Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-07-20
MAY MARTIN,
OR,
THE HONEY DIGGEaS.
4 GREEN MOUNTAIN TALE.
BY ID. p. III MPSON.

towns situated in the heart of the Gree II
Mountains. is picturesque little valley,
containing perhaps sonnet hing over two
thousand acres OF land. formerly known
IN that section Of the country by the aP-
pella,ion of The Harwood Settlement. SO
called from the name of the original pro-
.prietor of the valley. As if formed By
some giant hand, literally scooping out
the solid mountain 1Hd n 1UldIng it into
shape and proportion, the whole valley
presents the exact resemblance of an oval
basin whose sides are composed OF con-
tsuous ridge Of lofty hills bordering it
around. and broken only by two narrow
outlets at lis northerly and southerly ex-
rremitics. The eastern part of this val
ley is covered by one of these transparent
ponds, which are so beautifully charac-
teris;ic of Vermont scenery, lying in the
form of a crescent. and extending along
beneath the closely encircling mountain
on the east nearly the whole length Of
The interior landscape, forever mirroring
up from lis darkly bright surface. family
and vividly. as cload or sunshine may
prevail, the molly groups of the sobvr
forest, where the more slender and soft
tinted beech and maple seem struggling
Tor place among the rough and shaggy
forms of the sturdy hemlock. ascending
ellis of the woody preciOice. while here
and there, at distant intervals, towering
high over all stands the princely pine.
waving its majestic head in solitary gran
deur, striking bet melancholy type of
the original Indian, still occasionally
found lingering among US. the only
naming representative of once power
full race. which have receded before the
march of civilized men. now destined no
more to flourish the lords of the plain aud
M. un;aiD. This pond discharges its sur
plus al is southern extremity i'll pure
stream of considerable size. which here
as If in wild glee at its escape from the
en- brace of its parent waters, leaps at
once; from state of the most unrufEled
tranquility. over ledgy barrier with
noisy reverberations, goes bounding along
from cliff to clilf, in series of romantic
cascades. downa deep ravine. till the
leSseniug echoes are lost In the suuos :
-ies of the valley. Fr, IN the western
shore Of this sheet Of water the land rises
III gentle u.dulati ms. and with gradual
ascent. 6acG to the foot Of the mOuuta ius,
which here, on every side. rear their ever
green SUBMITS TO the clouds. standing
around this vast fortress of nature as
huge sen,inels posting the outworls to
battle with the careeTing hurricanes. that
burs, In fury OH their immoveable sides.
and arrest anl receive on their own un'
scathed heads the shafts OF the lightning
descending for its victims 10 tie valley
below. where they cheerily handy from
side to side the yoicy echoes OF the liiun-
der peal with their mighty bfeth.en OF
the opposite rampant.
Nor is the beauty of the minor features
OF the landscape surpassed by the bold
grandeur, OF the main outlines. The it,
terror Of the valley, for miles in extent.
uniformly sioping TO the eastward, check
cred with beautiful alterations Of town
and woodland. forever richly clothed in
their season with the wavy and lighter
verdure of the cultivated field. or the dee p
tinted and exuberant foliage of the forest.
While a thousand gushing rils come dan
cling down from the surrounding heights
ID meet the morning sun and glitter In
h.s FIRST smile. as he looks in over the
eastern barrier on his return from his d.
urmal circuit
At the period of which we are about 10
write, the rude dwellings of the small
band of settlers. who then inha bited the
valley, were scattered at different inter
walls along the road which entering from
the south wound round the Westward =
margin Of the pond and passed off thro'
fhe interleaplng mountains towards Can
ada. OF these dwellings the largest, and
most respectable in appearance. was the
one situated in the most southerly part oi
the valley. The old house OF the pionee,
still standing in the back ground surrouu-
ded by weeds and briarS. had here given
place to a new frame house of one story,
which. together. with the appearance Of
the out buildings and the well cultiva-
ted grounds adjoining 5etokened a con
siderable degree of thrift and comfort in
the circumstances OF The owner
Towards night on beautiful summer s
day. at the time we have chosen for the
opening of our tale. young man and
maiden might have been seen leaving the
door of the cottage we have described,
aud leisurely taking their way across the
pasture, IN direction 10 intersect the
main road at the termination of the clear
ing on the south. The first named of the
couple. apparently Of the age Of about
twenty Fl We years, was in the full bloom
of vigorous manhood. His hardy, robust
and we'll fora1ed frame was graced with
an open. frank aud highly intelligent coun-
tenance. indicative at once OF all ingen.
ious disposition, light heart, aud the
cOnscIentiousness of strong hand, with
mental capacity to govern and render If
available--exhibiting in his person fine
simple of the early emigrant settlers of
Vermont. who were almost universally V
men of uncommon ply slcal powers. and
generally of moral qua tiles which quailed
at no ordinary obstacles, fact attributa-
BILE. probably. neither to chance. nor the
invigoreting effects of their climate, but
to the naiurai operation of these very pow.
ers and qualities themselves. which only
could incite them to forsake the ease and