The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-09-01
Correspondence Of the Uispatch.
NOTES or TRAvEL--A HALF HOUR wirH OH
k c's FRIENDS.

arrived here sale and call right" some
three hours ago, after passage Of less than
three days, including detention Of one'day
at Cincinnati, nothing having occurred that
] now have time to tell you Of, on my passage
down the River on that superb steamerZ
Taylor or on the route via Cincinnati 10
Cleveland, by Rrailroad. up the lake 10 Buffa-
10, on The magnificent steamer Empire Stale,
and from there down the Niagara 10 this en-
chanting spot on that fairy steamer, the EN-
erald. When my eyes first caught glimpse
Of the cataract as passed along in the cars
on the Cspada side, ] asked myself, who can
tel me
"The mystery ofthe formation ofthese waves,
Or Of the ocean country Of their tomb"
But no answer came, for mortality may
not unfold
( "The mystery Of their parentage, or 60 down
1ntothe gulf that entombs them.'' ~
+ So questioned no further, for knewtha
"There was no tongue
But what would seem as palsied, when 'twould
move .74
To tell me of what asked" -s.
And as stood gazing in wonder at wave
leaping after wave over the mighty precipice
from whence they came and.to whittier were
they going, Iagain ventured to whisper
and WHENCE AND WHITTIER fitted through
my brain-unlil lost in mystery, Iexclaimed,
"A God admitted, and all wonders cease."-
'Twoud be folly for me to attempt descrip-
tion of that which has bafled more than
thousand ADLER pens than mine. So will
content myself by saying that | am here to-
day, Fasting upon the beauties Of nature-on
the very spot where have stood before,
when but boy--and thoughts of other
days are being called up by the beautiful as
sociates around me. Memory is running
back Ger years that are past and buried in
their graves. o, memory thou beauteous
storehouse of the mind and heart, where
facts and fancies, youthful hopes and bright
anticipations never realized, are garnered up
and preserved with care in thy loved cham
bers--how one kind word, single tone, ont
bright look, little incident, will sometimes
open up thy secret and mysterious habita
tions. and permit Us to live the past again
There are hours when slumbering thought
will be awakened, we know not why-vivi
flashes like lightning Weakening up memor
from her long iepose, illuminating the tTac
Ger which we have travelled Is pilgrim
through this world, that but moment before
seemed all forgetfulness and darkness. On
single tone will sometimes touch the electri,
cord that binds the present with the past
AMI running over more than ten thousan'
links, will connect the thoughts of to-da,
with those which we fancied were long sine
forgotten. These are the feelings an,
thoughts of my heart to-day, as stand agail
upon the brink of this mighty cataract, wher
more than nine years ago, when a mere bo
| first beheld its beauty and grandeur.
cannot tell you of those anticipations the
had that have never been realized, thos
youthful fancies which like feeting visio
came and went and left no trace behind, say
in memory's mysterious home. 'Twould In
terest but few. perhaps none, for who in thi
cold world cares for poor boys disappont
ed hopes, whether he succeed or fail, be hi
undertakings what they may? The voic
of experience whispering from the lips G
the past, with gentle cadence, lets fall upo
my ear with trembling breath, the word
E"too feao" and bids me not TO write, and i
obedience l lay down my pen until with 9th
er feelings and with other thoughts can re
sumo a different and more agreeable thcmt
Dinner over. Twas about sallying fort
in search Of something new, when quite un
expectedly and somewhat to my surprise,
man apparently 26 or 30 years of age, step
ped forward took me by the hand and calle
me by name. Then slumbering memory wa
again aroused, and few backupon the trac
of the past, but he was foiled and confused
and for some moments stood in silence, un
I'll his voice with its remembered tones fel
upon my ear and took hold of the key d
memory and opened up that mysterious cell
Then called him by name and remembers
that | had been introduced to him by frien
in the Cityof New York-had travelled wit
him from that place TO this-and then to tn
City of Cleveland, where we parted to hea
of each other but seldom, and to meet agai
Upon this spot to-day. How different thi
meeting and that parting. If | have me
with disappointed hopes, he has met wit
disappointment in reality, for then be wa
but boy like myself; scarce two years m
senior. just verging upon manhood, wit
health and enough Of this worlds goods as
fondly hoped to serve him through life.-
But now he is poor with broken constitI
ton and wife and two children dependir
upon him for protection and support. Win
brought him to this :. all might ask, as ! di
The story is short, the answer impfessiv
who viii heed the lesson2 The grog selle
holeof vice and the gamblers hell robbedhi
Of his money blasted his fair reputation