ICE-RIMMED SOURCE. 65 
to which the wind among the dusky pines plays 
soft accompaniment — to hear the deep-voiced 
roar of these ever-rushing waters — to have the 
^memory of the touch of their spray upon our 
cheeks, be like the recollection of a caress, and 
the vision of their majestic guardian walls, sym- 
bols of those eternal heights whereon the soul 
may find repose. 
This is only a hint of all the word canon may 
suggest; but in giving it, I have made quite a 
digression. I was speaking of Boulder creek 
itself, and telling how it slips from the keeping 
of its ice-rimmed parent lakes, down through 
green mosses and grasses to darkle under heavy 
fir shadows no human foot has ever disturbed. 
It is not long that its waters are suffered to play 
with useless rocks and hide in secluded chasms. 
Their aid is needed to gain possession of the 
gold and silver in the many rich veins in their 
imprisoning mountains ; and they are never suf- 
fered to be idle long through their whole journey 
to the plains. Having reached them, instead of 
propelling mills alone, during the hot, dry months 
of summer, they are called upon to visit the roots 
of every plant and tree in all their valley, and 
only reach the Platte after doing an amount of 
service that, to hear recounted, would make even 
a New England manufacturing stream blush at 
its own uselessness ! 
5 
