Georgetown weekly news., 1854-11-02
Charms of the Mountains.

There IS a charm connected with noun
tains so powerful, that the merest mention
of them, the merest sketch of their magnif-
cent features, kindles the imagination, and
carries the spirit at once into the bosom OF
their enchanted regions How the mind is
filled with their vast solitude, how the in
ward eye is fixed on their silent, their sub
lime, their everlasting peaks How our
breast bounds to the music of their solitary
cries, to the tinkle of their gushing rill, to
the sound Of their cataracts HOW inspi-
ring are the odors that breathe from the
upland turf, from the rock hung flower from
the hoary and solemn pine, how beautiful
are those lights and shadows thrown abroad,
and that fine transparent hue which is diff
fused over the valleys and lower slopes, as
over q vast, inimitable picture. At this
season Of the year the ascents of our own
mountains are become most practicable
The heat has dried up the moisture with
which winter rains saturate the spongy turf
OF the hollows. and the atmosphere clear
and settled, admits of the most extensive
prospects
Whoever has not ascended our mountains,
knows little of the beauties of this beautiful
state. Whoever has not climbed their long
and healthy ascents, and seen the humble
mountain flowers, the glowing moss, the
richly tinted leaves at his feet, and scented
of the uncultivated sod, and of the spicy
shrubs, and heard the bleat of the flock a.
cross their solitary eXpanses, and the wild
cry of the mountain plOver, the raven Or the
bo iobo h,,oc &
distant slopes and eminences, the livid CASH
es of ravines and precipices, the white gilt
tering line Of falling waters, and the cloud
tumultuousiy whirling round the lofty sum-
mit-and then stood painting on that sum-
nit, and beheld the clouds alternately gath
er and break over thousand giant peaks
and ridges of every varied hue, but all 81
lent as images Of eternity, and cast his gaze
over lakes and forests and smoking towns,
and wide lands to the very ocean, in all
their cleaning and reposing beauty, knows
llnothing Of the treasures ofpictorial wealth
which his own country possesses.
But when we let loose the imagination
from even these splendid scenes, and give it
free charter to range through the far more
glorious ridges Of continental mountain,
through Alps, Appenines, or Andes, how is
it possessed and absorbed by all the awful
magniicence of their scenery and charac-
ter. These sky-ward inaccessible pinnacles,
/ the
"Palaces where nature throws
Sublimity in icy halls"
the dark Alpine forests, the savage rocks
and precipices, the fearful and unfathomable
chasms filled with the sound of ever precip-
itating waters, the cloud, the silence, the
avalanche the cavernous gloom, the terrible
visitations ofheaven-concentrated of lightning
darkness and thunder, or the sweeter fea-
lures of living, sunshiny streams, spicy odors
of flower and shrub, fresh, spirit-eIating
breezes, sounding through the dark pine
grove, the evervarying lights and shadows
and aerial hues, the wide prospects, and
above all, the simple inhabitants.
We delight to think Of the people of noun
famous regions, we place our imagg gginations
with their picturesque and quiet abodes,
with their peaceful secluded lives, striking
and unvarying costumes, and primitive man.
ners. We involuntarily give to the noun
taineer heroic and elevated qualities He
lives amongst noble objects and must i'm
bibe some of their nobility: elves amongst
the elements of poetry, and must be poeti-
cal; he lives where his fellow beings are far,
far separated from their kind, and surround
ed by the sternness and the perils of savage
nature, his social affections must be there
| fore proportionally concentrated, his home
ties lively and strong; but more than all he
| lives within the boundaries, the strongholds
the very best refuge which nature herself
has reared to preserve to man his highest
hopes, his nObleSt emotions, his dearest
treasures, his faith his freedom, his hearth
and home. How glorious do those noun
tain ridges appear when we look upon them
as the uncOnquerable abOdes of free hearts,
as the stern heaven-built walls, from which
the few, the feeble, the prosecuted, the de-
spised, the helpless child, the delicate wO-
man, have from age to age in their last per-
lis; in all their weakness and emergencies,
when power and cruelty were ready to swal-
low them up, looked down and beheld the
million waves of despotism break at their
feet-have seen the rage Of murderous ar
mics and tyrants, the blasting spirit of am
bltion, fanaticism and crushing domination
recOil from their bases in despair!
Thanks be to God for mountains is Of
ten the exclamation of my heart as [ trace
the history Of the world. From age to age
they have been the last friends of man. In
a thousand extremities they have afforded
him secure retreat. What lofty souls,
what tender hearts, what poor and persecu-
ted creatures have they sheltered in their
strong bosoms from the weapons and tor
lures Of their fellow men Waverley.
MAMNoTH FRUIT-Mrs. Frances A. Wea-
ver of Washington Market, has, from Mr.
Lewelan, Of Oregon, case of fruit which
is really a curiosity. Some Of the apples
are enormously LARGE. Meiohinr from two to