The
waters from these mountain reaches had cut a channel for themselves
known as Little Yosemite Valley, where pour the two wonderful cataracts
known as Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls. Their deep roar came up from the
valley. Mamie felt that she would be content to watch that scene the
whole day through.
But Mat took her on to Glacier Point, where you look straight down more
than three thousand feet to the level floor of the Yosemite Valley.
There below, more than half a mile below, she saw her neighbors'
cottages; and the thought occurred to her, as she clung to Mat, that if
she should fall over the precipice she might crash through the roof of
one of these. She actually saw the good neighbor who was caring for her
own child during his mother's absence. Before the day of aviators it
seemed strange enough to look straight down from half a mile up in the
sky.
Then came those scenes of terrifying magnificence when she followed Mat
over the trail cut along the perpendicular walls of the canon five miles
down to the floor of the Valley. One who has not passed over that trail
can scarcely conceive of it; and one who has, brings away a sense of the
sublime and the beautiful mingled with terror.
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