Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-11

lSummOnlnS up dl uHWohted energy Oh IulHu
departed, and left his adored to her youth
full alterations. Soon after this period tht
song of"Jessie, the Flower of Dunblane,
together with the music, was published anc
became public favorte; it was sung ev
erywhere, in theatres and at parties (;
word of praise was showered upon it from
woman's Aattering lips, and men became
mad to know the adored subject Of the lay
In short period it was discovered. Jes
sic Monteith, the pretty peasant Of Dun
blame, was the favored one.
From all quarters young men and bach
elors focked to see her, & her own sex were
curious and critical. Many promising youth:
paid their addresses to her, and experienc.
ed the same reception as her first lover
Nevertheless, poor Jessie became really en-
amoured. A rakish spark from Midlothi.
ans, adorned with education, being of pol
ished manners, and confident from wealth
and superiority of rank, gained her young
affections. She too credulously trusted in
his unhallowed professions. The ardor Of
first love overcame her better judgment, and,
abandoning herself to her love-passion, she
made an imprudent escape from the pro-
lection of her parents, and soon found her
self in elegant apartments near the city OF
Edinburgh. The song of neglected Tanna-
hill was to his Jessie both glory and a
curse while it brought her into notice and
enhanced her beauty, it laid the foundation
of her final destruction. Popularity is a
dangerous elevation, whether the object of
| it be peasant or a prince; temptations
crowd around it, and snales are laid on ev-
cry hand. "Who would be eminent" said
distinguished child of popularity, "if they
knew the peril. the madness, and distrac-
ton of mind to which the creature of the
popular breath is exposed ?" When the
poet heard the fate of his beloved Jessie,
his heart almost burst with mental agony,
and, working himself into the enthusiastic
frenzy of inspiration, poured forth tor
rent of song more glowing and energetic
than ever before dropt in burning accents
from his tongue. It'll to be lamented, that
in fit of disgust he afterwards destroyed
those poetic records of his passion and his
resentment
Ere three years had revolved their trip
lie circuit after Jessie left her fathers home,
she was changed woman. She was des-
titute in her splendid habitation. Her blue
eyes looked pitiful on all things around her;
the oval cheeks were indented by the hand
of misery, and the face and person present.
ed the picture of an unhappy but amiable
being. How changed was the figure cloth
ed in silk, which moved on the banks OF
the Forth, from the happy, lively girl in
Dunblane, dressed in the rustic garb of a
peasant But this is subject too pain
full to dwell on let us hasten o the catas-
trophe. 1t was on an afternoon, in july
beautiful sunny afternoon, the air was calm
and pure. The twin islands of the Forth,
like vast emeralds set in lake of silver,
rose s2lendidly Ger the shining water, which
now and then ghrgled and mantled their
bases. Fifeshire was spread forth like a
map, hundreds of inland villages and cots
TRANQUILITY sleeping in the sunshine. The
den ofthe artizan's hammers in Kirkaldy
and Queensferry smote the still air and
Dunfermline's aproned inhabitants scatter
ed forth their whitened webs beneath the
noontide sun. On the opposite shore, Leith
disgorged her black smoke, which rolled
slowly in volumes to the sea. Edinburgh
castle, like mighty spirit from the "vasty
deep" reared her gray bulwarks high in
ar: and Arthur's seat rose hugely aad dark
ly in the back ground. The chorusses of
fishermen, like hymns to the great spirit of
the waters, ,ascended over Newhaven and
down from Grangemouth, lightly booming
O er the tide, foated the tall bark. The
world seemed stepped IN happiness.
But there was one, wandering one: an
outcast-wretched and desparlng, amidst
all its loveliness; her bosom was cold and
dark, no ray could penetrate its depths; the
sun shone not for her, nor did nature smile a.
round but to inflct more exquisite pang
on the unfortunate. Her steps were brok-
en- and hurried. She now approached the
waters's edge, and then receded. No hu-
man creature was near to disturb her pur-
pose-all was quietness and privacy; but
there was an eye from above that watched
all. jessie Montelth----how mournful
sounds that name at such a crisis. But
Jessey set herself down, and removing
shawl and bonnet from her person, and taxi
ing string of pearl from her marble-seem-
ing neck, and gold ring, which she kiss
ec eagerly, from her taper finger, she cast
up her streaming eyes, meekly imploring
the forgiveness of heaven on him, the cause
of her shame and death. Scarce offering
prayer for herself, she breathed forth the
names of her disconsolate parents, and, ere
the eye could follow her, she disappeared
in the pure stream. The sun shone on,
the green of the earth stirred not leaf;
bell did not toll; nor did sigh escape the
lips of one human being, and yet the spir-
it of the loveliest of women passed (may
we not hope y to heaven.
SHOP KEEPING IN SWITZERLAND IN OLD
TrMEs.-Alpine shops in Switzerland about
a century ago, consisted of lonely huts, built
at the entrance of the principal mountain