 

 sionally rustled as though they resented in this 

 quiet the teasing of the gentle breezes. So still 

 and peaceful and beautiful. What a luxury to 

 be alone and high up alone, and take in such 

 far away visions of a glowing landscape. 

 There ! the sun just dipped behind the horizon 

 amid a magnificent blaze of glory. Sunset, but 

 oh, the afterglows ! How chaste and charming 

 and golden the color that streams up the west- 

 ern heavens. Now began that exquisite sensing 

 delight, the loneliness of nature, the creeping 

 of shadows over the land and sky and filling the 

 air and wrapping things as in a mantle, gauzy 

 and gay at first, but more closely woven at last 

 and black. It was growing dark and I alone 

 on the great mountain. The stillness for a lit- 



