The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-07


fearful lnstre-such as fancy lends
To the Madonna; aud rapt surprise,
As IL il found strange beauty in the air.
Park Benjamin.
Now, Susan, when we have breakfasted,
want you to show me all over this house; thu
shut up old drawing-rooms, and the dlapidatet
old bed-chambers the attcs the cupboards; tht
cuddies and allo
"Dear Britannia the house is RUM
al have romantic love Of ruinsn
But dear Brightly, this is not a ruined castle
or manor house. in the old world, but simply 8
dilapidated old farmhouse in Virginia. What
becomes of your romance?n
Yet, like it; it is nearly two hundred year;
old; it erected in time full Of ad venture il
must be rich in legendary lore, early Indian war.
fare, French warfare, Revolutionary heroism
ri ss@s~t ;rtsrsst in the Ivy,
and adventures of the past, and the Evolutionary
lore Of Visginis IL seqeEslly, find, preserved in
the old domestics of the family. Anna, your
fathers have been in the service of the Somer-
vlles for more THIN hundred years; you have
heard from your father, who heard from his
grandfather, many story you can tell US of
some heroic young Somerviie who distinguished
himself in the frontier war with the savages; of
some young Captain Somerville, who raised o
company to fight against the French of some
young patriot among the Somervilles, who after
achieving miracles Of yalor, fell riddled with
wounds upon the field of victory. You can tell
me that, oh Anna"
"My father does, indeed, remember many an
ecdotes of the revolutionary war, and is well ac-
quainted with many stories of the early settlement
of the State; he delights to recall and repeat
them it would give him pleasure to do SO, Miss
O'Riley"
Every well; then, Anna; tonight, after we
have supped, we will have a blazing hickory fire
built in this great old chimney, and we will have
a basket of nuts and apples, and George shall
come in, and tell us tales of old times, like the
retainer Of some old feudal family, who delights
to relate the heroic exploits of the house"
This conversation took place at the breakfast
table at the Crags, upon the morning after the
arrival of Britannia O'Riley, with S"aAn S"ma--
Vile and six weeks from the marriage OF Louise
Armstrong
As soon as the young ladies arose from break
the sad reveries into which she was continually
relapsing, again renewed her desire to be shown
over the house.
at is a wreck Britannia--the other half Of the
building; a mere skeleton-a she'll IL is even
dangerous to venture in when the wind is so high
as it is now. Beams and rafters sometimes fall
old window shutters blow down y
"Happily, no one has ever yet been injured by
their fallD
@No-but you will be disappointed, Brightly"
at will serve me right, then, for obstinacy
Gomez
With slight expression of reluctance, Susan
laid aside her knotting, and lead the way from
the large sittiug-room into wide, bleak hail. into
which the wind poured, and through which it
roared, seemingly from every quarter, through
the broken plastering and gaping timbers They
crossed this, and entered large apartment, once
the saloon of the house, but now much dilapidated
and rudely mended.
"This was once the saloon; and, on festive &C.
casions, was brilliantly lighted up, and filed with
distinguished guests Now you see what it is it
serves at once the threefold purpose of kitchen,
workshop, and bedroom, for my old foster pa
rents"
Brightly surveyed the old and extensive apart
ment with interest. 1t was mixture of departed
grandeur and present poverty. The lofty win
dows at both extremties of the room had been
broken up, and were rudely repaired; the places
of some missing panes of glass had been supplied !;
some by pine shingles, some by tin plates, and
some by pasted paper; but all was clean. The
great arch that, after the manner OF most old
Virginian mansions, divided the apartment in the
middle, had been broken in many places. In the
back part of the room was large arched fire.
place, whose marble mantel-piece was covered
with rude wooden candlesticks, and hung above
with wooden ladies' spoons, bowls etc, carved by
George. On each side Of this fireplace were
rough shelves, put up by George, and laden with
the commonest delf ware and pottery Harriet
was standing at one Of these shelves washing ur
her breakfast things
Half way down the middle of the long room
and against the end Of the arch, was rough
workbench, with pile of flags on one side, and
n pile of bottomless chairs on the other George
was sitting there, engaged in putting new bottom
into an old chair.
On the other side of the arch, and at the far
thest extremity Of the room, was an humble bed
stead, curtained with blue check and a poor old
fashioned chest Of drawers, with sloping lid.
Oh! those memorials of old times, how dear
they were to the poor family
On the other side Of this chest Of drawers wa.
large stock Of baskets mats and childrens LITTLE
chairs, made Of flags, by George
Britannia took all this in by one sweepins
glance She had seen Harriet several time, ainc,
her arrival, but not George Now abe wen, n,
to George, and held out her hand to shake hand,
with him. Brightly had thorough respeot 70,
honest George. George lifted the old white %,
hat he habitually wore, and stood up to speat !,
the young lady, Miss O'Riley examined ant
praised the neatness Of his work, ordered a WORK
basket, and then followed Susan Somerville from
the room
George supports us all by nag-work. Gu
land, the little Of it that is left is entirely wor
out. Wecln scarcely raise vegetables and grail
and fruit enough for our own small family con
sumption. But George has taken up this trade o
hag-work, and contrives to make living by IT,
Then they crossed short passage and emit rf'
room, once the large dining room Of the family
now depository for sacks Of corn, barrels Of ap
pies, bags OF wool, hanks Of yarn, etc, and theI
passed throu0h aova-.r ~.,..l 100000 -