The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-10
THE REPUBLIC.
SUMMER sKETCHEs-No. 10.
by MARY J. wINDLE.

by MARY J. wINDLE.
SHANNoNDALE SpRINcs, August 6, 1853.
1t was a beautiful day yesterday; the water of
the last days raining swept away by the
winds Of the night previous, and the sun came out
in smiles to the earth after her washing; it
day of all others for country ride, and in less
than an hour group of girls had donned strong
dresses and were ready to embark on their novel
adventure A great wagon drawn by country an
hnals was the vehicle for the occasion, and into
this our merry party were slowed away. The
close proximity of some dozen in a toagon, (hast
ever tried it, reader is great enemy to anything
like distance of manner or feeling, and we were
all on just the happest footing in the world. =
There were four horses, and Mr.. -- drove
like a sultan driving his harcm, or like ON undc-
veloped Mormon. Freshly swept the sweet
scented wind upward, after STOPPING momentarily
to the flowers and grass ladcs; and wild, joy
maddened burst of mingled melodies went up from
the woodland, as a crowd of young birds started
from their covcrts, and winged their way heaven
ward
Oh, such roads Our ample wagon was like
miniature ark of particularly clumsy make, now
rising on the tp-top of billow, and suddenly
sinking almost out of sight; the patient animals
drew us up and down through hills on whose i'm
practicable roughness no city hack could be trust
cd. Then we had an ovcrturn, and that was the
climax Of the day enjoyment; for nobody was
hurt. and everybody laughed and perpetrated
stale wittcism and laughed at them again, till the
birds were no doubt convinced that upsetting
big wagon is one of the rarest sports we humans
engage in Next the horses, painting as if worn
out by their own strong will, set their forward
feetstubbornly down, refusing to part company
with the turf even for an instant, manifesting an
invincible repugnancc to move. The driver
hourisled his whip; the gentlemen coaxed the
horses, soothed the driver, and laughed with us,
who with comical glances, half of mirth half of
anxiety, nibbled the tips of our kid gloves and
wondered what we should do. Then all at once
one prying fellow of our party announced that a
spring was broken, pin lost, or something of that
sort had occurred, which women are sure to get
wrong if they mention it afterwards; to which the
provoking driver responded that horse had lost
a shoe. And so, as in duty bound we all laughed
again, not heartily as before, but a nervous hys-
terical laugh. The gentlemen looked perplexed;
we cast sidelong glances at the woods; and the
driver used harder words than ever. A consulta-
ton was now held, rather short to be sure, us con-
situations are apt to be when there remains but
one path to choose; and then each gentleman
tucked a lady under his arm, and on we logged
as merrily as BEFORE leaving the crest-aen driver
to return home at his leisure He was man Of
dignifed department and mature years. man who
had driven the +. F. V's.-governors, judges,
members of Congress, sherffs, and the like-with
perfect safety and considerable credit; but he was
now informed that he was ignorant-had no know
ledge of horses-was stupid fellow, with other
vituperative epthets tending greatly to stagger
his self-confdence.
We walked slowly on, admiring and chatting,
till we reached the dearest little old-fashioned
farmhouse in the world. There were wide, low
meadows all around, with plenty of flowers and
COWS, giving promise of such nice cream; and
the Shenandoah ran at the margin of them, with
islands of yellow gravel parting its clear, brown
streams, and willows fringing the opposite bank.
All around were woods, ancient enough and ro-
mantle enough to please even Miss --, who
has talent for summoning up charming reveries
of love in cottage, angels with wings, and life
all sunshine and no clouds
Dark-eyed children, in neat, coarse dresses,
were playing about the. cottage; and tall, sum
Drowned man cordially invited us into little
room full of flowers and green bushes, through
the leaves Of which the hot air, made heavy by
the weight of the sunshine, cooled itself, and dal
lied lovingly with the flowers, then came to play
about us who knew SO well how to appreciate both
its freshness and it's perfume.
''A little paradise! I'd love to sit here and read
Childe Harold" whispered my romantic friend.
ga pretty good llousekeeper for the woods"
returned in the same tone.
"Housekeeper, indeed! Who would think of Il
housekeeper's arranging all this'" ....... ..
1t was undoubtedly some little sprite, with taste
enough to prefer such bright spot to fairy land!
And my imaginative friend tossed her head, feel
ing quite resentful that any one should think of
such prosac things as housekeeping in place
like this.
But we had no moro tnlo for observation re-
mark. A young woman, of digniticd, natronly
air, as unlike 4 fairy as any thing you can ina
CINE, came i'll, and at request tor permission to
partake of our lunch in this little room by one oil
the gentlemen, she cordially welcomed us; and
shortly after we were seated around a plentiful
board, and-oh! didn't we do justice to the samc
And did the fresh cream, and the blackberres, and
the snowy cold bread, and the raspberry jam, or
any of the other nice things, suffer from neglect!
Our host and hostess manner was enough to set
us all at ease; they were both of them so open,
genial, and unembarrassed, that the slight circum
stance of our never having met before in our lives
was altogether lost sight OF.
During the repast one of the elderly gentle
men, who had devoted his life to collecting infor-
nation regarding the antiquities of Virginia, DIV
inn into ancient chronicles and decpherng the
inscriptions on old tombstones, entertained us
with the origin of "Lorer's Rock," which was of
course an interesting subject to the unmarried Por
tinn Of our marty The gentleman referred to