. The falls of Niagara . his there break a clear, calmmorning, the scene presented is one of unique andenchanting beauty. The frozen spray on every boll, limb, and twigof tree a«d shrub, on every stififened blade of grass,on every rigid stem and tendril of the vines, iscovered over with a fine white powder, a frosty bloom,from which there springs a line of delicate frost-spines, forming a perfect fringe of ice-moss, than whichnothing more fanciful nor more beautiful can be im-agined. Then, as the day advances, the increasing warmthof the suns rays dissolves this fairy frost-work andspreads it
. The falls of Niagara . his there break a clear, calmmorning, the scene presented is one of unique andenchanting beauty. The frozen spray on every boll, limb, and twigof tree a«d shrub, on every stififened blade of grass,on every rigid stem and tendril of the vines, iscovered over with a fine white powder, a frosty bloom,from which there springs a line of delicate frost-spines, forming a perfect fringe of ice-moss, than whichnothing more fanciful nor more beautiful can be im-agined. Then, as the day advances, the increasing warmthof the suns rays dissolves this fairy frost-work andspreads it like a delicate varnish over the solid spray,giving it a brilliant polish rivaling the luster of therarest gems; the mid-morning breeze sets in motion thisflashing, dazzling forest, which varies its color as thesunlight-angle varies; and finally, when the waxingwarmth and growing breeze loosen the hold of theicy covering in the tree-tops, and it drops to the stillsolid surface in the shade beneath,— the tiny particles. Opposite page 66, Winter Foliage. LOCAL HISTORY AND INCIDENTS. 67 with a silver tinkle and the larger pieces with thesharp, rattling sound of the castanet,— the ear is charmedwith a wild, dashing rataplan, while a scene ofstrange enchantment challenges the admiration of thespectator. Even more beautiful and fairy-like, if possible, is thegarment of frozen fog with which all external objects areadorned and etherealized when the spring advances andthe temperature of the water is raised. As the sharp,still night wears on, the light mists begin to rise, andwhen the morning breaks, the river is buried in a deep,dense bank of fog. A gentle wave of air bears itlandward; its progress is stayed by everything withwhich it comes in contact, and as soon as its motionis arrested it freezes sufficiently to adhere to whateverit touches. So it grows upon itself, and all things aresoon covered half an inch in depth with a most deli-cate and fragile white fringe of frozen fog
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidfallsofniaga, bookyear1883
