Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-10-22

CASTLE, MY, VALLEY of the Gencsee,)
July, 1851.
A bright summers morning, made plea
SAINT by the rain of the preceding night,
saw me with my face towards the Mecca Of
my hopes; and now, as gazcd upon the
blue range Of hills that lay against the
distant horizon, and within whose bounds
were the scenes of my childhood, when life
seemed but one round Of pleasure, memory
reverted to the years that had passed since
last l saw these scenes. Where were the
com. n.an;ons of my school-boy days? where
the familiar faces of long years ago? Would
l find even one face that would be natural,
or one eye that would know me? As I
journeyed on, each hour lessened rapidly
the distance, until suddenly coming to the
top Of gentle declivity, found spread
out before me broad and beautiful pano-
rama, the object of my day-dreams for
years past: but the scene was much chan
ged. Here, close by, stood th- old school
house, to memory most dear; while little
further on, around the point of the hill,
lay the old Homestead, where first saw the
light. Bat, alas the old house was gone,
and nought but the old well in the midst
of field of grain, marked the spot. The
same beautiful rivulet crossed the road as
in days of yore, but now was soon lost in
luxuriant meadow. Nearly all the forests
had given way to fields of waving corn.
Enquiries at the various farm houses
told me plainly that while many of the
old inhabitants were still here, many had
passed to the "bournc whence no traveller
returns and others had joined in With
the tide that has been for many years set
ting to the west. In tie midst of, and
directly through this, to me, Incompatible
landscape, the hand Of modern improve
mcnt was grading rail road; the invention
of which has conferred so many benefits on
mankind. A mile further on, brought
me to the house of relative and here,
as at all other places at which I stopped,
D.. found that while my name was familiar,
'hc recollection of me had passed away.
But when made myself known, the warm
grasp OF the hand of friendship, and the
tear in the eye of many, we'll repaid me
for long years of absence.
The country lying upon the Genessee
river is very interesting and peculiar to
itself. While it is destitute of mountains,
it is also free Of the vallics peculiar to
Pennsylvania. The country is rolling,and
stretches out en- magnificent scale; rising
very high above the level of the river, but
taking so many miles for its ascent and
descent that the traveller has at all times
in view the most beautiful and extensive
landscapes. And while the dim distant
horlzen seems somewhat like our Pennsyl-
wanna mountains, the cultivated fields, and
lhlckly scattered villages and farm-houscs
remind the traveller that all is but con.
tinuation of the same rolling pla;n; while
mere and there the silvery Waters of beau
''f0l little lakes, Join in to complete the
scene, and conspire to make this section
u country one of most beautiful in the
World; and were it not for the excessive
winters, 1 should prefer it as residence to
my have ever visited. The crops here
IRE about four to six weeks behind those
II Southern Pennsylvania, and even here,
within distance of twenty miles, there is
difference often of two weeks. This re-
non was settled almost entirely by New
anglaHders and, venture to assert that
uore moral, intelligent and religious peo-
lie does not exist I