Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-06-10
n6ARTINsBURe, VA: THURSDAY, JUNE 10. 1880.

| munieated my intentions to three ofmy school
| fellows, who were tho inseparahle corupan-
ions of every dangerous exploit into which
| folly or amusement cnticed me. They ,oon
became equally enthusiastic with myself in at
tempting TO PONDER the eagles acre. and
thus surprising the whole village with the dan
ger and bravery Of the deed. It was agreed
that on the following morning we should E.
FSde the usual imprisonment in the "noisy
mansion" by acting The truaHt for at lesss
one day: indeed, the incarceration of A mar
lsh schools at no time cengeuial with a high
iander's notions Of freedom. had the impa-
tencc natural to sangune highland dispo
sltion, for felt every moment OF time creep
along with the tedious duIlness of whole
week, I'LL at last the bell tolted the hour of
dismissal Tor our rustic seminary, and those
alone VINO have experienced the pleasurshle
sensations which fill the young mind on the
dIsmIssion OF village school, can appreciate
and conceive the delight with which our
young hearts expanded when the task was ac-
complished, the satchel assumed. and ina
ginaton already began 10 picture the conquest
over the king OF birds, even IN his own noun
famous abode. The little killed Celtic ureh-
ms soon secured along the plain in confused
groups. while we HE'D TO an old oak near
the village, noted as our general rendezvous.
la moment the distant glen was covered
with the youthful Gaels, joyfully following
their peculiar gambols and amuscnlents. And
even now the very rstrospestion oil the scene,
viewed through the mental vision Of memory.
recalls strongly TO my mind all the joys and
sorrons OF childhood:
"Chhihoo@! hsppiest st.ge of life,
Free from care, aud free from STRIFE
The place where, perhaps, after all our cxpe-
Renee anil kpoxVlad,s ti,s s,,Y,a al aarfblv 10 ~
piness is more complete than 10 any subse.
quent stage of iiie-I mean the school which
Byron very POLITICALLY calls
---'that SOCIOLOGY spot
We ne'er forge, though there we are forgot"
At the old oak VIC made the necessary ar
rangeneais 10 take highland leave of alb
hence on the morrow moTaing, tr1sting to
our ingenuity TO evade the consequence, how
ever serious il might be. Accordingly, next
day, 'fers the village ciocl; had thrice don.
sdlntatt0n to the MORN we were on eur Jour
ney to the rocky wiids OF C'.sclgiluls; and. as
the reader Journeys along with us, lie may,
II he choose, beholI my companions,
who certainly we're rather ilssimiar IN char
acteis AID dispositions. The first was Munro,
nick named Cden fio or red head, as roble
branch as ever graced the genealogical tree
OF the illustrlous house Of I'owhs: his heart
was (raught with friendship and hospitality,
and there every son Of man found highland
welcome" his soul was "ss warm as the rad
dy drops that circed round his Celtic heart"
The next was Rose, with darkly beaH,ng eve,
who, though particularly distinguished by the
frivolity Of youth, handsome viyacitv, and
no mean share Of Gaelic wit; yet he was
"waywards as a forward child, and pleased
! with toys which childhood please."-Ia all our
enterprises and nerrimebts, he was the Zany
of ever, mountain little band in the village;
and what with his facetous poetry and plas
tic wit. he was really the soui and bead Of
our little rustic academy. Full ofmischicvous
pranks, cternally devlsing some injurious
trick or another, he frequently expiated many
of bis irailtes by an igneminious fosgins On
the cid dom'nie's stool Of repentance, when
the 'taarss" would be forciby applied to the
eul pitts earthly tabernacle. The last, not
least, was the jetty locked and darkly rolling
eyed .nac-Isor. surnamed Caon doato," or
head of the people. He was fiery when rous.
cd to anger, brave when danger was near,
impetuons in the combat; but mild, gentle.
generous, and courteous in his general con-
duct. lie was generally the ringleader -four
little hands, and swayed his authority over
the village rustics with the skill and dexterity
OF an able chieitain.
We he'd DER mountain, cairn, and fen,
penetrating, with the agility of the roe, into
the recesses of deep embossomed glens, or
climbing the wild mountain brow, not unfre-
quently inaccessible to shepherds tread"
At length we arrived at the long wished for
spot---tbe wild crags ofCladuillan, which had
long been hallowed by many a fairy tale from
the village gossip. Cldduillan was ore of
those solitary rilds where nature had piled
her romantic and unheWn masses in conlu-
sed grandeur, which filed the mind with as
tonishment. and manifested the insignfcsncy
Oft the estentstious power and subtle art of
man, when brought in competition with ma
lures majestic Workmanship. 1t was, indeed,
the inidgests moIes Of the poet The solitude
of the place, too, combined TO raise the no
hest impressions OF the sublime: it was a
place meet
"To sit on rocks, TO muse on flood and Tell,
To slowly trace the forests shscy scene,
Where things that own not mans dominion
dwell,
| And mort al foot hath ne'er, or rarely beeai
| To climb the trsckless IN 'untsin, all unseen;
With the Wild flock ,hat never n, eds 3 .oid;
! Alone o'er sleeps and foaming falls to lean.
IT'S but to hold
Converse with natures charms, and see her
stores ,taroed"
! Our first attempt was to rouse the tower
ing tenant of the cliff from its high abode "a
mong the rocks, and therefore, we hurled
! l..~o .tnnas ,lAxva tho nv which