Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-08-05

islands along the coast of Maine are a study
for tourist. The whole sail along the shores
is through never-ending labyrinth Of these
some high and rocky, with castellated sides,
hammered with pines-some richly wooded with
forest trecs--and others again, whose luxuriant
meadow land affords the finest pasturage for
cattle. Here are the cottages of fishermen,
who divide their time between farming and
fishing, and thus between land and water
make very respectable amphibious living.
lhese people are supplemented, kindly, hardy,
with good deal of the genial broad hearted
ness that charactcrizes their old father, tho
ocean. When down on one of these lonely
islands, once We were charmed to find, in a
small cottage, one of the prettiest and most
lady-like of women. Her husband owned a
fishing-smack and, while we were sitting con-
versing in the house, in came damsel from
the ncighborhood, arrayed, in all points cap
d-pic, according to the latest city fashions.
The husband came home from trip while
we were there. He had stopped in Portland,
and brought home new bonnet for his wife,
of the most approved style, and n pair of gaiter
shoes for his little girl One of our company
was talking with him, congratulating him on
his retired situation.
"You can go all about trading in your YES
scl and make money" he said "and here on
GlllS TeJlTeu lSlduu UIlcTC ID no way UO SDcuu
SO you must lay up good deal"
"Don't know about that" said the young
man there's women and girls everywhere
and they must have their rings and their pins,
and parasols and ribbons There's ways enough
for money to 60"
On Sunday mornings, these islanders have
out their saiboats, and all make sail for some
point where there is church. They spend
the day in religious services and return at
evening. Could one wish more picturesque
way of going to meeting of a calm summer
morning?
SO beautiful u country one would think, must
have nurtured the poetic sentiment; and
Maine, accordingly, has given us one of our
truest poets-Longfellow Popular as his po-
etry is, on first reading it is poetry that i'm
proves and grows on one by acquaintance and
st,dy; and more particularly should be studied
under the skies and by the seas of that State
whose beauty first inspired it. No one who
views the scenery of Maine, artstically, and
then studies the poems of Longfellow, can
avoid seeing that its hucs and tones it's beau
tiful word painting, and the exquisite variety
and snloothness OF its cadences, have been
caught not from books and study, but from q
long and deep heart communion with Nature.
We rccollcct seeing, with some indignation, a
few years ago, what seemed to us a very cap
tious criticism on Longfcllow and it simply
occurred to US then, that if the critic had
spent as much time in the forest as the poet,
and become as familiar with the fine under
tones Of Nature, such critiquc never would
have appeared A lady who has lately been
rambling with US among the scenery OF
Maine. and reading Longfellow's poems, said,
the other day" He must have learned his
measure from the sea there is Just its beau
| l,E,1 ,i,,,ln IN oil - hoo
and very Just criticism There arc some fine
lines in Evangclinc, that give US the pine for
csts Of Maine like painting;
| This is the forest primcva-tho murmuring pines
and tho hemlocks
Bearded with moss and with garments green, indis-
tnct in the twilight
Stand like Druids Of Ed, with voices sad and pro-
phctic.
Stand like harpers hoar with boards that rest on
their bosoms;
Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep.voced neigh
boring
Speaks, and in accents dsconsolatc the wall
of the forest
Drawn to the very life We have seen
those very Druids-graybeards dusky garments
and ALL on the shores Of Maine, many a time;
and if anybody wants to feel the beauty and
grandeur Of the picture, nc must 60 to some of
those wild rocky islands there.
Longfellow's poetry has the true seal Of the
bard in this that while it is dyed rich as an
old cathedral window in tints borrowed in for
eign language and litcrature-tints caught in
the fields Of Spain, Italy, and Gcrmany-yct
after all, the strong dominant colors are from
fields and scenes of home. SO truly is he u
poet Of Maine, that we could wish to see his
poems in every fshcrman's cottage through
all the wild islands and among all the roman
tic bays and creeks of that beautiful shore.
Il would be fine critical study to show
how this undcrtone of native imagery and feel
ing passes through all that singular harmony
which the poets scholarcraft has enabled him
to compose from the style Of many nations;
and some day we have it in heart to do this in
a future letter At present VIC will not bestow
any further tcdiousness upon you
Very truly, IA. B. 5.
SncakIng Game,