THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
293 
to the ever-varying atmospheric changes of the 
day. If clear, the soft blue mist hangs along 
the mountain-slopes and distant hills, lending 
‘ enchantment to the view ’ and mitigating the 
glare of the noonday. Perchance, great fleets 
of fleecy clouds lie slumberous along the hori¬ 
zon, or darkly sweep over the heavens and fly 
on the wings of the wind, hurtling against each 
other, and thunder-rent amid the crash and roar 
of heaven’s artillery. What sights for the aston¬ 
ished eyes and the vivid imagination ! What a 
relief are these constant variations and atmo¬ 
spheric changes to the fierce solar light and heat, 
and also to the monotonous blue of the bare 
skies! 
But it is when the glare of day is past, and 
storms have ceased to rage, and evening calm¬ 
ness approaches, that God’s great benison of 
the clouds is revealed. What a sweet change 
from the fierce red rays of the noontide when 
mellow evening begins its gorgeous illumina¬ 
tion ! All Nature seems to grow tranquil un¬ 
der the influence, as though conscious that a 
heavenly vision is about to greet the earth. 
The winds cease to rage, bird and beast put on 
a gentler mood, and the pensive landscape seems 
