The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-30

away over the stormy HtahuC. Mltrc wan
dered when a child. listening to the hoars,
murmur of old ocean, blending its voice will
the low. dismal moan of tie wind, that cam,
from the evergreen. heavy-tasseled pine fo
there among that thick green wood of Norwa,
pine
The Windgod a. he fica
Means hollow in the forest trees,
And sailing on the gusty breeze,
Mysterious music dies.
To one who has lived ever amid scenes o
Is Natures mdezt mood there may be some
thing cold desoate rcpulsiye, an even thought
of a mountain land there is no joy to them in
the snow-topped hills no gladness at the sight
of a mountain stream they cannot feel that
..Two VOICES are thcrc-onc is of the sea,
One Of the m0uniains-oach n mighty VOICE.
I'm both from age 10 age thou didst rejoice
They were thy chosen music-Liberty'
All how often have longed to hear that
music again: 10 breathe once more the fresh,
purc air Of nv native glen. Sometimes, when
wearied. in the dust and turmoil Of a great
city. visions of cooling streams and fragrant
flowers have blessed my waking dreams"
and again have climbed the steep path that
led from the sea to my fathers door ! have
plncked the mountain fern, and gathered the
rhriVelled lichen from the uncovered trunk
again walk the rocky beach, and pick up the
finv ocean shells. and catch the sparkling
foam from the gem crowned wave and it mcIts
TO nothingncss too like the eagerly-grasped
pleasures Of after years, that have vanished N
speedily Though my lot is cast IN SUMMER
cline. and the murmur OF other streams and
signing of softer gales have grown dear to me,
vet can never forget thy lofty hills and barren
rocks. my country Bright golden days were
they to me, when
I cambcrod afur DER hilltop and dale,
70 catch the breath of tho morning gale,
~ unconscious of my future lot, and As care
less of all sorrow, ~ the stream that ran bah
bling by my way. As unconscious did say
But verify believe that mountain rivulct knew
its destiny for did it not ever hurry on be-
tween its narrow banks And then with what
q sudden leap it rushed from the rocks, and.
as if scOrning the earth, it flew through the
air, now and then just touching the projecting
point of "a rock, and fell far below, into the
bosom of the ocean.
Reader have you ever seen a mountain tor
rent Have you felt the wild thrill of joyous
freedom, as you saw it leap from crag to plain,
and plain to precpice! Have you watched
its sprayey gems on leaf and hower-bud, glst-
ening in northern starlight! Though | have
seen these rock embedded brooks in a thousand
various lights and shadows, yet can never tell
the feelings they produce. 1t has been said,
that eloquence can never be written, but must
be spoken from heart to heart Even so ia
Nature her cloqucnce can only be JeH. Nature
has many aspects that can never be described
by words. Such is a rushing stream of water
there is something peculiarly wild and i'm
petuOus and at the same time free and lofty.
in its motions, that words cannot convey a just
description Of it.
But this stream in my native valley is bound
with the recollections of childhood to my heart.
Strange stories tell the superstitious, of eliin
pranks along it, border here when the misty
morn creeps on, the ascending vapors are to
them fairy forms who have revealed all night
in the glow of the cynosure star and, when
rainbows span the waterfall, Odin himself de-
sends from his scandinavian heaven, and
walks their shining path and when the Aurora
Boreals casts its varying shades below, then
demons of war hover over it's fountains and
fear seizes the awe-struck inhabitants But to
me it has been nm emblem Of lfe--its source
was far up among the mountains. |, too, was
born among the wild crags of the free, and
rushed rs tcarlessly forth in the sunny spring
of life. dreaming as little of darksome hours M
did it: bit fearful chasms were before it, and
rude precipiccs, and it fell INTO "A gloomy cav
ern, where tight struggled vainly to cheer its
way. but never eOLeTed where birds and flow
ers were not yet it finally emerged, n stronger
current than before and gave its pure waters
t0 the Atlantic But even IN its DARKEST places,
it spread greenncss about its way. |, too, have
had my drcary, lonely way but | fear that 1
have not, like it, gwen any gladness to the
weary ones in my way. And shall !, Mt last.
help to make up the ocean of goodl Alas |
fear that, though my years have been few.
much OF life has been lost Yet, shall despair :
NeUer =, though the path be now dark and wea-
rsome, It'll will hasten to perform every duty,
20 comfort the Sorrowlng, and cheer the sad
dened, in lics way. And the sunlight may
find me stronger, better, nObler in suffering,
when it grerts me again.
But, did not promise to tell you of my ro-
mantle home There IL an inlet of the Allan
tic, little south of Bergen, That extends many
miles into the country, between bold rugged
country on its northern shore and company
lively smooth plain on the south A short dis
lance from Bergen, on the rough side of this
bay, stood the house where my childhood hours
were passed it was built up from the shore Ii
few rods, and path, in some places hewn in
the solid rock, led up from the shore to the
house away up above was large rock, on the
summit of which grew a large pine. that hung
partly over its edge, and in the topmost
branches an eagle built its nest, from year to
year Many I'm hour have ! watched the old
eagle carrying sticks to repair the damage Of
II storm, or fish for her young brood On her
strong pinions she was away ut the break OF
dawn, greeting the rising sun with her shrll
scream on her errands of love for the eaglets
in the Exchanging tree. Then there was Il
little grove of great pines, where the voice Of
the sea mingled with the voice of the forest.
There in that wild lone wood, have watched
the ptarmigan dit,ing along the ground, and
wondered why it changed its hue from brown
20 white where the snow-hakes began to fall.
Indeed, thought it's feathers were covered
with snow! Then, I've adopted various ways
to get the iclclcs that hung on the bearded
branches of the pines above me, but never
satisfied when | obtained them-spnrkliDg as
they dad IN the sunlight, had deemed they
Were precious treasures But what most
loved was the scene upon the water mt moon
hight ana the row in the boat to church, which
every sabbath brought unless too stormy and
30 fond did become OF my Sabbath water.ex-
cursion, that tears often filled my eyes when |
saw that Boreas would deprive me Of it. And
sometimes the Aurora Borealis would send his
strange, fantastic light upon the water and
then sublimity indeed might be seen No
where do the Northern Lights glow with that
fitful, cleaning briliancy that they here dis
play:
There Aurora dances at noon OF night
And filings shower of crimson light,
Whose oyer-yarying hucs Ger CLEAN
Ger rock and crag, and mountain stream,
And casts each varying change below
Now, like the morning Orient glow.
Now, with faint hues the sky they linn.
Then fade away, and scarcely dim
Tho stars, that palely through them shining,
Fantastic wrcaths sean ever twnng,
But reader ! could talk ever of my roman
IL Aur..-u.r I...L IL