The Columbian fountain., 1846-09-07
Rev. J. I. WARD, Assistant Editor.
PRICE ONE CENT.
her mind. 1t was wild air which these
rude lines were clothed
"Come gentle lady, follow,
Down TO the Demons hollow,
And gaze in the stream
Where the shadowy gleam,
OF the future doth BEAM"

An irresistible influence compelled the
lady to alight and pursue the footsteps Of
the now receding figure. In deep ravlne,
where the sunbeams rarely entered, the old
woman halted 1t was wild spot; the
dark preternatural, caused by the depth OF
the defile; the high precipitous banks, ris-
ing like natural wall on either hand,
overhung by thick clumps of holly and ce-
dar; the jutting fragments of rock, be-
tween whose crevices the vines, green and
perennical, would creep--seeming like the
thoughts Of virtue which sometimes finds
a resting place in adepraved, hard, stony
heart; all tended to deepenthe awe which
had stolen upon the mind of this young and
beautiful female Pale, and with wondering
eyes, she stood in the darkest portion of
the ravine, as she found that her myster!-
Gus guide had suddenly disappeared, and
she was alone. And yet she felt no fear,
for she was Of strange courage and posses
sed most indomi,abte spirit, almost rashly
brave; but tinged with romantic super
stitution, and to her this spot was most
likely to produce those indefinable feelings
with which quiet, gloomy nature thrills the
mind of visionary being like herself. Be-
meath her feet little streamlet run, whose
source she saw not, for it stole from out
the gloom thread of water, winding its
silent way far down the dark ravine, till it
was lost in the distance. 1t was singular
sight, to behold in this .ifeless gloom, this
young and beauteous creature, pale and mo-
tionless, standing like fair statue with her
head bent eagerly toward in expectation,
and her bosom heaving visibly with anx-
ious emotion. A moaning blast came wall
ing down the ravine, swelling gradually
louder, rustling the dry leaves Of the cling
ing vines, ruifflng the face Of the water, till
it swelled from some unseen source to a
wider cut still silent stream; then the wall in
creased, till the wind apeared to bear upon its
wings the howls of many demons,-the
darkness became more dense; pail, as Of
night, settled like an incubus upon the ra-
vine and in the midst of this Egyptian
gloom the rocky sides hurled back their
many echoes of the screaming winds. Still
the female moved not, but for the same ea-
ger gaze, and quick heaving Of the breast,
it would have been supposed that she had
been suddenly transmitted to stone the
stream had swollen till it had washed her
feet; the winds had revelled in her hair,
fingng her long jetty tress in wild confu-
sion over her neck but she needed not
the fascination of soul-reaching spell was
on her too deep to be easily broken. AS
if by magic, the noise suddenly ceased,
and all was still and hushed as though the
very winds were locked in the very en-
brace of Death. The gloom was lit up by
the pale flashes Of light that for an instant
beamed upon toe darkness, and as suddenly
vanished, leaving the binding effect to con-
found the lovely creatures mind. But shs
was CALM. The same child-lke voice
chanted to wild and not unpleasing, yet
mournful air, these lines:
Oh lady behold, at your feet, the stream
Where soon will be shadow'd, the Futures
dream;
In the Demons glass you now shall see,
Your Races fortundestine andy. ".
Neither speak, nor disturb the silent spell.
For the birth isin gloom, as thou canst tell
And in gloom will it end, if thou dost speak,
AS by noise, its magical spell doth break
Hush hush! and behold at your feet the
CLEAN,
That lightens for you the Demons stream.
atU (To be continued.)