The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-09-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
Ii A Nm All VEY.
By THE AUTHOR OF TEN YEARS IN THE VAL.
LEY OF The MISSISSIPPI, FRANCIS
BERRIAN,' ETC.

IT was the month of June, and we were
descending from Rochester 10 Schenectady
in packet canal boat a mode of travelling
to most people excessively annoying, from
Its slowneSs, monotony, and destituiion of
excitement. | have been accustomed 10 be
thrown upon the resources, such as they are,
of my own thoughts and never tired of being
drawn thus leisurely through green mead.
ows and fields, and having an opportunity
TO analyze the slowly moving landscape,
and deriving from it all the thoughts and
associations which it is capable of exciting
in the mind of lover of nature.
At this time. in addition to those pleas
ures, we happened TO have very large
assortment of fine young gentlemen and
ladies,-by which | mean young persons
well-dressed. and with whole lots of airs and
pretensions. Among them there happened
to be one or two well-informed ladies', wor-
thy Of that name, and single young gen.
tleman, who had sense, instruction, enthusi-
asm, and heart He felt that he did not
belong to those empty-headed persons,
whose claims rested upon their whiskers,
opera glasses, fine clothes, and knowledge
of the mysteries and dialect of Broadway.
was amused to observe how naturally
the kindred spirits of the passage gathered
round this young gentleman, from sympa-
thy. The consequence was, we had little
circle of our own, in which we originated
many agreeable conversations, with Just
sprinklinS enough Of discussion, disputation,
and wit. 10 keep them from being tame and
stagnant on the one hand, or having the
slightest shade of bitterness on the other.
NV young friend was an extensive mer-
chant, on the line Of the canal and had the
advantage Of being more or less acquainted
with all the distinguished inhabitants, whose
habitatlons came in our view. in the slow
movement of the canal-boat. When we
saw pretty place. 1t was natural, that. in
addition to the name of the owner,we should
like TO know something Of his history and
character. 1t was amusing to remark, with
how much pith and brevity our historian
despatched most of these personages,-
half paragraph, in many instances, ser
wing to furnish us with all of interest, that
their history could offer. 1t was otherwise
with noble seat, that We saw opening a
mong the green fields and trees on one of
those fine activities, that bound the rich
alluvial belt Of the Mohawk valley. At a
distance, it presented that happy union of
nature and art, of simplicity and magnifi-
cence, of rural retirement, repose and opu-
lence, which always excites pleasant asso.
Citations, and a curiosity to hear IF the owner
of spot so beautiful, is as happy as these
appearances unhappily so often deceptive
- would indicate that be might and ought
to be. Whose beautiful place is that 2 was
the united question ofus all. 1T belongs to
my particular friend, Henderson l.,
Esq., said our cicerone, ION whom expect
to call Oh my return from New York. -
oh is not the owner of such splendid
place happyf Yes, - but not from being
Inc owner Of such splendid place; though
'nat circumstance, undoubtedly. contributes
an element in his enjoyment. BY that beau
tIIui manson and its tenants hangs tale.
The sun, he continued, lis pleasantly clou-
ded in. and if You have a mind TO hear me
spin yarn considerably longer than NV
common ones, take chairs, and task vonr
patience accordingly We UNANIMOUSLY
expressed wish to hear his narraiive.whicb
commenced in the following terms.
'Yonder small cottage. that you see half
a mile to The right. was, two years since, the
residence of Mr. Morrison Hervey. head Of
an English family, that moved to this part