98 FOREST TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 



elegant, caressing the eye, ever suing for admirers, exfoliating 

 bark, or laying off a few superfluous leaves in the hot months 

 of July and August, the most strikingly picturesque tree of all 

 the groves! Limbs now out fresh, smooth, and soft as an 

 African's skin — yea with the most exquisitely freshened 

 green, tender, and delicate as any maiden's, fair tablets to 

 carve " Rosalind" upon; the very sight of which is like 

 inspiring a sweet zephyr, just astir, breezing from out some 

 cool shady grove, when the traveler is faint and weary. 

 Even the fading foliage falls unobtrusively down, as comes 

 "still evening on" in twilight dews. Fading foliage! did I 

 say? Nay! the beautiful leaves brighten like celestial hopes 

 above into every shade to hallowed gold and royal purple in 

 exchange for the natural green of earth. So also the sea- 

 green surface beneath, yields to a softened mellow-white, no 

 artist could cease to admire. With such a sheen the enliven- 

 ing shade, is by far, the most cheerful that ever bore that 

 name before; myriads of bright and gay reflectors spiriting 

 it away ; meanwhile, shedding " their sweetness on the desert 

 air." Our feet never pressed her half-dismantled robe with- 

 out a feeling akin to entering the neatest ladies' parlor in 

 the land. Instinct with the feelings of the great chief, we 

 are fain to echo the eloquent apostrophe * * * "the earth 

 is my mother, I will repose on her bosom ! " With uncovered 

 head and due reverence in the presence of orderly nature. 

 Ave are oft' prone to tarry beneath the beautiful boughs; and 

 may we say.it — always leave with the lingering regrets of a 

 lover. Returning anon ! behold the pea or sky-green bark 

 changed to deep orange, burning red, or sober cinnamon 

 brown, out of due respect to autumn, and the fashion of the 

 season. How strange the view! What marvel of moods! 

 Fascinating by every art that could please with ever-varying 

 beauty; could imagination, fiction, or fancy portray to 

 itself a sylvan object more wonderful, more chaste, or more 

 charming? 



Why then, it may be asked, are so few of our surface artists 

 found who give adequate prominence to this marvelous 

 middle and foreground tree? Yet how exceedingly apropos 

 to their purpose, and so characteristic, too, of Pacific scenery. 

 Yea, altogether lovely on the landscape, faultness in form 

 every way — in the bold bossed knee base, sturdy body, rival- 

 ing the oak — huge branch and strong arm ; full of native 

 character and never formal. Ah, me! again what bark — 

 warranting the highest warm coloring, without the least ex- 

 aggeration — and such leaf, flower, fruit. Time would fail to 

 note its varied expression, and even to old age and forever, 

 beautifully picturesque. Panoramic details apart, consider 

 it again in one view, that it sink deep into th} r soul : Broad 

 magnanimous canopy of large, thick, rich shining or var- 



