Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-07-11
TIE FREE PRESS.
MONDAY, JULY g.

The following extract Of a letter frofn a friend
Who has bcca Tor the last five years in the South.
exhibits an uni, ing attachment to the objects Of
his regard ia this quarter. Though a native Of
the North I've spcn; several years Of his life in this
county, and his memory seems % revert IN this
region with all the feryor which anm.,cs the heart
when recurring to ones birth place. Time and
distance, instead Of obl:tcra;iuc, serve ONLY 10
strengthen his affections; and he realizes ,h. full
force Of the poets lincs:-
''Fricnd after fiic,id departs
Who has not lost friend'"
How great are the changes which f,.,x wears
producc, IN wealth and thu of its prtpluc-
ton! How enhanced in some places and how.
fallen off IN others! These reflections have cross
e'i the mind at Your distant friend ia n ,aome,,
ot relaxation frcm business, while looking over
yor~ N'dned paper; and IL has bccn with the ut
most qualification have seen, that in contrlsiin,,
that section Of country, Ia which feel the strong
cS Interest, with any ether, the present reality,
or the almost certainty OF that in urp,uectiy,.
places IL upon the higi,cs, round Of elevation.
am not wrong, think, ia the impression, thai
those counties ia Eastern Virginia. which are nou
nearly dcsolaied, not many ears since. from their
wealth. and men OF talents, gave tone aud charac-
tr TO the Stats; and that others which ti,ro,,rl,
their riggcdness Of surface and scantine OF pop-
iat,on, were almost unknown. now, by their ave-
nues ct communication, their highly improved
soil, and their talented citizens may well De CON-
siderr,d the hearts core Of Virginia. Western
Virginia, Which fcw years ago il VAS thought ha-
Eai,ious To traverse by its internal improvements
will soou - regards time aud expense in travel
Ting s's's NJ transportation, he brought nearer 10
the principal seats of importation than those nj
hall their distance How gratifying il mus, he To
those Tho have been uGtring in etIseting this, %
see their fond hopes nearly eonsummated!
hut ot MI which relates 10 society, an absent
person has cosnizance Of little else than that ~he
is gloomy, especially it his source Of information
Is confined to the one alluded to--a new stapr.
lie sees, through, IL, one, and another and another
OF bis triensl8 dropping of, Till he feels tina, he
would be almost fricDdless in the place where all
OF happiness had been concentrated. Ills true,
be nsy through the same medium see announces,
changes with some &c his friends, calculated 10 in
crease their happiness; and although a concrntra-
ton on object of that which had Recently
been dipcHscd 10 many, may rob him of his siarS
OF tie affections, yet his fcndcst hopes go with
them. lev short months Or years pass by, and
the mutabiiity Of these hopes are tlcon stFued by
The same messenger announcing that they arc "a
ken from new veil older friends, 10 The soil.
tary naansicns Of the dead Your paper has beer
the frequent messenger of theS. mciancl,oI,
changes, and often have they brought to mint
some remarks Ia of the early numbers Of YOU,
bate GaRLASp. Although much admired, n the
time, for their beauty, yet circumstance had MOI
then, ~ they since have done, caused me TO feel
their melancholy force aud truth.
This is indeed en- cver-ehancine sccDe.-
To-day the heavens arc brigh, above us, and ths
world bright around us--tO-inOrrov, clouds low
az Rndthc world frowns. To-day. We Taiss tn ON,
lips the bowl OF plcssnre-to-morrow, ve striv,
"a vain % dash from t1rm the bitter cup Of pain
Vow, vc sip from te flowers of hope and ioy
snop, We chew the vornwood Of despair, an,
drink tie gall Of anguish. f"