The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-08-05
COMMUNICATIONS.

notes together Tor future use anu pleasure. As
this ride i now becoming fashionable, propose
to offer you some sketches Of this ramble.
The old parish ciQelZ, by whose time, like the
sleeping with his fathers, | am generally regua-
ted, was pealing from It's deep toned bell the
hour of nine, on beautiful summer morning of
1922, Just as | was leaving behind me the dust
and hustle of the town, to worship the sylvan
goddess and WOO the fresh airs Of the country
How exhilerating il is for the cit who has long
been cooped up in the dusty streets of the capi-
tai, TO fad the shackles of confinement broken
off: and while comfortably seated in his gig, all
cares of business bduished from his mind, with
what happy complacency does he push along
! through the last avenue of the town and take
leave of the giistening spires and all the objects
most familiar to his senses. And then when he
looks upon the green fields, which are rising up
before him, his heart diates even with the ardor
of boy hood as his eve catches the blades of grass
that wet with dew or the recent shower and ag-
itated by the gentle breeze, turn up their gilt
tering sides, & scatter around the reflected sun
| beams. The first plunge ofthe batherproduces tile
healthful effect and the first touch of the galvan-
ic pile occasions the agreeable surprise pit is
the first plunge into the country, which fills the
bosom with the most delightful sensations There
/ W
which changes the course of thought and give TO
it novelty and interest We are bre thing as it
were in a new world partly If truth and partly
of fancy's own creation: and the sJui will over
I flow with the abundance of its own enthusiasm
+, If it be not dead 10 the beauties of nature.
! Occupied by the multitude Of sensations which
were rapidly pressing upon me and moving I'M
! concernedly along upon the commemorative
highway, | came to one of those unaccommoda-
ting passages in the road which the art of sur
veyors, aided by the goading of, grand jury has
not been able to reduce to any SORT of subseryi-
ency to our case. DARED over t. however lit
tie mindful Of the consequences, until the wreck
Of part Of my stores, aroused me rom nv rever-
lie, to sad reality. am not Of that class of phi
losophers, which takes no thought Of to- morrow;
and my previous experience had taught me that
however exquisite country air and country
nymphs and g all that" may be, hey lose none
of their charms when viewed through the medi-
um of the "exir of life" and under the inspra-
ton Of" Coxs best" It was therefore with
painful emotion that saw part of my anticipa-
ted comfort flowing away from me and like the
tabled nymph, eluding my grasp. But having
a happy faculty at consolation, Though, like
most other people, especially persuasive when
not myself the object-and finding there was no
help for the misfortune, | pursued my way,
I" chewing the sweet and bitter cu& of fancy."
There are not many villages, which lie in the
way from Portland to the White Mountains, that
have any thing very peculiar to arrest the at
tenton or afford any apology for poetic descrip-
ton. The principal part of them are given up
to the lumber business, which OF all others is least
calculated to spread refinement over the mind
or TO decorate the country with those pictures
of rural life, which give SO fresh colourng to
the sketch books of travellers, in England and
France. There is with US, an absence of taste !
both in the arrangement of buildings and the lay
ing out of the land, which not only diminishes
the pleasure of the present traveller but gives
very little encouragement for the future. In
stead of the neat little cottage in the embrown-
ing shade" and covered with woedbine, the
large, unfinished, i'll shaped house, " all out Of
DOORS" with old hats and clothes for window
panes, often meets the sight and indicates but
too plainly the poor taste and miserable cacula-
ton, of some would-be great man. And instead
of the small cleared patches, with an occasional
cIump of trees, for ornament and use, how often
do see the stately pine once fit for g the mast
of some tall admiral" but now scalhed by fire
and Branches, rearing Itself high in the air,
watch tower for the crow, and perfect emblem
Of desolation am aware that the thinness Of
the population may be some excuse for the fire.
quent appearance Of the latter melancholy i'm
age, but great reason Of it is that our farmers
take up more land than they can properly sub
due. Ifthey bestowed their labour upon small
or lots and used more skill in cultivation, they
would realize larger profit with less labour and
less land.
On arriving at a small village not many miles
from Portland, was attracted BY considerable
gathering round small building, which ascer-
tanned to be a lawyers Office. Being quite at
leisure and seeker after all sorts of entertain
menf, drew up and found the cause Of the col
lection to be lao suit.-Here was all the para
phernelia Of Justices Court, I" Justice Of fair
round belly" though suspect, not :" with good
capon lined" two lawyers, and their clients,
witnesses and Longing spectators; in the whole
about dozen men. The cause of controversy
learnt, was something less than $50 but all
parties seemed TO be highly interested and excl
ted: the lawyers advanced their arguments and
laid down their points Eith as much vehemence,
as fthey were arguing constitutional question of
national Importance and his " Honour" listened
with nicely balanced look, from which the ca
ger suitors in vain strove 10 derive a triumph.
At length the Justice pronounced Judgement,
which might rival that of Solomon himself, and
it was very much like il, for in the spirit of an
equity jurisdiction he " split the difference :" By
watching the operation of this matter, | was
heartily sickened of neighbors 'going to law to
settle their trifing controversies, and spending,
to crafty temper, about double the amount in
issue. What with the expence Of counsel, wit
nesses, time and grog, in such suits, even victo-
ry is loss; for many such victories would a
k,..f 49, J.,.,~