Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-03-05
ORIGINAL PAPERS,
Writes for Ihs spirit Of ths AHs.
A i | @ Z M MELV VII i E,
The Mountain Rose.
BY LIZZIE.
CHAPTER I.


Dear reader, did you ever 10 travelling
ever the rugged paths and byways, and
through the deserts aud Wildernessss of
this world, find rose in all its beauty and |
loyelinesa, blowing amid the tangled bran-
bic and repulsiYe thorn-shadcd by the !
monster oak and decaying pine-spring
ing from turf Of poisonous roots and pu- |
trid mud, aud sending forth its melifflusus
odors amid the stencil Of the carron weed,
the noIious odor Of the poison vine and
the dreadful miasma Of the putrtfyiDg
swampS If you did, did you not wish to
pluck it from its sordid resting place and
set it in the bosom Of some favored one p
Nature would bid ysu do it-IIumanity
would instigatS you to the heavenly deed.
But to my tale.
After having received diploma from
E College, not AloRe for his superior
scholarship, but also FOR his many virtues
aud moral worth, Peter Elstane, the hero,
but not the heroine of oar tale, determined
TO visit the mountains Of western North
Carolina, for the purpose Of recreating his
specimens Of their rich ores, shining crys-
tails, and rare minerals aud we'll had been
his choice in taking that region as the
scene Of his researches, for few parts of the
world excel il in variety, ValSe or amount
Of its mineral productions. But he found
the intellect Of the Inhabitants merged in
chaos, from which the seven fold thun-
der of JoVe alone coSld arouse it, And
the mind was wildernesS--a putrid mire,
barren desert. There the branbles Of
ignominy grew and the thorns of vice
probed. There the oak of ignorance Gha-
ded and the pine of want blighted There
envy and judaism wrapped their poisonous
roots amid sins nouldsring mire. There
the carron weed of dobauchery grew, the
poison vine Of intemperance fourished, and
the putrefying swamps of degradation sent
forth their soul sickening aiasma, to blight
the bloom Of virtue, Of intellect and Of
beauty, all Of which were united in the
person Of q Mountain Rose
You do not blame the chivalric Elstane,
bat ysu envy him he opportunity Of
plucking 30 fair flower sad trAnsplanting
it to q more eongenial soil But away
with far.fetchsd SMILES, and let US person
III +hat fSUs5. " hen Poser feiytaue srs,
met Alice Melville, our heroine, she va;
in her sixteenth yeAr-of course she wa,
beautiful, yea if you take FIVE of the lsVe
let beings that ever set off . novel or gar
nished a tale, aud like the ancient artist
choose their most beautiful features an'
combine then ia one, you will not NOR
than do Alice justice. Here goes for a de
scription. Spare make and trim figure owe
which nature had cast the red and whit
with no sparing hand, for where it w
white it was white a. the SHOWS Of Ca
meps top, and where it was red it was re
MS il sught to be. Hair dark and gloss.
forming Cupid nests around An alabast'
neck. Eyes large and piercing, dArtiu
through fellow without single get OF
OF my way High forehead, sonrASt'
with q small mouth with lips so red al
pouting that the Veriest Puritan Won
think If | could But haven't got
the commencement Of my tale yet, for
Peter was taken off At 6rst peep. that is Il
natural starting place, il l may uss d
tern nature a. freely ~ certain SouthS
politicians de uheA speaking Of tAeir NJ
thern brethrens
II vas May the stars were twinkli
bright as~srst in the evening sky; t
noon had filed her last horn With silve
rays and vas sitting in her eirsling thro
With all the splendoF that supcrlativs bss
" can give. Not . cloud nor nist
tervsued 70 bay the star beams or halo
mosu, but all was splsndsr. All was
lent, save when the odorous breezss %
through the newly nedgsd fsrests or cauI
in their pinions the Burmurs Of the or
tai stream rs it softly lavsd it's verd
banks or stepped With rickliRg tread 0
the mossy pebbles. Yes it was Spri
aud the earth vas slAA in all the beau
Of spring; avery spot sent forth its Ho
aud every flower was . cenSer Of odor
charm the way Of the young bride NatU
Such NA evening VAS it when Petsr
staHe wandered alOug beautiful brock
the vest side Of the SAuratoWa mountA
ever nov and then grAspiug With eager
light some beautiful mineral, exAmiI
some unknown flower, or admirink the
nSnas cliffs Of rock that vailed in the
whose tops and sides we're clad in the {
dyed laurel, the prickly holly, the pen,
spruce. ths lively aHh aad the vide spr
ing magnolia. But oh Why does he 81
6tand stare DOeb no zee sOme III
ted beast ahou. make its spring, al
he saying silent >-thS prayer Ia
by mothsrl Dose hear the alarm
Of the rattlesnAko, and is be sending ,
thought back 70 his home on the
waters Of the Pee Dee Or dees be
himself at the mouth Of sOns nasn
grotto, and iS he longing for some
joyous schoolnAtSs 70 help him admin
No, but he sees something less easy
cape than the furious beast or the c
of the snake, aRd more wonderful thAl
lures most beautiful grotto.
He sees vision such as his boyish
had often dspicted-his conception
angel realized. He sees Mountain
blushing amid the spray Of lovely ca
That rose is Alice Melville. But
leave him contemplating the fair
Alice though clad in rustic garment
see Who Alice is, how she came in
4 l.