Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-09-22

| conversation around the tlller, It would
not be at all the same thing as the sweet
toned bagatelle of voice like disguised
enchanter's, and as forget everything
said myself, and only remember, here and
there an observation of Mr.. Arthur and
his venerable father, there would be a
precious probability that two thirds of the
dialogue would be clear fancy-a quality
l wish particularly to avoid in this narra-
tive. A description of the lake will both
exc out the story and save me from the
dilemma. You shall have it.
IgprimiS-it is the most beautiful lake
in America-and, Ssquitwr, the most beau
tiful spot in the world. Its thirty miles
of length are more like river than lake
"a river with mountain banks, its bosom
studded with small green islands covered
with the most lavish verdure and foliage,
and its waters as clear and transparent al
most as the atmosphere. You may see
the long heavey pickerel moving drowsily
about on the bottom at the depth of thirty
feet, and the shoals of smaller fish scud-
ding across your bow, and count the rocks
and white crystals with which the lake
abounds, as distinctly as if the element
were not water, but air. Then the wood
ed shores are so near and so bold, and the
islands are so many and so buried in
leaves, that as your boat runs through
the narrow channels, it seems to you as
if you were floating among clouds, the
shadows in the water of rock and tree,
and outlines are such faultless resemblan-
ces. Like Wordsworth's swan, every
gem of an island
Floats double, ISLE and shadow;
and as you put out from the little pier at
Caldwell, (the place of the hotel at the
south end of the lake and pull away with
a couple Of smart oars for the north, islet
after islet, not much larger than parlor
ottoman, steals out to your view, and so
you may voyage on, hours and hours,
spattering at every dip almost, some fairy
shore, till your mind absolutely becomes
surfeitcd with beauty. And with these
general features leave the rest to your
imagination.
The breeze died away in the middle of
Tapping against the mast, opposite a
small island, fringed with beeches and
carpcted with short, rich grass and moss
the pretticst flower for fairy feet in the
world. At the bidding of our fairy
helmsman, l took an oar with Arthur, and
three or four fair pulls brought us along
side, and covered the boat with the over
hanging branches. The shade was deep
and cool, and We spread the contents of n
certain ambiguous looking hamper upon
the cloth, and setting bottles of clarct and
champagne down by rock in the water,
prepared to picnic in the most rural In
souciance. Oh these three or four or five
hours-I don't know how long-they
flew like hours in paradise was hap
pier than l could expect to be again. And
that superb creaturc-pcrfectly frank,
and half gay half thoughtful-now run
ming to the shore. edge for a flower, now
noting some exquisite effect Of light or
shadow-laughing, moralizing, quoting
poetry, and glancing at sentiment-every-
thing unstudied and everything in taste
she was enough to ruin whole Acade-
my of cynics.
We dined at the primitive hour of
twelve, and spent the afternoon in loung-
ing, and at eli ght, just as the moon was
rising, we embarked, and on q perfectly
CLASSY surface, rowcd slowly back to
Caldwell, our lovely skipper grown little
penseroso, and mingling passages OF songs
with two-fold, beautiful conversation,
moro interesting and bewitching with ev-
cry change Of her humor.
We touched the pier They looked at
me with a smile. was about breaking
my promise, but she put her finger on her
lip, and with heart sick with regret, L
shook hands hastily with them all, and
sprang on shore.
"Push off," said she, in tone of gay
ETY.. looked at her as the gay word
sounded harshly in my ear, and with
something in her eye which l have the
vanity to believe would have been a tear
in a moment, she met my look, and smi-
led half sadly, and with kiss of her white
hand, turned away to the sway of the
shallop.
l have never heard of them since. The
landlord remarked that they boarded
privately at farmhouse mile back in
the country, and that is all l know OF
them. They were people of the first eul-
tivation, and the highest tone OF breeding
and courtesy have ever met. hoped
some day to sec them. But after travel
ing through all tho northern and middle
cities, and going much into society, but
seeing no trace Of them, gave up In des-
pair.
1t is my lot in life-everyth thing comes
to me fragmented and imperfect. 1 have
encountered hundreds OF these mere ink
lings of romance. Every stage-coach,
steamboat, canal-every strange city
gives me some beginning to an adventure.
There is no denouement. l am sort OF
travelling Tantalus. l shall die some day
Of sheer wonder
A STRUGGLE NOR K1ss.-"Ah, Sally,
give me kiss and be done with it, do %