American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-12-14
TO LEI,
From the american Monthly Magazine.
THE WOODLANDS.
A TALE-BY AREcLUsE.


Amid the desolations Of winter, while looking
upward to the cold and stormy sky, or abroad OF
the naked forest and devastated plain, when thu
mellow warmth and moonlight glory OF the Heav
ems have departed, and the living green OF the
woodland and the sweet flowers of the plain have
all faded away, then, the recollected visions o.
past splng times are most full of Joy, aud thu
heart reves in the unvanished memory of the past
and swclls with rapture in the anticipation Of The
future.
speak not here Of those who are pent up in c
ties, who know the charging seasons only by thu
musty calendar, the varying thermometor-bu
IF those who breathe the mountain and the valley
air; who climb the dizzy SUBMITS piled BY the
giant arms of nature, towards the stars. or treat
TIE messy banks of mighty rivers, and read thu
name of each successive season, imprinted on thu
scenery around them, To these, the remembrance
nf the glad month Of flowers comes with an en-
claiming spell as the mind wanders from tina
which has gone by, to that which is to come. thou
sand recoections crowd inland fursettul Of tn,
bowling tempest that raves and whncs without, i
at last returns, on the wings OF fancy, to some
bright summer scene, and ieves there amid all th
imagery OF Younger and happier times. until refec
ton dispels the illusion, and the blank reality I
only left behind.
NV mind was early tnctnred with love OF tn
romantic, which the wild and broken scenery, aons
the banks Of the noble SusGnehanna. far IN the IN
terror Of Pennsylvania. was SO well calculated z
inspire. In my earliest infancy | inhaled tn
Jews that fell from clouds, broken on the mountain
tops, into the deep valley, and listened to the roa
Of the river as it foained among its bedded rocks
and plunged It's long cataracts, and woun'
around its iron bound shores. 1t was with emotions
of painful regret that | lett the habitaion of M
childhood, to spend year in New York, in II
The tone of feeling and sentiment. however, whic
had now become identified with my being, and th
Ihalt JOYOUS, half melancholy delight with whic
fancy still fingered round my native home, led m
TO mourn associations with spirits OF conSenlai lee
ings in the gay island city.
It was late in May when reached that place
and some time after became acquainted with
gentleman whose mind. partaking originally OF tn
: same sentiments as my own, had been IN early III
meIIowed and refined by the influence Of the softc
+ passions. He had loved but love had left him
monument Of it. destructive power; and the pal
. tokens Of departed health that f4intly fingered o
i his cheek, reminded me Of the last tlnge upon III
leaves Of the rose in the hour of sunset, when til
. whitening hand of decay has been upon them Y,
. the fire Of unconsumrd genius. still kindled brlgh
ly in his eve and when the soul shook of the cal
a and settled hOu.htiulness OF melancholy in whic
n it dwelt, and came out from among the gloomy in
" ages nf grief, where it seemed to delight in hove
f ing over the wreck Of hopes once fair, but no
If gone for ever, he knew how to cheer the tedot
= hours, and even scatter galety around him.
: remember we'll, that my acquaintance vii
y Henry Mar, commenced in one OF the first moo
LIGHT evenings in June. Those evenings, the mo
delicious Of the whole year, we spent together, fr
quently, in solitary walks on the banks OF the Ea
rs River. The interest felt, and often expressed,
: the welfare and happiness OF this amiable your
At man, for he was not yet thirty, seemed to ha'
y gained his heart. The history Of his sorrows hi
y, long been locked up in his bosom and he brood,
!. over il the more because few knew it but hmse
long strove TO soothe his wounded spirit for sa,
s felt. that it was deeply wounded: but he smile
, afectionately at my attempt, and changed the su
u ect from himself, to others. At length, IN Il
" morning Of a fine summer day, we set out to NAL
long projected visit to friend OF his. who ownt
y a neat little cottage on the banks OF the Bron
~ about sixteen miles from the city; and having spe
\ n dehphtGul day we mounted orr horses to retu
es III the cool of the evening.
We had ridden mile or two when he express
wish to take road which ntersected to Haerei
" and putting spurs to our horses we soon found GU
~ selves winding through cool and delightful woo
ON the shores Of wide and ample bay. From 4
g moment he caught sight Of this splendid and de
cious scene, Henry became silent, and fastened
" with breat less 81, ell, turning his eyes constant
with Wild ana anxious air toward the Glue
pan,e of water. as if eager to penetrate the mist
the coming night which now hung. over IT, al
catch Glance Of some object that lay beyond
v Nor was it long before the wished Tor OBJECT
II. cared to present itself; and, whirling ms nor
over a small brook, he mounted green bun, .
tween the road and the bay, was OH his saddle
Is. a moment, and hastily tieng the beast TO sn'
bush, he sat down on the grass. Unable 70 aecop