Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-08-22

tue upper stoTies PioJecs, iofmiue Pieasanl
arcades where person can walk with safe
ty, unmolested by sun, rain, or wagons.
And above all presenting a smooth and
agreeable surface, unlike mos. European
towns, whose walks are
"Pavements faugd with numerous stones"
The Bear, the speaking weapon" Of
Berne, receives marked prominence in
this Republican city, to which they seem
to impute asymboical significance. Two
large bears stand guard on the pillars of
the city gate. In the Cathedral-terrace, is
a large statue erected to the memory of
some Swiss patriot and by his side u large
bear in the act of putting his head into a
bonnet. Two minutes before the town
clock s,ikes the hour, gang Of fierce look
ing bruins, dressed in regimentals, march
around an old figure that holds the seeptre
of Tune. And to crown the whole, the
city mus, have garden, containing a num-
Der of live bears This odd feature makes
Berne rather bearish looking city.
Mountains are the nurseries Of the Sons
of Freedom. Swirzerlind may thank her
Alps for her Liberty and Independence.
These, like the Highlands of Scotland,
have helped to train national heroes. Noun
tain air, mountain difficulties, mountain
barriers, develope powers to overcome
mountains. Patriotism does not always
confer comfort, nor can the temporal hap
piness of the Swiss be compared to that Of
their republican brethren in America.
/ Mountains are more fertile and convenient
for purposes of patriotism, than agriculture.
In the North of Switzerland, farmers live
in the good old republican fashion, each
one on his own lands, and a goodly portion
of it, which they generally cultivate in
thrifty aud tasteful manner. But in the
mountains it is far otherwise. With
glutted population, where no man can have
much to farm, aud that little perhaps along
amountain inaccessible by wagon or plough
they are obliged, in most literal sense,
10 eat their bread in the sweat Of their
brow Whenever their is little patch
where their can safely labor, they will seek
to make it available by some means or
other. Narrow strips along fearful pre-
cipiees, which one would suppose only the
bold eagle could visit in his flight, are yel-
low with meagre crop. Thus they
Force a eh harlish soil for scsnty bread"
la these districts, farming implements
must be but few. Mary an Alpine village
has rever had plough, harrow, or wagon
in its fields. In pastoral districts, they
have large kegs hung on their backs in
which they carry their butter and cheese
down into the valleys to market. In the
more accessible districts, their focks are
composed of larger cattle, but many can
. only be reached by goats, 1t is novel
sight to see large foeks Of these, black,
white and speckled, each with its jingiug
little bell, clambering along these cloudy
heights. Some of the shepherds remind
one of the ancient shepherds 10 the East
old men with hoary locks and long grey
boards, sitting musingy on the cliffs of
these mountain solitudes, while their foeks
carefully Craze around them, as if con-
scious of their dependence upon their pro-
faotinp This mountain sociatv saa,,s tn
be almost entirely free from the distinc-
tions Of rank. Each has his acres hanging
along some incouvenient hill, aud few
cows or goats, according to the latitude Of
the village. Their dwellings have a uni
form appearance, ,unpainted, weather board
ed frame bindings, which look more CON-
furtatl- for summer than winter. Here
there Is a social equality rarel y met with.
No upper aud lower classes, no stately
palaces to provoke envy, nor cringing ser
vitude contempt.
Though poor the peasants hut. his feast the sns
He secs his little lot the lot uf all,
Sees contiguous palace rear its head
To shame the msanIess Of his humble she'd"
l was surprised to hnc So maDycrippies and
other species Of deformity in these noun
tain regions. The severity of the climate
especially during the winter, the frequency
of accidents resulting from the nature Of
the country, and the heavy crushing lsbor
which they must perform, doubtless con-
tribute much to this. Here children and
females perform labor which is only inten-
ded for strong men. Still they have been
Injured to it, aud seem contented Some
would not give their barren mountains for
the best farms in America. The Swiss are
proverbially given to tome-sickness; many
weep and pine away after Switzerland in
countries where they could live much bet
ter than here. Here they cling with tena-
cious fondness to mountain heights upon
which an American farmer could scarcely
venture, where they breathe the keen air
aud carol their pastoral melodies as they
Chamber after their wook, eat their scanty
meals with grateful heart, and seem to
h., h.