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

/
! he thy intsnts wicked charitable,
| Thou com'st in such questionable shape
| That will speak to thee! HAMLET.
1t was on the afternoon of one of those
excessively hot days for which the last
year will long be remembered, that l had
occasion to pay visit to the celebrated
mineral spring in the vicinity of Bedford.
All nature wore the appearance Of languor.
The leaves of the green corn, instead of
raising their long spear points to arustling
breeze, hung motionless, like withered
moss from their bending stalks, the her
bage appeared burnt and parched as if by
fire, the herds sought the shade, or, pant
ing, betook themselves to the cool brook
side /; not zephyr's breath moved the
forest boughs, nor hummed its accustomed
chant amid the pine tops; not ripple dis
turbed the surface of the little artificial
lake where the enchanted waters Of the
health-g giving spring pour their tribute !;
the specklcd trout lay reposing under his
messy swing, and even the goddess of the
fountain appeared to have yielded to the
general infection, for the jet over which
she presides played lansuidly through the
air, and fell sprayless and less nolslly than
is its wont into its pebbly bed. The long
colonadc of the Springs Hotel was deserted.
The busy crowd that thronged it in the
morning, were dispersed to their couches,
to enjoy their siesta, and find rcposc for
the designations and fatigue Of the drawing
rooms in the evening Finding no COM
pany, nor anything else to engross my at
tention, I treated myself to the luxury of
a bath and then attempted the HeTculean
task of pilgrimage to the Summer House
on the summit of Constitution HILL
With the exception Of the artificial
pathways, this hill has been preserved in
all its original beauty, Not a tree has
been displaced, as is too often the case on
account of its want of regularity, not a
dead log has been touched; the underbrush
grows in all its wild and tangled luxuri-
ance, enabling the visitor, by the transition
of few steps, to change the tameness of
art for the romantic and rugged beauties OF
nature. And we're it not for these path
ways which are necessary to render the
hill accessible, it would require go great
stretch of the imagination for the visitor
to fancy himself in the primitive forest,
among the haunts of the red man and
1 could not help thinking myself
on sacred ground, where yet dwell the
spirit hosts of the departed nations, who
here lived, and acted, and died T.; who
though forgotten, and lost in oblivion, still
lived with interests coequal with our own
AsI turned at the numerous bendings Of
the labyrinthian causcways, and cast my
eyes down their deep, perspective views,
almost expected to see the gaunt form Of
the Indian hunter bounding from thei1
thicket borders, or the coy maiden gliding
among the foliage, or to hear reverberatlng
through the forest the shrill yell of the
warrior. But naught appeared to disturb
my vision no sound startled my hearing
all was silent as the grave; not cricket''
chirp broke in upon the stiffness ever
the sound of nay own footsteps was un
needed as l deeply pondered on the chang
es which the last century had wrough int il
the scene; and 1 tried in fancy to recall
the picture in all its wild magnifcence
ere art had dared to dcform its beauty b!
her sacrilegious touch.
Where q asked my tkoughts,) are tn
wirwam homes that studded yon brigh
Green, where now the uncouth castles o
the white man rear their proud fronts
Where is the cheerful song Of the 1ndial
mother who there titled her field of tende
corn, and watched with joyful eyes tn
eambols of her little ones, or went out t.
!, meet her warrior lord and welcome hi
: return f-om the hunt or conquest /! Wher
is the noble chieftain who, with the chase
sat in his wigwam door at sunset, ant
. placed his ponderous bow into the hand
5 of his infant bog. and taught him to spec
the feathercd arrow, and WELD the toma
l hawk Where is the young brave who i
these wild retreats so often told his tale
, love, and poured into the car Of the India
r girl his unimpassioned vows? Where ar
+ they who made these hills and mountain
] eloquent, and gave these valleys tongues
s with their shouts of triumph and victory
D A from the rocks and trees,
Tho ro;cc RESPONSIVE spoke, now loud and long,
8 Nov healing from this crag now there again,
|, Eo,, wonder glade now clear and full, now soft,
y And softer still until whisper comes
I 1o seiI how like this heeting echo, are
The things Of time
+ Alas! they are all gone, the wigwan
$ are in ashes; that mother and her httl
a brood have long been dwellers in the spir
e land, and where they played, the child
$ the pale face holds his sports. The n
IL front of the lovers is now thrOnged