52 
KANSAS. 
At this juncture of affairs, the old gentleman made his appear- 
ance; and, after some casual remarks upon the weather, by way 
of suggestion, I spoke of adjusting the pipe, as it looked likely to 
fall. He looked at it rather suspiciously, though keeping at a 
safe distance from it, should some extra breath tottle it over, and, 
without comment, made good his retreat. I was amused, and 
pitied his fears; then took down the pipe that it might occasion 
me no more thought. The storm lasted several hours, as on the 
previous night. It was quite impossible to shade one’s eyes from 
the continual glare, and sleep came not until the morning shadows 
were breaking. 
16^.—-One expected this morning to see some devastation — 
some remnant or vestige of the last night’s work —but earth 
never put on a more smiling face. There was no evidence of the 
lightning’s dread power, although often in the night there was an 
unmistakable sound of its striking near. Instead of the valleys 
being full of water, and the earth a perfect sea, its thirsty pores 
had drank in all, and naught remained to tell of it save the grass 
bending under its heavy weight of glistening rain-drops. 
For ten long months the drouth had been unprecedented. 
Many times a little cloud had arisen, awakening hopes of rain; 
but the cloud had passed by. In any other country than this, 
vegetation would have been entirely killed, root and branch dried 
up; but, before the rains came, even the gentle showers, the grass 
was clothing the naked earth in a mantle of greenness, and flow¬ 
ers, fairy-like in their gracefulness, were blooming in every shel¬ 
tered nook. Now the “ windows of heaven were opened,” as in 
old time. The rains came, and the winds blew. Earth was glad¬ 
dened in her vegetable life, and in her hidden springs. From 
many a dry spot, heretofore, the clear gushing waters came. 
Ylth. — A most glorious morning. How gayly all nature looks! 
The woods over in the Delaware country are clothed in every 
shade of green, from the most delicate to the deepest sea-green, 
while beautiful browns and blue are intermingled. Until now I 
have never longed for the artist’s skill in conveying to canvas 
these living pictures of beauty by the master’s hand — more beau¬ 
tiful than that of any earthly limner, inasmuch as the heavenly is 
