WESTWARD BOUND.



MONDAY afternoon, February 22, .in company with several others, we left our home in Battle Creek for a brief visit to California. 

During the first part of our journey, the weather was as warm and pleasant as in summer. In Nebraska the farmers were plowing for summer saw quite a number of prairie fires. These, of course, were not as large as those, which are liable to occur in the fall, when the grass is tall and dry, but as the distant flames lit up the sky, the sight was grand indeed. We noticed that nearly every farmer had protected his house, barn, haystack, etc., either by plowing several strips around them, or by burning the grass close to them.

As we began gradually to ascend the Rocky Mountains, it became colder, until a hailstorm dashed down upon us. This soon turned to snow, which increased till we reached the summit. This point passed, we descended more rapidly, dashing down and around the mountains of Echo and Webber Canyons. The scenery of these canyons is generally admitted to be the grandest of any on the route, while that of the Sierras is the most beautiful. Here the massive rocks tower from five to eight hundred feet above us on either side, standing as perpetual monuments of the Almighty's power.

After beholding these lofty rocks one can easily understand why they have been the refuge of the persecuted in all ages. Elijah, when his life was threatened by Jezebel, traveled all day and all night until he found a hiding-place in Mount Horeb. David fled from the wrath of Saul to the mountains, where he found shelter in the rocks. And so we might mention many others in more modern times who have sought protection from the rocks. But space fails.

Our train is now climbing up the Sierras, and tomorrow morning about ten o'clock we shall probably be safely landed at our home in Oakland.





 M. K. W