The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-03-31
A Burial among the Mountains.


Several times has the summer come and
cone-several times have the scar and crisp.
ed leaves of autumn fallen TO the ground.
since it was my privilege 10 administer for a
single winter to n small parish in the Wild
crncss. call it in the wilderness only in
contradisiinction TO the gay and aud splen>
did metropolis from which went. For how
great the conlras, from tho din of commerce,
from noisy streets, attractive sights, and
people Of all nations, 10 village among the
mountains, where the attention is even ar
rested by falling leal. 1t was among the
most magnificent scenes Of nature, whose
massive outlines have imprinted themselves
on my recollection with dsrinctness which
ran never he cfliaced. Those who have
been reared in the midst of hatness and in.
sipidty, appreciate more keenly the bolder
landscape.
account it privilege to have spent
winter in Vermont The gorgeous charac>
Ter of the scenery. the intelligence and ed.
ucation Of its inhabitants, the excellence,
yet simplicity of living, its health and hos
pira'iIy, rendered the stay both profitable
and agreeable.
The excellent Rector in Christ Church.
in the town Of N, having gone In the
far south in search Of health, was left in
charge of the small flock among the noun.
lains and how well do remember those
Sunday mornings when, with the little Wi
noosk River on the right hand, wigglng
through the ice, and with snow-clad spur
Of the mountains on the left, ! wended my
solitary way through the cutting wind 10
the somewhat remote, and somewhat thiniy
attended little church. But the warmth
and intelligence, and refinement, respectful
attention of that small band of Worshippers
fully compensated for the air without, which
often ranged below zero. 1t is true that a
majoriiy OF the inhabitants had been educa-
ted to attend the Congregational, Casually
young man of fine talents, who was my
! friend, Instructed lLcm in the /" Higher
Law"
How oft with him I've ranged the snow-clnd
hill,
Where grew the !ine.trec and the tower
ing oak
And MS the white foes all the valley fill,
Ami axe re-echoed to the woodman's stroke
While he fiozen fakes were squeaking under
foot,
And distant tinklinGs from the vale arse,
Upward and upward still The way We took,
AS souls congenial tower toward the skies
We talked of tlings which did beseem the
place,
Matters of moment to the Church and Stale
The upward, downward progress of The race,
Predestination, Destiny and Fate.
I He tracked the thoughts of Calvin or of Kant
Such lore as from his learned sine he drew /;
/ searched the tones oi D'Oyley and of Mani.
| Or slipped the sweetness Of Casillian dew.
So when the mountain path grew dina TO view,
/ And woo'en tippets were congealed or damp,
Swift to the vale our journey we renew,
4 Re-lehl the fire, and trim the Students
lamp"
Ordinary occurrences impress themselves
more deeply, associated with scenes whose
features are so grand. A conversation with
friend will be remembered with greater
accuracy if It be made npon the mountain
or in the storm; and how much more deyo,
tonally does The heart respond 10 the wor-
ship of God, if His holy Temple is builded
among scenes of beauty il it have no pill
lars perhaps, but the uncarved rocks, no
Iafiers but the sunbeams, and no dome hut
The skies: So il is that in these Solitary
scenes. have, on :he tablets of memory
an unwrtien diary; whereas, the facts borne
upon the whiIl Of life have gone down the
stream, and are collected no more.
1t was in the month Of January, when
The boreal breath is SO keen, after such a
walk with my friend TO the summit of the
mountain, that / returned at night-fall to my
chamber, with my camlet cloak, and hat
completely covered with snow. The fakes
were large, starry, and disposed themselves