The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-20

hollow. The inhabitants of all the strains.
Wales, gens and dclls, round and about the
monarch of Scottish mountains, had, du-
ring each successive hour, been expecting
the rear OF thunder and the deIuge of rain !;
bat the huge conglomeration of lowering
clouds would rcnd not asundcr, altho' il was
certain that calm blue sky could not be-
restored till an thai dreadful asseinblage bad
melted away into torrents, or been driven
of by q strong wind from the sea An tn.
cattle on the hills, and on the holIows,
stood still or lay down in their fear-.be
Wild deer sought in herds The shelter oi
pin-covered cifls--the raven llnshe1 his
hoarye crook in some grim cavern, and the
eagle left the dreadful silence of the upper
heavens. Now and then the shepherds
locked from their huts, while the shadow
OF the thunder clouds dcepened The hues of
their pIaids and tartans and at every crcak-
ing ofthc heavy branches of the pines or
wide-armed oaks in the solitude of their
inaccessible birth place, the hearts Of the
lonely dwelers qllaked, and they lifted up
their eyes To see the first wide fash--the
disparting of the masses Of darkness--and
paused 10 hear the long loud rattle Of hea-
ven's artillery shaking the foundation of the
everlasting mountains. But all was yet ST.
lent.
| The peal came at last and il seemed as If
an earthquake had smote the Silence. Not
tree--not blade of grass moved, but the
blow stunned, as IL were, the heart Of the
solid globe. Then was there a low, wild,
whispering waiting voce, as of many spirits
all joining together from every point OF hea-
ven--it died away---and then the rushing of
rain was heard through the darkness /; aud,
in few minutes down came all the noun
tain torrents in their power, and the sides
OF all the sleeps were suddenly sheeted,
| far aud wide with water falls. The element
| of water was let loose TO run its rejoicing
race---and that of fire lent its illumination,
whether sweeping in floods along the great
open strains, or tumbiing in cataracts from
| cliffs overchanging the eagles cyrie.
Great rivers were suddenly foeded--and
the little mountain rlyulets few minutes
before only silver threads, and in whose
| fairy basins The minnow played, were now
\ scarcely fordable 10 shepherds feet. II
was time for the strongest to take shelter,
and none now would have liked 10 issue
from il for while there was real danger TO
| life and limb in the many raging torrents,
and IN the lightning S fash, the Imagination
| and the soul themselves were touched with
| awe IN the long resoundng giens and be-
meath the savage seowl of the angry sky
| IL was such a storm, as becomes an ara a
| mong the mountains and il was felt that
before next morning there would be a loss
of liyes--not only among the beasts that
perish, but among human beings oycrtaken
by the wrath Of that irresistible tempest,
II was not time to be abroad yet all
| by herself was Fastening down Glen-Ne-
Wis, from n Shoaling far up the River, lit
tie Girl, not more than twelve years of age
in truth, very child. Gricfandlfear, not
for herself, but for another, bore her along
as upon wings through the storm she
crossed riyulets from which, on any other
occasion she would have turned back trenl-
bling aud she did not even hear many of
| the crashes of thunder that smote the smo-
| king hills. Sometimes AT 6crccr fash of
lightning she just lifted her hand to her daz-
lied eyes, and then, unappalled, hurried on
through the hot and suphureous air. Had
she been maiden of that tender age from
village or city, her course would seon have
been fatally stopt short; but she had been
born among the hills, had first learned to
walk among the heather, holding by its
blooming branches, and many and many a
solitary mile had she trlpped, young as she
was, over moss and moor, glen and noun
tain, even like the roe that had its lair in the
copplce beside her own bloyed Shealing.
She had now reached the gateway Oft the
beautiful hereditary Mansion of the Came
rons--and was passing by, when she was
b. win q
shepherds who had all come down from
mountain heights, and were collected toge-
Their, mot without a quech of the noun
Nain-dew, or water of li(c) in large shed,
was sent out to bring the poor Girl instant
~ into the house. She was brought back
almost by force, and then il was seen that
she was in tears. Her sweet face was in
deed all dripping with rain but there was o.
Their moisture in her fair blue eyes, and when
she was asked to tell her story, she could
scarcely speak,-At last she found voice TO
say "That old Lewis Cameron, her grand
father, was dying--that he could scarcely
speak when she left him in the shedding
and that she had been running as fast as
she could TO Port William for the Priest"
" Come my good little Flora, with me in
TO the parlour-and one of the shepherds
will go for Mr.. Macdenaid-yOu would be
drowned in trying TO cross that part of the
road where the Nevis swiris over 1t out of
the Salmon Pool-come & will put some
dry clothes on you-you are Just about the
size of my own Lilas." The child was i'll
to persuade--ior she thought on the old
man lying by himself in the Shealing at the
point of death---but when she saw one of
the shepherds whom she knew setting of
with rapid steps, her wild heart was appeas-
ed and she endeavered to dry up her tears
Nothing, however, could induce her to go
into the parlour, or put on the young lady's
clothes. She stood before the wide bla-