The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-11


October 4, 1851.
Ny Dv,p M I believe that in my last
letter Brought up at the loot OF ben Lomond'
The ascent Of that mountain IRON Kowaroen-
nan is not perilous CT very difhcuit out is ex-
ceed.ng tedious The distance is about SIX
miles: we rode the whole way on ponies tram
"a 10 the busness-strong. quiet, and sure-loot-
ID animals, fortunately for us, as after the
heavy rain of the preceding day the pain was
in an usually bad condition, with loose stones,
slippery rocks, deep mire, and shaky boys.
We Started, well wrapt in cloaks, shawls, and
f,rs fearing the breezes of the air on the noun
ram SUBMITS, but we soon found ourselves
ohlccd to Law aside one after another OF these
articles for as we reached the heights we
found the upper day there not only as resplend-
ontIv bright but as soft and still and summer
ike as the sweet unreasonable morning we
had left in the valley
About half way up. we paused to revel in a
glorious view of Loeb Lomond, smiling up to
heaven in all it's enhancing beauty of silvery
waters, 8erdant clustering islands, and noun
tain.shadowed shores.
cannot believe that any most sweet and
wondrous vision of earthly loneliness or gran
deur will have power to Danish that fair pic
ture from my memory. But from the summit
what a mighty, measureless panorama-what
world Of light and shadow-what glory of
aature-what wonder of God lay beneath
sud around us! Words can only give you an
ira of the extent, of the vast circumference of
that view. To the east are the hills and val
leys Of Stirlingshre and the Lothians, Stirling
Castle and the windings of the Forth the Pent-
land Hills, Arthur's seat and Edinburgh Castle
In the south, the peak of Finto the city of
Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Ailsa Craig, the Isle of
Man, and the Isles Of Butte and Arran-and
gazing down beyond the outlet of Loeb Lomond,
you see DumbartOn But on the north beheld
the grandeSt sight that ever met my gaze
mountains on mountains stretching away into
the distance, and seeming like the mighty
waves of Il dark sea, stayed in their stormy
swell petrifed and fixed forever by the word
Of 0mnipotence Vexed, indeed, and tumut-
uous must have been that awful chaotic ocean,
ere its vast pillows and black hollows were re-
solved into the everlasting rock-for among
these mountain forms there is wondrous and
endless variety. Our guide, a bright young
laddle seemed nowise awed by the imposing
presence of the mountains but pointed out the
chief of them, Ben-Ledi, Ben oirlick, Ben
More Ben-Lawers, Cairngorum, Ben Cruachan,
and Ben-Neyis as familiarly as he would speak
Of other and lesser Bens of his acquaintance
beneath us shono Loeb Lomond, Lool Katrine,
Loeb Ard-the wild country of Rob Roy-the
scene of the most enchanting romance and
song of Scott Yet here for the first time, all
the associations Of history and poetry lost their
CHARM was above and beyond them. On
that sublime and lonely height, on whose still.
tnA e T.. Al
thoughts and emotions of my heart were reve-
rental and religious. The stupendous noun
tam peaks, the eternal hills around, seemed al
tars for natures perpetual notwithstanding
types Of the might and majesty of God while
the lakes with their silver shining. and the
green valleys with their still shadows and golden
CLEANS Of autumnal sunlight, in all their won.
drous beauty, spoke sweetly to the awed spirit
ol divine love and protecting care Even while
tremblingly acknowledging God from those
awful mountain SUBMITS, the soul stroye in vain
to ascend INTO the place of the Most High -
1t seemed to grow blind and dizzy, and to flut-
ter like spent bird down into the ADVISES of
doubt ana despair, But from the valleys, the
quiet sheltered luxuriant valleys, the happy
heart could look up confdingy, and say, "Ab-
Tn the morning of the day following this
memorable ascent, we took the steamer for the
head OF Loeb Lomond passing Rob Roy's cave
aud bchodng much beautiful scenery. Re-
turning to lnyersnaid, we took drosky and
drove acro.s n rough, wild country, to Loeb
Natrne. On our way we were shown the
runs Of highland hut, the birthplace and
early home Of Helen MacGregor.
AZ the head Of Loeb katrine, we embarked
on funny little steamer, which certainly did
h't hurry us past scenes on which our imagi
haton delighted to linger. The head of this
',ke Is not PARTICULAR beautiful but found
'nN' my most glowing conceptions had not sur
rJ.'seu ehe exquisite loneliness of that portion
I'm, I"'Jn 'rnS lhe opening scene of the Lady of
-" ~ :, f'ien's Isle" the mountains Ben An
~ u"' pe',- ehue' and the defle of the Trosacks
iioie' iS'aha ana shore and hill are richly clad
~ tue most magnificent foliage: and the gran
ueur Vi rocky heights and dark ravines is 80
pleasantly relieved. so softly toned down that
you Ieei neither wonder nor awe. but drink in
oeaH'y az your breath-lose Yourself in deli.
co"' dreamngs, and revcl in all the unspeak.
a''e rapture OF pure and perfect delight. A
remembrance which is an esrecial ioy 10 me
now, and ever shall be.n is OF n walk taken
WIN my friends that night along the shore of
I,' iaEe, to the pebbly strand opposite Ellen's
l,Ie which seemed sleeping in the moonlight.
"I,"t On the still waters, even as its fair vision
r "'I noa'ed before my soul on the silver waves
Vi The poets song
N"ge,coach drive to Stirling the next day.
W. over the ground Of the chase followed bv
J." James We passed the once hammered
"Iers o. Donne, now ruined and ivy. grown
me- picturesque old castle. Crossing the
''"Se over the Forth, on entering the ancient
-" VI sVring, reminded me of IL characters
Hnecdote | had lately heard of a sturdy
lo5 uA'he, who once during a stormy season
.D''Nlpn 10 cross the river at ferry some
,ro.y mics below. The fcrryman told her
- VIC waters ran high. and the winds prom
r,, "",' p'oW, but that a. her business was
40 - - would DO his best to get her safely
a.Lad '"efe muckle danger, nowlp she
Nam. t.. ny woman, the passage wad be per
d.,,, SV maln put your trust in Prov.
d.: VA, na," says the prudent dame.
l1's pick Il no trust in Providence 80
Nv e, g. 'nefe'7 brig at Stirling and actual
m. urn 10 walk the whole distance round
volume of national character in this
'D ~ An Irish woman would have trust.
and = ioWdence. or rather ia Saint Patrick
,r,,. we molly Virgin" and told her beads
ned 'he perilous passage rather than wea
way ~ taxing the sale roundabout
randi. OaSue OF Stirling is one of the most
hold. ," situated Of Scotlands old royal strong
ala "a, ana is itself dark, frowning. yener.
uemor,e, tnronged with sombre and bloody
lie mo", The view from the wall is one Of
ring n =; enchanting in its besoty and soul-stir.
yhe,a .t associations, possible to take in anv.
eve F a,'n one slow, wondering sweep of the
je,tc ,oa n away IN the distance tower the ma.
beneath onI shapes of the grand Highlands
the FL anu around us lie the silver courses Of
quis,o a. The Teith, the Allan, and all the ex.
"''naginabie beauty of the richly cul.