The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-20
THE REPUBLIC.
SUMMER SKETCHES-No. S.
BY MARY J. WINDLE.
snAssosDALE srnrses, July ls, 1853


We made an expedition yesterday-the longest
and most interesting we have hitherto under
taken-to the top of "Loper's Rock" which
rises isolated from the ssBIue Ridge" Mountains,
and 80 symmetrically in the transparent atmos-
phere that it looks like some island of the air,
more than mere elevation from the earth sur
face.
The ascent was most fatiguing, and two only Of
our ladies had courage sufficient to proceed to the
summit, and enjoy the reward Of seeing SO large
portion of the world beneath them. The day
ia rare occurrence for excursion days-dawned
auspiciously, cools SOFT and slightly overloaded,
precisely such day as lady pedestrians love, as
there was neither sun enough to offend the COM
plexion nor wind to retard our progress. We pro-
ceeded very leisurely, climbing and creeping, and
clinging our way up by ten thousand impossible
turns, and scrambling through paths utterly in
visible for the upward springing and downward
hanging vegetation, and where the movements we
made, as we waded through, was all the indica-
ton we had Of our way. About halfway up we
came to narrow green gorge, where whole
web Of glittering brooklets ran twining like
company Of silver snakes through the glen. 1t
seemed to be the headquarters of all the water
H.
into each other on the sides Of the rugged rock,
where butter-cups and daisies, woven into one
cloak of beauty, spread themselves over the rag
ged sides and rough gules. Every now and then
we reached an eminence, from which fine dark
sea of hoary woodland rolled down into the neigh
boring hollows, and crested the rounded promon-
tories all around. Again we came to deep rents,
with sparkling threads of live water running
through them and thickets of hedge-growth
ringing them-a very paradise of wild sweet
ness. u
Here and there were slides of rich brown soil,
over which scars in the earth's bosom Nature
makes haste to draw the edges of her fowery
mantle. The close grain of the thick grass was
starred with tiny blossoms, fragrant with fresh
ness or vocal with insect melodies. Over this
bright and lovely wilderness, thus high uplifted
above the earth s common level, cattle strayed,
who were the only inhabitants of these beautiful
solitudes, which during the summer afford album
dant pasturage.
After scaling the stony and precipitous ribs OF
this mountain--after scrambling slowly and with
the utmost difficulty up all but vertical paths,
which were indeed nothing but the bare bed of
winter torrents which had torn for themselves
way down the rocky descent, leaving an irregu-
lar channel Of loose tumbling stones-the scene
which burst upon us at the end was unexpected
as it was enchanting. The words we were speak
ing died away upon our lips, and it must have
been twenty minutes before we spoke or moved
beholding having absorbed our existence during
that time. I'll
There are no words given to us to expr ess what
we felt. Immortality seemed to possess us ra-
Their than life.
We were SO high upon the mount ain top that
its highest peak only rose like gentle hill above
us. To our right, bathed in sunshine and cur
tanned round with beautiful woodland, lay Shan
nondale in all its picturesque beauty. To the
left, sank down the deep valleys through which
Law our gradual descent from Heaven, and far,
far between the mountain SUBMITS all round US,
the purple peaks of the "Blue Ridge rose above
one another, Turing the imagination to fancied
scenes of wilder beauty amid their distant, dim
trecesses. The rocky promontories, with their
deep, Jagged outlines, stony and stern in their
unvarying beauty, contrasting with the curving,
undulating, exquisite element at their feet, and
canopied with that limpid sky, whose richness
and softness lent tenderness and brightness to the
whole. #
The sun seemed to search with delicious
warmth the recesses of the elevation where we
stood-the blue sky rooted it in with tender glory,
and looked with limpid clearness through the
beautiful arches as they rose tier above tier into
the morning air; and from every rift and crevice,
and stony receptacle, where an inch of soil could
lodge curtains of exquisite wild flowers tell over
the brown rich masses; full-tufted bushes of dark
green verdure rocked and swayed in the summer
air--and high up against the transparent sky, light
feathery wands of blossoms sprang from the huge
cefts, GROWING the grim battlements with their
most fragile beauty.
But we ccused very to distinguish them
through the binding tears that filled our eyes.
Words multiplied to WEAKNESS can hardly express
ono tithc of the loneliness and sublimity OF this
enchanting view. twas perfect pageant; and
II does not dim, nor alter nor fade, nor wear out
daily resurrection-a miracle of beauty
&c Clo,de I,n,raine" alone has ever painted such
skv. ssPoussi,," such an earth; and both of them
would have despaired of representing the COM
bined beauties of earth and sky as we there saw
them.
From these witnesses of the power OF God, the
eye passes naturally to Him whose monuments
they are.
Vircinians have been accused-how justly VIC
know not-of an overweening pride in their ma
tive State They are sxcusabe, we thlnk' IN m
dulging this feeling. Here, on SOIL heaPeo WIN
the ashes of the purest patriots-here' where one
great existence after another has been kindied'
burned brightly, and been extingushed-hsre'
where the huge conception of American freedom
took body in that great deathless spirit whose
memory lives like the ghost ofan almighty truth.
Washington! What State can claim so exalted
BIRTH Where the prophetic vision, the spirit
of self-denial, the patient endurance, the far
reaching intelligence, the lofty PATRIOTISM ana
L Il ,hof,h med