The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-07-25

the cho!eric stage.
A SCENE IN MARYLAND.
From Mrs. Iroiiope's Domestic Manners of
the .4mericans
Our summer in Maryland, 1880, was de-
lightful. The thermometer was at "a, but
the heat was by no means so oppressive as
what we la felt in the West. In nc part
of North America are the natural produc-
tons of the soil more various oil more beau
tiful. Strawberries of the richest flavor be-
meath onr feet, and, when these pass away,
every grove, every lane, every field looked
like cherry orchard, offering an mex
haustibe profusion of fruit to all who took
the trouble TO gather it. Then followed
the peaches; every hedgerow was planted
with them, and though the fruit did not
equal in size or flavor those rpened on our
garden walls, we often found them good
enough to afford a delicious refreshment on
our long rambles. But it was the flowers,
and the Towering shrubs that, beyond all
else, rendered this region the most beauti-
full | had ever seen, 1.-THE Allegheny always
exce?ted.) No description can give an idea
of the variety, the profusion, the luxuriance
ofthem. III talk of wild roses, the English
reader will fancy mean the pale, ephem-
eral blossoms of our humble hedges but
the wild roses of Maryland and Virginia
might be the choicest favorites of the flower
garden. They are rarely yer" double, but
their brilliancy atones for this. They are
OF all shades, from the deepest crimson to
the tenderest pink. The scent is rich and
delicate, in size they exceed any single rose
l ever saw, often measuring above tour
inches in diameter. The sweet hrier grows
wild, and blossoms abundantly both leaves
and flowers are considerably larger than
with us. The accasia, or, as it is there called,
the locust, blooms there with great richness
and profuslon; l have gathered a branch
less than foot long, and counted IL full
lunches OF flowers on it. The scent is equal
to the orange flower. The dogwood is an
other of the splendid white blossoms that
adorn the woods. Its lateral branches
are flat like fan, and dotted all over with
star-like blossoms, as large as those of gum
clstus. Another petty shrub, of smaller
size, is the poison alder. 1t is we'll that it's
noxious qualities are very generally known,
for 1t is most tempting to the eye by its del
lcate fringe, like lunches of white flowers.
Even the touch of this shrub is poisonous,
and produces violent swelling. The arbor
Jude is abundant in every wood, and its
bright and delicate pink is the earliest har-
binger of the American spring. Azelias.
white, yellow, and pink kalmias of every
variety, the too. sweet magnolia, and the
stately rhododenJron, all grow in wild
abundance there. The plant known in
England as the Virginia creeper, is often
seen climbing to the top of the highest for
est trees, and bearing large trumpet-shap-
ed blossom of a rich scarlet. The sassa-
fras is a beautiful shrub, and cannot i'm
aglne why it has not been naturalized in
England, for if has every appearance of be-
,ng extremely hardy. The leaves grow in
tufts and every tuft contains leaves of five
or six different forms. The fruit is singu-
larly beautiful: it resembles in form small
acorn, and is jet black the cup and stem
looking as if they were made of red coral.
The graceful and fantastic grape vine is
feature of great beauty, and its wandering
footsteps bears no more resemblance to our
well trained vines, than our stunted azalias
and tiny magnolias to their thriving Ameri-
can kindred.
There is another charm that haunts the
summer wanderer in America, and it is.
perhaps, the only one found in greatest per-
lection in the west; but it is beautiful ev-
cry where. In bright day, during any
ofthe summer months, your walk is through
an atmosphere of butterflies, so gaudy in
hue, and so varied in form, that | often
thought they looked like flowers on the
wing. Some of them are very large, meas
urlng three or four inches across the wings,
but many, and, think, the most beautiful
are smal Ter than ours. Some have wings
of the most dainty lavender color, and bod
les of black; others are fawn and rose
color and others again are orange and
bright blue. But pretty as they are, it is
their number, even more than their beauty
that delights the eye. Their gay and nsise-
less movements as they glance through the
air, crossing each other in chequered maze,
is very beautiful. The hummng-b bird is
another pretty summer toy; but they are
not sufficiently numerous nor do they live
long enough on the wing to render them so
important a feature in the transatlantic
show. as the rain5ow-tinted butterflies. The
FREELY was far more brilliant novelty. In
moist situations. or before a storm, they are
very numerous, and in the dark, sultry eve-
ming of burning day, when all employ
ment was impossible, have often found it
P"SliuiS " WutSi tuCil SiuHCluR Hgnt, now
here. now there; now seen, now gone
shooting past with the rapidity of lightning,
and looking like shower of falling stars,
blown about in the breeze Of evening.
SAGACITY OF ELEPHANTS. The batter
ing train going to the siege of Seringapa-
tam had to cross the sandy bed of rv-
er, that resembled other rivers ofthe Pen
insua, which have during the dry sea-
son, but small stream of water running
through them, though their beds are most
ly of considerable breadth, very heavy
for draught, and Astounding in quick sands.
1t happened that an artillery man, who
was seated on the Timber of one of the
guns, by some accident fell off, in such a
situation that in second or two, the hind
wheel must have gone over him. The
elephant, which was standing behind the
gun, perceiving the predicament in which
the man was, instantly, without any warn
ing from its keeper, lifted up the wheel
with its trunk, and kept it suspended I'M
til the carriage had passed clear of him.
Military Adventures.
George Solwyn onoe affirmed in company
that no woman ever wrote n letter wthou: a