FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   >>  
t natural effect holds its own against no little vulgarization, and Watkins Glen soon made us forget the trippers and the concrete footpaths and iron railings of the United States government, in the fantasies of its weirdly channelled gorge and mysterious busy water. Watkins itself, despite its name, is sufficiently favoured by Nature to make an easy annual living, situated as it is at the south end of the beautiful Seneca Lake, and at the head of a nobly picturesque valley some twenty miles long, with a pretty river spreading out into flashing reed-grown flats, sheer cliffs and minor waterfalls, here and there a vineyard on the hillside, or the vivid green of celery trenches in the dark loam of the hollows, all the way to--Elmira! The river and the trolley run side by side the whole charming way, and, as you near Elmira, you come upon latticed barns that waft you the fragrance of drying tobacco-leaves, suspended longitudinally for the wind to play through. On the morning of our leaving Watkins, we had been roused a little earlier than usual by mirthful sounds in the street beneath our hotel windows. Light-hearted voices joking each other floated up to us, and some one out of the gladness of his heart was executing a spirited shake-down on the sidewalk--at six o'clock of a misty October morning. Looking out, we caught an endearing glimpse of the life of the most lovable of all professions. It was a theatrical company that had played a one-night stand at the local opera-house the evening before, and was now once more upon its wandering way. They had certainly been up till past midnight, but here they were, at six o'clock of the morning, merry as larks, gay as children, waiting for the Elmira trolley. Presently the car came clanging up, and alongside drew up a big float, containing baggage and rolls of scenery--all of which, to our astonishment, by some miracle of loading known only to baggagemen, was in a few moments stowed away into the waiting car. When the last property was shipped, the conductor rang his bell, by way of warning, and the whole group, like a flight of happy birds, climbed chattering into the car. "All aboard," called the conductor, once more ringing his bell, and off they went, leaving a trail of laughter in the morning air. "'Beloved Vagabonds!'" said Colin, as we turned away, lonely, from our windows, with, I hardly know why, a suspicion of tears in our eyes. CHAPTER XXIII THE SUSQUEHAN
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   >>  



Top keywords:
morning
 

Watkins

 

Elmira

 
conductor
 
waiting
 
trolley
 

leaving

 

windows

 

caught

 

endearing


glimpse
 
midnight
 

October

 

Looking

 

played

 

evening

 

sidewalk

 

company

 

professions

 

lovable


wandering
 

theatrical

 

laughter

 
Vagabonds
 

Beloved

 
ringing
 
climbed
 

chattering

 

called

 

aboard


CHAPTER

 

SUSQUEHAN

 
suspicion
 
lonely
 

turned

 
flight
 

spirited

 

baggage

 

scenery

 

miracle


astonishment

 

Presently

 
clanging
 

alongside

 
loading
 
shipped
 

property

 

warning

 
baggagemen
 

moments