NATURE FOR ITS OWN SAKE 
Af sunset. 
The western 
barrier. 
mountains at sunset, for then the hghtis behind 
them, and they stand in dark relief against a 
sky brilliant in color. The strength of an out- 
line lies inits revealing the bulk of the body it en- 
closes, and how well the silhouette gives the feel- 
ing of the mountain-mass! The shadowed side 
turned toward us is a great belt of cold purple, 
extending along from valley to valley, creeping 
up toward the crests, and seeming more purple 
than usual, perhaps, for the complementary yel- 
low light that is above it in the sky. At twi- 
light this range of mountains seems the division 
line between the world of day and the world 
of night. Deep shadow is flooding in from 
the east, brilliant ight is in the west, and be- 
tween them runs the dark mountain-barrier. 
It will light up presently under the pale glow 
of the moon, and the pines on the ridges will 
wave ghost-like in the blue night air ; but now 
how shadowy and cool the mountains lie, and 
what a vivid contrast to the glowing heat of 
the firmament over them! It is one of the 
contrasts we all love, and however little people 
may fancy nature, there are few who will not 
turn to see the splendor of the western sky 
flaming above the mountain-ramparts. 
If we shift our point of view, we shall see 
