Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-09-07

Now schemes, and finds his project, end in pain,
Resolves to plan morc-thcn plans agaig.
ON childhood thus does youth impcgous fIown,
And manhood next on youth dsPlcased looks down;
Age sees ia manhood .ollos 20 deplore,
And gricvcs YOUTH childhC Oh, manhood nOn.ore.
And such the feelings of the bard whose breast
Frs; iecm'l with ianced flowers, but weeds atbest;
Whose youl put forth iuil many feeble lay,
Which his maturer sense had cast away:
As Stress whose children regardless grown,
lie calls them his, yet fain lie you'll drown.
alta 1870
400 csc O. u11 q19>
j. J. WHITTIER, formerly Editor OF
the New England Weekly Review,
and poet of uncommon celebrity FOR
his years, lately published volume of
tales and sketches under the title of"Le,
gends OF New England" We extract
the following tale, of the famous power
Of fascination possessed by or attributed
to the serpent species. 1t is entitled
THE RATTLESNAKE HUNTER.
"Undl my gba,tly tale lie ;ola
"Thi' heart within me hurns"
Rhyme ofHc .fre:ent Mariner.
During delightful excursion in the
vicinity of the Green Mountains, few
years since, had the good fortune TO
meet with singular character, known
in many parts OF Vermont as the Rat
tlesnake Huuter. Il was warm,
clear day Of sunshine. IN the middle of
June, that saw him for the first time,
while engaged in meteorological ram
bic among the hills. His head was
bald, and his forehead was deeply
marked with care and age His form
was wasted and meagre and but for the
fiery vigor ofhiS eye. he might have been
supposed incapacitated by age and in
frmities Tor even slight eXertion.-
Yet he hurried over rude lodges Of rock
with quick and almost youthful tread !;
land seemed earnestly searching among
the crevices and loose crags and stinted
bushes around him. ALI at once, he
started suddenIy-drew himself back
with sort of shuddering recoil-and
then smote fiercely with his staff upon
the rock before him. Another and an
other biow-and he lifted the 1.-THE and
crushed form OF large rattlesnake upon
the end of his rod.
The old mans eye glstened, but his
Zip trembled as he look I'd steadEastly up
on his yet writing victim. Another
of the accursed race I" he muttered be-
tween his clenched teeth, apparently
unconscious Of my presence.
was now satisfied that the person be-
fore'me was none other than the famous
Rattlesnake Hunter. He was known
throughout the neighborhood as an out
cast and wanderer, obtaining a miser-
able subsistence from the casual chart
ties Of the people around him. His
time'was mostly spent among the rocks
and rude hills, where his only object
seemed to be hunting out and destroy
ing the dreaded Rattlesnake. imme-
diately determined to satisfy my curl
Osity, which had been strangely excited
by the remarkable appearance and beha-
vior Of the stranger; and for this pur-
pose approached him.
care there many ofthese reptiles in
this vicinity" ] inquired pointing to,
the crushed serpent.
They are getting to be scarce, said
the old many lifting his souched hat
and wiPing his bald brow; Il have
known the time when you could hard
ly stir ten rods from your door in this
part of Ahe State without hearing their
low quick rattle at your side, or seeing
their many-colored bodies coilino up in
your path. But, as said before. thew
are getting to be scarce-tbe Internal
race will be extinct in few wars
and thank God, have myself been a
considerable cause Of their extermina-
ton"
You must, Of course, know the ma.
tute Of these creatures perfectly well"
said "do you believe in the power Of
tneIr fascination or cbarming?"
The old mans countenaDce FELL
There was visible struggle Of feeli,g
within him for bis lip quivered, anS he
dashed his deep brown hand sud lenly |
across his eyes, as if to conceal a car
nut quickly recovering himselfhe an
"ered, in the low. deep vose Of one