Friday, at noon, August 18.
I am on the summit of Bear River Mountain, in the border of a beautiful
grove of pine and quaking-asp, near a spring of the most delicious
ice-cold water. I must be some miles ahead of the wagons that I left
toiling up the steep mountain side. Yet I do not feel that I am alone.
Oh, no. I feel that God is here in his might, majesty, power and glory.
I feel His nearness now, and as I gaze from these dizzy heights upon
the country spread out beneath my feet, I am lost in admiration, the
scene is so grand, so magnificent, that I forget my own vanity and
nothingness. I feel that I am standing upon an altar raised by Nature’s
grateful hand up to Nature’s God, and that I could offer myself a
willing sacrifice.
This is emphatically one of the high and sacred spots of earth. How
manifold, how wonderful are the works of Nature: Everywhere something
worthy of our highest admiration is presented to view; everywhere do
we see the manifestation of an invisible and omnipotent Creator. The
terrific storm, the broad prairies, the majestic forest, excite within
our bosoms emotions of awe and admiration, yet there are no places on
earth that I have seen which have a tendency to inspire me with such
tender feelings, such elevated, pure, holy thoughts as mountains.
Oh, it seems that one could never sin, or have an evil thought, in
such a place as this. Behold the mountains as they stand upon their
broad bases, contemplate them as they rear their snowy tops in awful,
majestic grandeur above the clouds, view them as you will, and they
ever present the same untiring pleasure to the mind.
Men and women will travel thousands of miles and make the greatest
exertion to climb the rugged steeps of mountains, to enjoy for one
short hour the charming prospect. I have wondered at this sometimes, as
I have read of their hazardous exploits in trying to obtain a point
where they could have the finest view, but I never shall again.
A country destitute of mountains may be fertile and productive of all
that conduces to human happiness, yet it will lack the essential of
attractive moral grandeur.
It may enchant the imagination for a moment to look over prairies and
plains as far as the eye can reach, still such a view is tedious and
monotonous. It can in no wise produce that rapturing delight, that
pleasing variety of the sublime and beautiful of landscape scenery
which mountains afford.
Let those whose tastes are on a level with the ground they tread feel
proud of and admire their prairie fields, but give to me a mountain
home.
The wagons are almost at the top, and as mother has driven up the steep
ascent, I will drive down the western slope, and have mother ride Dick,
and enjoy the delightsome scenery as we descend the mountain-side,
which looks very steep from here.
We were all the evening crossing the mountain, and it was a hard drive.
We are camping at the foot of the mountain near a spring in Bear River
Valley, within calling distance of the Chilicothe train.
We passed two freight wagons on the mountain-side that were rather
badly smashed up. One had upset, and crackers in a broken-up condition,
and other debris from family groceries were scattered about.
We learned that the wagons are Dr. Yager’s, and he has gone somewhere
to get the wheels mended. We are quite disappointed that he is away,
for Sim is not so well as he was yesterday, has had fever and been
flighty and in a stupor this afternoon. He needs medical treatment, and
we hoped to have Dr. Yager prescribe for him.
We passed eight graves on the mountain, one a young lady twenty years
old from Monroe County, Missouri. A beautiful resting place for
the dead. Mrs. Yager is quite sick, and seems sadly disheartened.
Thinks crossing the plains and mountains in a wagon (they have a very
comfortable carriage) is a sad, discouraging, never-to-be-repeated
experiment. I am sorry she could not enjoy the fine prospect on the
mountain-top, for she is a lady who would appreciate such grandeur to
the fullest under favorable circumstances.
We reached level ground without accident, and were glad to come up with
friends we had met before on the road.