Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-06-30
MISCELLANEOUS
From tde louisiana .idpeT ser.
MARY, THE MOUNTAIN MAID,
pp.nNrNr
A FRAGMENT.

cry, aud as the sun Vas tiping the
trees with his last ray, we aIighfed at
a small, but neat house Of entertain
ment, in a valley adjoining those i'm
mense prccipice, called the New Ri
yer Gifts.
My companion and myself was ex-
trcmcIy fatlgued, but SUI W. could
not withheld our admiration OF the
beauty aud subllmity of the situaIlon:-
It WA in the month OF May, when
all nature puts on her most beautiful
dress. and the aromantic shrubs emit
their fragrant sweets; the gurgllng OF
the stream rs it angled by the door oil
the house. encirclcd by the creeping
vines; the grandnfe of the cliffs, ard
the I~engthcned shadows OF eve, gave
a softncss and harmony OF tranquility
10 sight aud feeling, that Is lndescrl
hablc. !. new Witnessed n OF these
enchanting scenes; hot | wish for ev-
cry object | love to be near me-1is
then / think Of "WIfe, Children and
Frieuts"
We were soon ushered by u host,
= respectable looking grey headed old
man, Into plain but clean apartment,
where sat q most interesting and beau,
tifuI young gil Of about seventeen
she was preparing straw berries for sup
per, and would have retired as we
arDroached, bot we requested other
wise Her soft dark eye was lighted
I'D with Intelligence, and her whole
face Indicated an expression OF l'appl
ness and contentmcnt'-'ior was The
face more perfect than the fern. AT
the sight OF her, | was led lntO q train
of thoughts-how was it possible for
man, ig.elligent man, to make use of
art and slratagem to destroy such
sweetness and innocence as appeared
in this beautiful flower. Vet, were
she placed in some of our larger cities
-man, like a destroying frost, would
emp this tender bud, and rifle ii OF ell
its sweetness" l thought Of home, a
thousand times, aud should have con.
timed to think, had l not been arous.
cd by being remanded to supper, to
which We didample justice: The ven
ison was tender and good, the cakes
excellent, and the Strawberries were
delicious. Our loquacious host was
for communicating every thing to US
in a breath; among the last we learnt
he had been living there for nearly
thirty wears; he had buried bis wife
upwards of fifteen; and this beautiful
giil was the only child they ever had
she is to be shortly married toa MIR.
Somers; bot. continued he, although
her husband is a worthy young man,
what we call a country merchant, yet
! believe it will brake my old heart
to par! with my Mary; bot this weak
ness / must coatrol, and console my
self with the idea that no n could
treat her ill. We saw the glow of
confusion these remarks created on the
lovely check andneck ofthis mountain
daisy, and at the first silent moment,
retired to our rest. My companion
soon gave evidence, by his. nasal tones
that be was fast in the arms of Nor.
phcus. 1t was not my case, | tossed
and tumbIed about for hours; at length
nature became exhausted, and l sank
to sleep. Ny limbs were reposing, it
Is true, but the mind was in constant
action: I thought | entered a well
known village in England, near Bris-
toll, that | fused to frequent when a boy.
| was delighted-visited every walk,
garden or orchard l had robbed, the
school room | had been chastised for
committing those depredations, the
brooks l had swan in, and lastly, the
beautiful rose Of chesnuts trees leading
10 our little village c~hurch-lhc yew
trees | had frequently got my school
lessons under-and then | examined
every inscription on the tomb stone
bat with what astonishrent did dis
3 cover, seated on the earth near two
new graves, the very venerable grey
headed most OF Ours-care worn, de
iected, miserable in the extreme; there
was something SO truly wre:ched in
his appearance, of griei, that | dared
not approach him-at a little distance
stood a man who appeared anXiously
watching him-he heckonedm me to al
vance, did so-There, says he, is
the wreck of a noble family-the last
and only remains, that must, too soon
become extinc'; look at him, see what
apoor miserable object he now Is. l
enquired the cause.-The replied: you
see those two new graves, With One