File:Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern (1896) (14590944128).jpg

Identifier: worldsbestlitera21warn (find matches)
Title: Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors:
Subjects:
Publisher: N.Y.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ead between him and its darkness, in whichwere joined, in a subdued measure, the stability and insensibilityof the earth and the passion and perishing of mankind. But the heavens also had to be prepared for his habitation. Between their burning light — their deep vacuity — and man,as between the earths gloom of iron substance and man, a veilhad to be spread of intermediate being; — which should appeasethe unendurable glory to the level of human feebleness, and signthe changeless motion of the heavens with a semblance of humanvicissitude. Between earth and man arose the leaf. Between the heavenand man came the cloud. His life being partly as the fallingleaf, and partly as the flying vapor. Has the reader any distinct idea of what clouds are ? Wehad some talk about them long ago, and perhaps thought theirnature, though at that time not clear to us, would be easilyenough understandable when we put ourselves seriously to makeit out. Shall we begin with one or two easiest questions ?
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^ JOHN RUSKIN ,_,-„, That mist which lies in the morning so softly in the valley,level and white, through which the tops of the trees rise as ifthrough an inundation,— why is it so heavy? and why dues it lieso low, being yet so thin and frail that it will melt away utterlyinto splendor of morning, when the sun has shone on it but afew moments more ? Those colossal pyramids, huge and firm,with outlines as of rocks, and strength to bear the beating of thehigh sun full on their fiery flanks,— why are they so light, theirbases high over our heads, high over the heads of Alps ? win-will these melt away, not as the sun rises, but as he descends,and leave the stars of twilight clear, while the valley vapor gainsagain upon the earth like a shroud ? Or that ghost of a cloud, which steals by yonder clump ofpines; nay, which does not steal by them, but haunts them,wreathing yet round them, and yet — and yet, slowly; now fallingin a fair waved line like a womans veil; now fading, now gone

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