The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-08-16
For the 11erandria Herald.
THE OLD TRUNK. mo. XIII.
THE WITCH OFF MANROss,
CONTINUED.

/ ausWcraOtc; anu INC uiSaPPomeSu iashSE
could not resist their truth, or the energy
with which they were uttered. "Be il
as you,will,' he cried, al had hoped for
a son whose name would have had added
to, and not diminished from, the lustre Of
a long line of chivalrous ancestry; one
who Tor sagcness and discretion might
have been thought worthy TO become the
mover Of the mighty springs which go.
vern empires; who, in the embattled
held, by the tenor of his sword, would
have shed a glorious halo around the arms
and honors of the descendants of his race.
But, alas, my hopes are withered; and
you, the only remnant of our ancient line,
have proved alone unworthy of the valor
OF your fathers. 80, then, be the hum.
bic thing thou needst would be-" Fores
ter was unhappy--for he loved his father;
but years OF inactivity and listless ease,
had rendered him callous to the voice OF
fame; and the humble life he led was all
he wished.
His visits to the haunted glen were as
frequent as formerly {; and though he Of
ten sighed when his fathers silent dis
pleasure obtruded itself upon his mind,
yet, stretched indolently along the soft
green moss, enjoying the cool serenity of
the air, the chirping of birds and the
mild loneliness of the scene, he would in
sensibly yield himself up to that needles.
iangour, which the course of his educa.
ton, and the habit Of years, had rendered
the happiest portion Of his existence. He
lay one afternoon, as was customary with
HIM, in little arbor, which with muck
care and fancy, he had constructed near
the glen. For some time he had been
assiduously engaged in counting the
leaves OF a beautiful rose, which ever and
anon he carelessly applied TO his lips.
his ianguid limbs were stretched supine-
| ly along his rural bed, and his dark blue
eye liked with lustrous gaze upon love-
iy summer sky. Suddenly, all nature
seemed one vast scene Of stormy commo.
tion-the high wind arose in the dread
fuiness OF its strength-clouds, dense and
heavy, obscured the azure heaven-the
trees shook with tremendous fury-the
iorked lightnings flashed, till the skies
seemed one vast sheet of flame-thun-
ders, hollow, deep and crashing, almost
mingled with the scene, as if to confound
every sense at once what was before
gay and beautiful, became wild and ter.
rthc-the little birds fed to their nests,
the flowers closed their fragrant lids-the
sportlve lambs HE'D them to their fold
and all around was darkness, terror and
storm. Forester listened to the wild
war of Earring elements-he gazed upon
the zigzag lightning, with feeling of
such peculiar awe, that his heart ouaked
within him. Lately all around was love-
1 rrtu
4, which few moments before gave golden
p promise ola plenteous harvest, were now
barren as Arabia's desert sands-Iofty
oaks, which had stood The brunt of whole
ages OF storm, were levelled before his
eyes-mighty torrents of water poured
from the surrounding hills, bearing on
their earth tinted surface, trees, cattle,
F fences, and implements of agriculture.
He gazed till his eyes became dim-he
shuddered with dread, not of man. bu,
an awful fear OF Him.
"Who rides upon the whirIwind, and directs the
storm"
The various currents gradually formed
themselves into one, and rushed with
collective force down upon the glen -
they passed beneath him with furious
rap'dity, sweeping every thing in their
oath, as with bosom Of destruction.
| What was before lovely and fertile val
ley, became the bed of mighty river
where flowers had flourished and lambs
had cropped the tender grass, the rolling
b''low dashed howlingly along with ruin
on its breast and fury in its might.
Wildham turned from the heart sick
ening view, with novel. but not migrate.
ful, feeling in his breast. For the first
time in his life he might be sa id to think
: -for the first time the might and gran.
I, deur OF God impressed itself upon his
soul; he stood up lofty and erect, he
looked around. he felt the omDipotence
OF heaven and the vanity Of aspiring man.
For the FIRST time Forester Wildham
communed with his Maker, and his soul
was lifted above the things Of earth; he
prayed not aloud, his prisons were in the
Pheart, deep, fervent, and secret; and
from that day forward men said the ssheir
OF Fonroy is changed much of late."
i Forester still loved his avoided haunt,
but he visited il not as formerly to while
away his tedious hours in list!ess languor
and ing'orIous ease books we're now his |
companions and the various arts and &C.
com2lishments OF life we're the subjects
ofhis most studious application; he graz
L -.