Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-10-23


for two years past, is in London writing for the
New Monthly. lie is one of the best narrators
that has ever written in English or any other
language Many of his descriptions arc exqui'
site pieiures He knows how 10 hcighten the
reality with postic coloring and we suspect he
draws upon his imagination occasionally . TO
enpply variety to incidents. We are not dispo.
SD to quarrel with him for this any more thanwe
would with Scott for the rich invention that
gives interest 10 his historical Novels. There
laxufaucs in Mr. Wllis's diction and
ba55 aasy ia hssiyla that make bis letters de-
lightfil readgq FFpm one Of his comngoica-
,ioas 70 The New Monthly, headed Eacldep,s ca
the Holsol' we extract the following o, a spsci.
mea Of has graphic powers.--BgH. 4faericaH.
There were three foreigners on
board, TWO Of them companions and
one apparently alone. With Their
coats too small for tbcm, their thick
scaled boots aud sturdy figures, color
less cravats, and assumed unconscious.
Aa5s Of the presence Of another living
soa. .aay Wete rae~ liable IS once
as bBE sam-8. fo oeeef ihc peh.
pile e3ara As probably appeared
aq9 re td Of equal pre,en.
IT, e. f character OF gentlemen,
re ~ ere who had made observa.
t11. 5et8cen Temple bar and the steps
Of Cfockiord, would easily resolve
them into two Birmingham bagmen,
" sinking the shop" and Quot gen.
tleman on tour of information.
The only other persons particular
ly noted, were Southerner, probably
the son ola planter from Alabama, 81 a
beautiful girl, dressed in singularly bad
taste who seemed to be his sister.
knew the specimen well. The indo-
lent attitude, the thin, but powerfully
jointed frame, the prompt politcness,
the air ofsuperiority acquired from con-
slant command over slaves, the mouth
habitually flexible, and looking clio.
quent even in silence, and the eve in
which sleep volcano of violent pas.
slons, were the marks that showed
him of race which had studied much
and preferred to all the distinct classes
OF my countrymen. His sister was
Of the slightest and most fragile form,
graceful as a fawn, but with no trace
of the dancing masters precepts in her
motions, vivid in her attentions to eve
ry thing about her, and amused with
every thing she saw, copy of Lala
Rookh sticking from the pocket of her
French apron, number of gold chains
hung outside of her travelling habit
and topped to her belt, and a glorious |
proiuson of dark curls broke loose
from her combs, floating UNDECIDED |
over her shoulders.
Towards noon we rounded West |
Point, and shot suddenly into the over
Swallowed gorge ofthe mountains, as if
we were dashing into the vein of a sill
yer mine laid open and molten into a
flowing river by flash Of lightning.
The figure should be Satan, Montgom.
cry but | can in no other way give
an idea of the sudden darkening of the
Hudson, and the underground effect Of
the sharp overhanging mountains as
you sweep first into the Highlands
The solitary Englishman, who had
been watching the Southern beauty
with the greatest apparent interest,
had lounged over TO her side of the
boat, and with the instructive knowl-
edge that women have of character,
she had shrunk from the more obtru-
slve attempts of the Brummagens to |
engage her in conversation, and ad-
dressed some remark to him which |
seemed to have advanced them at once
to an acquaintance of n year. They
We're admiring the stupendous scenery
together a moment before the boat
stopped for q passenger off a small
town above the point.
AS the wheels were checked, there
was sudden splash in the water, and
u cry of ." lady overheard !" ] look
ed for the fair creature who had been
standing before me, and she was gone.
The boat was sweeping on, and as |
darted to the railing, saw the gurglng
eddy where something had gone dowr,
and N the next minute the kentuckian
and the youngest Of the Indians rushed
together to the stern, and clearing the
taiirel with tremendous leaps, Owed
side by side into the centre Of the
foaming circle. The Englishman had
cooIly seized rope, and, by the time
they re-appeared, stood on the railing
with a coil in his hand, and flung it
with accurate calculation directly over
them. With immovablc grave faces
and eyes blinded with water, the TIVE
divers rose, holding high between them
"A large pine faggot' Shouts Of
laughter p?aled from the boat, and the
kontuckian discovered his error, gave
the log an indignant fling behind, and Ia,
king hold Of the rope, lay quietly II be
drawn in, while the Indian, dis lainng
assistance, darted thro' the wake Of the
boat with arrowy swiftnoss and spruna
up the side with the agility Of a tiger
cat. The lady ro-appearcd from the
cabin as they jumped, dripping, upon
the deck the KontncLion shoOl, him.