Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865Herndon, Sarah Raymond
History
Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865
Herndon, Sarah Raymond
Overland journeys to the Pacific; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
How easy to step off into eternity from this place. I would not like to
live near here, lest I might be tempted to do it some time. The valley
over there looks as if--away back in the ages past--another quarter
of the great ball that had been separated from this quarter, had been
lifted by giant hands and carried away, leaving the most picturesque
valley that I have ever beheld. There are three prosperous-looking
farms in sight, a large herd of cattle grazing, and a beautiful grove
or park at the northern end of the vale. West of the valley, and
opposite where we stand, are peaks much higher than this; behind which
the sun is sinking. The setting sun has crowned the mountain-tops with
a crown of glory and brightness. The moon is rising out of beautiful,
white fleecy clouds in the east. It is lovely beyond description.
How beauteous is this earth,
How bright the sky,
How wisely planned by him
Who reigns on high.
The sun is gone, night is coming; we must go, for we are at least one
and a half miles from camp. I fired Frank’s gun before starting; I
aimed at the river, and hit the mark. How weak and insignificant these
words seem when compared with the reality.
WE VISIT A BEAUTIFUL SPRING.
Saturday, July 8.
The scenic beauty of the route we have come over to-day was ever
changing. We were either coming through a narrow cañon, across a
beautiful vale, climbing or descending a steep hill or mountain.
Nellie Bower and I had started on horseback to have the morning to
ourselves, when Mr. Walker rode up and asked us to go with him to a
lovely spring of delightfully cold, clear water he knew of, some two
or three miles ahead. We consented, of course, and had soon left the
wagons behind us. Mr. W. has been over the road before and seems to
know the landmarks and places of interest. We found the spring, as
described, in a beautiful dell, where the loveliest wild flowers I ever
saw are growing luxuriantly. We were soon off our horses, enjoying the
cool, delicious spring water. We gave our horses a drink, and then we
each gathered a large bouquet of beautiful, fragrant wild flowers. They
certainly are “wasting their sweetness on the desert air.”
I believe we were almost an hour ahead of the train. Mother scolded,
and so did Mr. Bower, because we had gone so far ahead of the wagons,
for it is said these hills are full of Indians. I am all the time
forgetting about the Indians. Mr. Kerfoot will not allow his girls to
get out of sight. I am glad mother is not so exacting as that, but I
ought not to impose upon her good nature, and cause her to worry. I
never do intentionally, but sometimes I forget.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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