Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-11-11

longing to the weather, the hour and the |
season. The wide circle of verdure, in
the midst of which stood, was loaded
and almost crushed by one of those pro-
fuse dews, which fall in our climate of
clear summer night, and glittered under
bright sun and sky of transparent
blue. The trees about me were noisy
with birds, the bob-o'lincoln rose sing
ing from the grass, to sink in the grass
again when his strain was ended, and
the cat-bird squalled in the thicket, in
spite of the boy who was trying to stone
it out. Then there was the whistle OF
the quail, the resounding voice of the
hang-bird, the mysterious note of the
post driver, and the chatter Of the swal-
lows, darting 10 and fro. AS sort Of
accompaniment TO this naturel music,
there was heard at times the deep and
tremulous sound of the river breaking
over mill dam at some distance.
There is an end Of gazing on the
finest sights. and Of listening to the most
agreeable sounds. ! had turned to 60
down the hill, when ] observed re-
respectable looking old man sitting near
me, OIL the edge ola rock that projected
little way out tile ground. At the
very first glance ] set him down for one
ofthe ancien! yeomanry of our country |;
for his sturdy frame and large limbs had
evidently been rendered sturdier and
larger by labor and hardship, and old
age had only taken away the appearance
of agility without impairing his natural
air of strength. am accustomed to
look with feeling Of gratitude as well
as respect, OH these remnants of a hardy
and useful generation. l see in them
the men who have hewed down the TO-
rests and tanned the soil of the fair coun-
try we inhabit ;who built the roads we
travel, over mountains and across mo-
rasses, and who planted the bill sides
with orchards, of which We idly gather
the fruit From the attention with
which The old man was looking at the
surrounding prospect, judged that he
was come TO the hill on the same errand
with myself, and, on entering into con-
versation with him found was not mis-
taken. He had lived in the village when
a boy he had been absent from it nearly
sixty years, and now, having occasion to
pass through it on "A journey from dis
lant part of the country, he was trying
to recollect its features from the little en-
irence by which it was overlooked. 81
can hardly" says he, /" satisfy myselfthat
this is the place where passed my boyish
days. 1t is true, that the river is still yon-
der, and this is the hill where played
when a child, and those mountains, with
their rocks and woods, look to me as they
did then. That small peak lies still in
the lap of the larger and lofiier ridge that
stretches like semieircle around it.
There are the same smooth meadows
to the east, and the same fine ascent to
the west of the village. But the old
dwellings have been pulled down., and
new ones built in their stead, the trees
under which | sat in my childhood have
decayed or been cut down, and others
have been planted the very roads have
changed their places, and the rivulets,
that turned my little machinery, are dried
up. Do you see" said he, pointing
with his staff, "that part of the meadow
that runs up like little creek or bay be-
tween the spurs ofthe upland, and comes
close to the highway? A brook for
merly came down to that spot, and lost
itself in the marshy soil, but its bed, as
you see, is now dry, and only serves as
a channel TO carry off the superabun-
dance of the rains. That part of the
meadow is now covered with thick and
tall grass, but | well remember when it
was overgrown with bushes and water
flags, among which many old decaying
trunks of trees served kind of causeway
over a quagmire, that otherwise would
have been impossible. Ii was a spot Of
evil report in the village, for it was said
that lights had been seen at night mo-
wing among the thickets, and strange
noises had been heard from the ground
-gurgling and half smothered sounds,
as of living creature strangled in the
midst of sods and water. IL was said,
also, that glimpses Of something white
had been seen among the bushes, and
that often the rank vegetation had been