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    1. [KYBARREN] MAMMOTH CAVE - PART 5
    2. Sandi Gorin
    3. We left our cave travelers in the Snowball Room - The recollections of merry youth were renewed by the sight; and I dare say each of us compared the scene before him to some well-remembered spot, where his boyhood had laughed away the merry hours. My mind wandered back to the old farm-house and the great denuded trees before the gate, the rough, almost bare ground, and the forest stripped of its gorgeous summer dress, and exposed uncovered to the wintry storm. I thought of a narrow foot-path and a full, round, stupid moon, and the tracks of dear [sic], delicate little feet, and the glance of a pair of bright eyes that shone with warmth and ardor enough to be a good example for cold, prudish Diana. The Bengal-light slowly faded and faded, then went out, and with it our dreams -- extinguished as lightly as many had been before. Silence was broken; one song to old Winter rang out, and we left the Snowball room, its freezing fancies and recollections of hopes long ago chilled and dead, for something more ardent. Having courageously crossed the Rocky Mountains, without slipping from any of their precipices or falling into any of their caverns, we entered Serena's Arbor. This is the terminus of the cave, nine miles under ground. The Arbor, or "Harbor," as some Englishmen who painted and were exhibiting a map of the cave, called it, is a little circular room, of some twenty feet across and thirty high. It is hung round with drapery of yellow stone, falling in graceful folds. It reminds one much of the descriptions of the mermaids' sub-marine palaces. Perhaps it was the council-chamber of the fays of those underground rivers; for surely there must have been guardians to these streams, as well as to those of the mountains. A rivulet murmurs below, just heard, over its rocky bed; in one corner there is a spring, diamond clear, and in all features is this apartment just fitted for the meetings of little deities, convened to enjoy their sports, pass their rules, or inflict punishment for broken laws. How easy to imagine the watchman cricket ticking twelve, and the gaily-dressed, smiling fairies marching merrily in, only waiting for the prettiest of the band, the queen of Beauty and Love, to take her seat in that niche on either side of which the stone curtain falls so elegantly and gracefully. Then to hear the tiny orators argue their causes and discuss the affairs of their tribe; to listen to the mild, just decrees of the virgin queen; and after business is performed, to look on the merry dance in the charmed ring, or be enchanted by fairy song or fairy minstrelay! When these little rules of the world existed, they must surely have met here, deep in tthe bosom of the earth, in the senate chamber of a world within a world. We now turned back; but branching off into another passage, visited a different portion of the cave. After we had walked for some time, the guide told us to go on alone, while he would wait behind, and to blow out our lights, in order to see how intense the darkness was. We did as directed; and having walked several hundred yards, seated ourselves upon the rocks and extinguished our lamps. My dear reader, are you blind? (an Irish expression, by the way;) for if you are not, you cannot conceive of darkness. Enclose yourself in the darkest room, and you will still have a glimmer of light, an indefinite idea of distinction between the white wall and the dark furniture; wander in the deepest forest at midnight, when clouds enshroud the sky and shut out the stars of heaven, where the leaves and boughs overhead are interwoven in their closet folds; in spite of all, some few erratic beams, a sort of haziness of light, will remain; some suspicion of neighboring objects will exist. Here were we, with our eyes open and nervously strained to their utmost, and yet naught was distinguishable; no indication of the nearest object; white and black were, as some philosophers prove, all the same. How little could I ever before conceive of blindness! Oh! the oppressive, stunning weight! the feeling of unknown, unavoidable, invisible danger! - utter inability to defend one's-self, entire subjection to those who possess this invaluable gift! All recollection of the course we had come was instantly lost; no idea of any thing whatever around us could be retained. If left to find our way out alone, with a light, I should not, even in those endless labyrinths, despair; but without it, in darkness that could be fairly felt, I would rather surrender hope and peaceably lie down than endure the horrors of the attempt at escape. Our feelings were getting somewhat unpleasantly excited, and our conversation, for some time forced, had dwindled away to silence, ere Stephen appeared. The light displayed three pale countenances and three pairs of eyes that had rather more than a natural brilliancy; and yet, in daylight danger there could perhaps scarcely be found three more reckless fellows. Stephen laughed when he saw us stretched along the rocks, and withal so doleful, and walking to one side, covered his lamp in a measure with his cap, and told us to look above us. We did so, and what was our astonishment on seeing the stars shining brightly in the dark heavens! Each rubbed his eyes and looked again. There they were, winking and glimmering, now seen, now gone, so merry and sparkling that they seemed fairly to laugh at us for our folly in not perceiving them before. Old Argus-eyed Night was looking down as calmly and sleepily upon us as ever. I immediately began searching for the North-star, to ascertain the points of the compass; but by some strange accident was not to be found: neither did I recognize any of the groups, and essayed in vain to define any even of the figures with which I was best acquainted. "Very singular!" I muttered, rubbing my eyes again; "where can we be?" I called upom Tom for an explanation, but he was equally perplexed. We were utterly at a loss till the guide's laugh told us there was something wrong. To be continued tomorrow. We are nearing the end of their journey but there are more adventures to go. Sandi --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com

    05/28/2014 02:33:00