American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-03-26
ELLEN Ell MER;
OR TIE SPRING OF THE VALLEY.
By Mary A. Dunlap.
CHAPTER l.

I'll Az lfh !.
i was pleasant summer afternoon when q
horseman might have been seen advancing
slowly along sylvan road, not far from the
pretty village Of Ony. He was apparently a
bout nineteen, and had quite a prepossessing
appearance. His face was manly rather than
beautiful, but he had the most lovely chestnut
cu,ls, and an eye of great brilliancy and express
sion. His figure vas we'll knit, and rather a.
bove the medium height, and he Iode his high
spirited animal with case and grace.
Suddenly the road emerged from the wood
ands, and the traveller found himself in one of
those sweet and placid valleys with which our
Juvely land is adorned. On one side in the dis
.ance swelled up a gentle elevation, covered
with green fields and clunps of forest. On the
other side the hill rose more abruptly, though
he nearly preciptous sides were, in part, con-
ooaled by the primeval trees which every where
overspcad it. For the space of three or four
hundred yards, however, Immediately before
the traveller, both sides of the valley were CO.
gered with woods; and iust where the clear
land, on the left began, an opening might he
seeh in the hill side as If lateral valley there
ran off to the north. From the precipitous hill
side opposite the gap gushed a spring of the
clea.est water, which, after falling into Il rude
stone basin ovcrfowcd the sides and brawled
away in gentle rivulet
VIXEN the traveller entered this lovely and
quiet galloy il was already late in the after
noon, so late that the sun was beginning to de-
cline behind the western forest, and his beams
struggling between a clump Of NAPLES in the
distance, were sllvering the water in the foun-
tain and gliding the green sward around with
Il farewell radiance. The solemn shade of the
valley, every where, excepting in this spot, and
ia 1nnn rlpt nt nl,ipc nyapi,rr
tho horseman TO draw his rein insensiby and
gaze on the landscape. He had thus stood
moment when, from the gap of the opposite
hill, emerged young girl, scarcely above the
childish age, but Of wonderful beauty Her
dress bespoke her cottager, but nature had be-
slowed on her 4 face and form, that would have
been envied by the proudcst princess Her hair
was chestnut, soft and silky, and fell in natural
ringlets over shoulders exquisitely rounded and
white as statuary marble. Her eyes were large
full and dark, and her mouth the prettiest in
the world
''By Jove" said the youthful traveller, "a
perfect beauty. have not seen so elegant a
face and figure among all the beauties of New
Haven. What glorious woman she will be.
Faith! how prettiy she trips As old Sir John
Sucking has it, her feet, like little mice peep
in and out. I'll ask Annahel who she can be-"
The girl had by this time advanced 20 the
spring where she filled her pitcher, and then
TUNED 10 look around, while she rested it on
the stone basin. Never was there more beau
tieul picture as she stood there, for but one mo-
melt, with tthhe mellow sunlight falling around
her form. Suddenly her eye caught that of
The stranger She bushed at his aroeiii,. look,
and catching up her pitcher, bounded off like a
startled fawn The gaze Of the horseman fol-
lowed her until she disappeared When he
looked at the fountain again the sunshine
had disappeared. lie heaved deep sigh and
said
"Ecgho! the place seems dark as dungeon
without her. She came and went like a fairy
how charmingly She blushed! wonder how
old she can be!-thitecn, should say. If she
were older might lose my heart. Beautiful
child!'
But he put spurs to his horse, and at gallop
dashed down the road, turned sharply into the
little valley, where she had disappeared, and
keeping on with undated speed through the
village, which lay there hidden in the lap of
the hills, like violet nesting in quiet nook,
never drew rein until he stopped before an i'm
posing mansion embowered in trees, abou. u
quarter Of mile bayond the hamlet Here :