. The White hills; their legends, landscape, and poetry. s, than the budding and the fall Of leaves—our valleys lovelier than those Which the old poets sang of—should but figure On the apocfyphal chart of speculation As pastures, wood-lots, mill-sites, with the privileges. Rights and appurtenances, which make up A Yankee Paradise—unsung, unknown To beautiful tradition; even their names, Whose melody yet lingers like the last Vibration of the red mans requiem, Exchanged for syllables significant Of cotton mill and rail-car! We can scarcely find a settler who can tell any story learned in THE FO
. The White hills; their legends, landscape, and poetry. s, than the budding and the fall Of leaves—our valleys lovelier than those Which the old poets sang of—should but figure On the apocfyphal chart of speculation As pastures, wood-lots, mill-sites, with the privileges. Rights and appurtenances, which make up A Yankee Paradise—unsung, unknown To beautiful tradition; even their names, Whose melody yet lingers like the last Vibration of the red mans requiem, Exchanged for syllables significant Of cotton mill and rail-car! We can scarcely find a settler who can tell any story learned in THE FOUR VALLEYS. 33 childhood of Indian bravery, suflcring, cruelty, or love. Looking upto the great range from the village of Jefferson, wc must say withHiawatha:— ! how all things fade and perish!From the memory of the old menFade away the great traditions,The achievements of the warriors,The adventnres of the hunters,All the wisdom of the Jledas,All the craft of the Wabenos,All the marvellons dreams and the Jossakeeds. the Prophets!. 34 THE WHITE HILLS. HISTORY OF THE EXPLORATION OF THE l^HITE HILLS You ask, he said, what guide Me through trackless thickets led. Through tliick-stemmed woodlands rough and wideY I found the waters bed. The watercourses were my guide; I travelled grateful by their side, Or through their channel dry; They led me through the thicket damp, Through brake and fern, the beavers camp Through beds of granite cut my road. And their resistless friendship showed; The falling waters led me. The foodful waters fed me, And brought me to the lowest land, Unerring to the ocean sand. The moss upon the forest bark ^ Was polestar when the night was dark. The purple beiries in the wood Supplied me necessary food; For Nature ever faithful is To such as trust her faithfulness. Before proceeding to the chapters on the avenues to the highestmountains, and the pictures -which they supply, let us glance at themost important visits which have been made t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectwhitemo, bookyear1876
