The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-07-02
NORFOLK, VA, June 18th,

NORFOLK, VA June 18th, 1853.
What peregrinations we children of the busy
world are continually performing! Less than
a week ago, | was in the dear delightful Queen
City, rejoicing in the energy, industry, and Ba-
belle confusion ofits busy hosts. Now, beneath
a brighter, warmer sky, / dwell in Southern
cline, where every family "sitteth beneath
their own vine and fig tree"
Our journey hither was charming. Being a
native-a child of the West-ncvcr before
catching glimpse of the mountains, you can
imagine the grandeur and sublimity of those
PERCEPTIONS heights to my unsophisticated mind.
The scenery throughout the entire route from
Pittsburgh to Baltimore, is unparalleled in any
country. We followed, the whole of one bright
afternoon, the meanderngs of little stream,
denominatcd Spruce Creek. How longed for
the artist inspired pencil to convey to paper
those lovely scenes! Sometimes mill, old and
dilapidatcd, rested idly on its green shores, APP
parcntly in cOntcmplative mood, gazing upon
the scenes of its early labors perchance like its
owner, the miller. who had grown rich and re-
tired. Then burst upon our view picturesque
white cottage" the lattice porch with ivy
clad. where little children guided fairy boats
on the ripping wave, or in the distance, Gid
ing where graceful bridge spanncd the spark
| ling waters, as they foamed and dashed towards
a cataract's verge melting into pearly spray or
"palaces of tears" rainbOw-hucd in the sun
shine.
The valley of the Juniata we passed through
on one of the brightest and most beautiful of
moonlight nights. The I" blue Juniata blue
as a summer sky-was then many silver threads,
winding through dark graceful masses of shrub
:; ny nv, d ,,.,' lou s'tn.
nnrtu,tv of soo;n% soms,at e Wor,Iand onJ
Poi'"nty vi stciS n", vi h"i i''i:.' anu
loohy' .euI rouat ~ "p
w. ~ ~, =, n.y. -; .i.
Inf os Il r";noI e., na,, noth;no Of t,o oit, u.
no Lotol onrirnnS A. dmsI v,o on,harl:oI ON
tho Nort Caroua vi rn o Nt ho, U
noinr at the ratio of TWENTY-FIVE miles an Lonr
T. -, ~ =; tn,.o,t IN ';s,,,t iii, han1 -;
The son and bcovrns wcre hlack aIiiSc wh;In
fnrkcd Ji"btninos nl,ved across tho shodowIoss
Iar,ncss Ito"ctthcr f,It that had roosnn
I'm conmatulate mvself on This srhjimo intro.
dnct;nn to tho :. widc vida son :,
NorenIk is vcrv sandy and So ;,,c,se1,,lov
that mole-bilJ Is a curiosity as iiknwsge was a
now, nmnihrs th.t ,rri,od Iii ,,,nu,';S. So,
pblod,lnbia. with brakes. An thr haokmen
cab and omnibus drivers were puzzled for some
length of time s:studyipg ont! their intended
use The horses in the market Wagons have
only a rope around their nccks. in the nlace Of
a Bride and the same attaching Them to the
shafts. without the paraphernalia Ofharncss
We attended st. Paui's church last sunday
the most ancient cdifice in Norfolk. 1t was
built in 1879 the date is inserted in the build
ing, in brick, in the queer old letters of thosc
days. This church was at one period the only
house in Norfolk; it alone ESCAPED being con.
sumcd ina general conflasration. Hstili bears
the mark of a cannon ball, which passed
through the wall The injury has not been re-
paired, being left to satisfy the curiosity o
strangers.
G.. Z. r. James, the celebrated novelist. and
at present British Consul, is resident here.
have not as yet had the pleasure of meeting
him. Rumor says there is no ostentatous dis
play about him and his family neither in living
or dressing and gossip says Mrs. James still
clings to the old gOrcd shirts of years acone.
There is great lack of energy here 1t pcr-