The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-05-07

IN every quick look anu rAplu-Cnanplng
gesture, to express the very intensity of
delight, of sympathy, of enjoyment In
all this there is no eccentricity, no friv-
olity. but gushing joyousness, youth
fulness and warmth of heart, which en-
lven even the most torpid, sensibIy raise
the temperature Of the most cynical,
make the Indifferent his friends, and al
tach his friends still more and more To
him. How it especially captvates the
young and the accomplished among the
young themselves, need not be said.
Although, spiritually speaking, an
Immortal boy" he complains that that
sad cOnceationalty, old age, will be
creeping upon him. He said" have
always at all seasons wooed the air,
whether she might be all smiles as in the
full-b lown Spring, or in the dumps as
she gets in Autumn. Down to last year,
never experienced any harm from this
exposure, but one day last Winter
went out as usual-a little showery, but
not hard rain-I had not proceeded
many yards, till felt gigantic steel
hand lay hold of me, from the nape of
the neck down to the sole Of the foot. |
knew who that was: | asked him no
questions, but returned to the house as
fast as | could All the rest Of the Win.
ter kept to A room up stairs, never left
it, aud manufactured kind of demi-
tropicdl region for myself. People said
it was severe Winter, but | managed
to be pretty snug" But this advance of
, old age, Of which he complains, is max
/ ing little visible trace on the outer man,
which is about as elastic as ever, and
none upon the mind, for his very latest
e productions are among the ripest and
most delicious of all the fruits of his ge-
n MUS. Besides the large number of in>
d terestng and highly popular prose works
; which he has lately given TO the public
e he has for some time past been engaged
in molding n series of small poems, Of a
very select and highly finished charac-
, ter The following is the idea which
: they are meant to carry out. He says
J.. 81 have number of old, tried, peculiar
friends. on whom, during my more per-
q sonal mediiations, my mind often turns
| should like so much to have neat little
cabinet pictures of them hung all abou
!. my room Well, cant accomplish that
I but it struck me, this | could do. AL
these friends had each some favorite sto
10 ry--some little corner of humanity
" which has peculiar perhaps nameles
charm to them. So, said to myself,
>, shall endeavor from time to time to EN-
!, body and concentrate these stories int
short poems, as carefully wrought ant
thoroughly compacted as | can max,
them; and preface them with some LITTLE
:. inscriptions TO the particular friend, I.
!, whom know the story to be favorte
or at least 10 be especially suited. shal
then, as it were, have myself all hun.
round with cabinet poems. The re
!, Mus here displayed IS not more admira
-. BILE than the aflectionaie, impusive ma,
ture of the man. number of these
pieces have been finished and know
they have commanded the admiration o
=, some Of the finest scholars and critics o
=, the day. ] have always consider ed thi.
the form Of poetry in which Leigh Hun
r excelled most-indeed in which he i,
unriyaled.
q He has an extensive End accurate
y knowledge of Scotch poetry. and con-
6 siders it, though limited in lis forms, to
= be in its character body Of as perfect
4 poetry as any country can possess. The
old ballads he reclies with as much en-
thusiasm as if he were an ancient min>
strel who had reappeared upon the scene,
and his Scotch pronunciation. in reading
is often as good as anything Nithsdale
could turn out. have often heard him
give with all the Jirr of an old Borderer
: o lath, laith were our guide Scots lords
To weet their cork heel'd shoon.-
But lang or a the play was played,
They wat their hats aboon
His great luxury is Allan Ramsay S
"GentIe Shepherd He has ii all by
heart, and knows every pool, glen, bush,
and cottage which Allan describes.
don't know how many copies aud edi>
tions he possesses; yet. notwiIhstand-
ing all this store, never saw him evince
more sparkling delight than lately, when
one of the most gifted of Scota's young
artists presented him with some old rare
edition ofthis same Gentle Shepherd"
illustrated by superior style of engraY>
ings.
But it would be easy to add item alter
item 10 the Gue pecuiarllies, and bright
and witty sayings Of Leigh Hunt, nor,
as time aud opportunity give occasion,
| shall l. Timothy Quidnunc, fail to do this