South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1837-03-25
Poetry.
A FRAGMENT.

For THE lNTELLIGENcER.
A FRAGMENT.
Hardy love thy rugged scenery
Thy many hills and mountains, rising wild
Above thy winding wales luxuriant
With earth's rich bounties have thought
They pictured forth the native character
Of thy good citizens, whose manners free
And BOLDLY NATURAL, may often hide
The unsurpassed exuberance of their hearts
From careless eyes. My wild, my native soil /!
A spell comes Ger me, dream-like and serene,
When Fancy's soft enchantment round me
brings
Thy varied scenes of sweetness and repose-
Ofawe and grandeur! Yea, there is charm
OF beauty on thy plains--a glory rests
Upon thy mountains! How l love their peaks
One stands, and stretches its tall form along
The verge ofthe sweetvale, that smiles before
Ny Fathers dwelling. Proudly there it stands
Like some bold giant form that watches DER
A sleeping infant, smiling in its dreams.
Proud mountain! When a happy boy, thou
vast
The dwelling place of many mystery.
And passing wonder to my eager eyes.
Well remember, how loved to gaze
Upon thee, when Spring came, with smiles
And merry songs, and threwh her robe ofgreen
Upon thy form--When decked in Autumn's
gay
, Fantastic drapery-and when robed
In Winters grim and sullen dreariness.
I have watch'd with joy the king Of day
Rising above thy summit, whena flood
OF splendour, like the cnrtsi. Il hat had xrapt
KS slumbers, fell upon thy lofty form.
At evening, silently I've gazed upon
The sunset glow that fingered, like a crown
/ Ofliying glory, on thy lifted brow.
And oh! when night came forth majestic, mild,
!. And mournful, like pale s. widow'd queen,
Crown'd with dazzling diadem, and robed
In sorrows dark habilliments, to sigh
! And weep in silence Ger her Inonarch's
How have lain upon my sleepless couch
sAnd listened, with wild mysterious joy,
TO the shrill barking of the stealthy fox,
THE mournful hootings ofthe moping owl,
land the faint music of the Whippowil,
Coming, in strangely mingled melody
fFFrom thy dim distance! I have gazed with
awe,
land wonder, when dark terrors clothed thy
brow,
.And mantling tempesta, shroud-like wrapt
thy form.
when wildly blew the winds-when frowning
clouds,
tThose battle-cars ofthunder, swiftly roll'd
brerrifc thro' the trembling sky, saw
trhe tall oaks on thy summit, wave their arms
On high, like mad host of warriors,
Impatient for a conflict with the storm!
The tempest pass'd away-the sunlight burst
In beauty on the freshened earth, and lit
Che rain drops on the bending grass-the birds
Game forth with music; yet listened not
Ito their wild warblings, for mine eyes were
\ fixed
kn childish wonder and sublime delight,
Upon the glorious rain bow, bending far
Il is omni-coloured arch, proud mountain on
Thy glowing front. I never knew aloveicr
\ sight.
X never felt wilder holier joy, in all
Ny after wanderings.- Long years have pass'd
|since beheld thee: yet thou standest there
|Dnmoved, unaltered, and sublime, and there
Shapt stand, land view the gay and beautiful
|e0f earth pass one by one away, until
fehoyah's Angel trumpet bids thee bow
when wearied of this cold and bitter world,
H sat me down and dreamed Of other days
1--we often wish'd (for oh! thy scenes are like
I'he features dear of some old absent friend)
That again could look upon thee, with
rhe bright unclouded eye, and buoyant heart
|Af childhood But alas those early joys
|oflife's fresh morning all have faded now,
bike Springs green garland from thy Wintry
m brow W*****m.