Litchfield enquirer., 1857-06-18
OBJ &ittb6tld Gnqa1rst.
1tohseld. Conn, Thursday, June 1s, 1857
A Sentimental Ride.
EDITORIAL CoRREspoNpENcE. /

present, and newspaper correspondence never more
general. We are told the facilities for travelling
are wonderful that thousands of miles can be &C
compished in about day, that you can breakfast
among the hills of New England. take tea on board
mighty sea palace stcaming up the Lakes. see the
rise their wooded shores, and ere the even.
ing shadows have crossed the pfailies, ready to
start Tomorrow for trip down the FEATHER Of
Waters:
Even now, portions of the crowd of visitors who
took the benefit of the late excursion trip to see
the West, are beginning to return. The newspa-
pers have been full of tedious accounts of crowded
cars, crowded steamboats,, crowded hotels, and
crowded streets
The Rev. Pro-slavery Editor of the Observer, talks
about 4" falling from grace and sliding down
the Alleghanies,' in the same Aashy STYLE that he
discourses small talk about Gethscmene and for
wards the latest gossip Of Miss Smith and Miss
Ncwcomb, whose donkey kicked up, and slid them
off forward, as they wound round Olivet
Mr.. Greeley concludes it is not best to visit a
Slave State, after feasting his eyes on the luxuriant
soil of Ohio; and Mr. Clark of the Courant writes
something, of course.
Now, while this crowd of life has been do,o
mp the West at the rate of five or six hun5rpd ne
per day' seeing nothing but human faces and hear
ing ho'Hfe nut the roar of shrieking cars and the
Indstlnct Jargon of railroad small talk we have
wandered over narrow territory, uil.listur6ed by
the noise OF whizzing cars, save as once day the
slow freight train crossed the valley below us soon
losing itself in the smoky distance We have pono
TOO, as our fathers went before U.S. on the hack of .
strong gated horse which carried us from thirty 70
nifty miles per day, giving an opportunity to talk
with the farmers, to listen to the birds to observe
the crops and indulge ourselves in all Sorts If raw
cries. How little we who travel so mich Lnou, of
the character of the country through which we
pass The railroad Conductor opens the car-ioor,
and shouts, g Hillsdae!' We look out of TIE
window, and sec pile of logs an old horse toil;np
away GA an amending journey-two men at work
saving wood-a huge crane, with a dangling chain
over It's pulley-a red watcr-tank with pine
ready to he let down--a brown row of buiIdinos
ana few carriages Just starting I'D the hill from
under white sign, which bears printed upon its
lace LOOK o." for the Engine whrn the Bell Rings"
But where is Hillsdae? Why it is Just in the same
place that it was fifty years ago--the same white
village with sloping red roofs, and shadowy trees
and grass-gr streets the same rural retired
village, healthy and beautiful with meeting
house, tavern and school house Time ecems to
have effect upon its retiring, shady countenance
and years render it only the II ore beautiful and
far away beyond Hillsdale. lie other towns of the
same shady character, supported alone by rural and
farming interests-when they grow corn and pota-
toes, and turnips-a strawberry bed in the garden
and Of raspbcrries by the fence---where sweet
corn rpens in August, and is the principal article
Of food till Observation-Disclosures peace and quiet reign
supreme, and men and women seem contented and
happy.
1t WIS one Of those beautiful days which brings
out leaf and blossom before your eyes, that we
found ourselves at the foot of the Goshen hills.
From the swail beyond the meadow, we heard the
plintivc cry of the early larks, and was scarcely
able to think from the continued catter of robbins
and beb-olinks that sailed across the road or bal
anced Oh a bending stalk by the walls Climbing
higher and higher, began to discover the
wcll-arranged gardens. In many Of them, the H.
laos had put forth their blossoms and with faces
turned to the sum- the tulips, and crocuses and vio
however, greatly affected the general verdure of
trees and shrubs but none seemed more deeply
touched than the old Syoamores, which, in their
feeble state of health. are tried by every passing
wind They are indeed great nvalids, and the con-
stitutional disease of the family seems more viru
lent than ever, this Spring. In unrequented lanes
the grass was quite long and cowslips sprinklcd in
golden patches followed the winding course of the
brooks. The horse chestnus, as if rejoicing over
'heir more sober relatives of the forest were put.
ung forth wealth of blossoms and from occasional
yards in the villages, obtruded Their smiles in
most srstocratic manner. Grape vines seem to
have been quite generally affected by the severity
OF the winter, and leaflcss and dead, knock their
dry branches against the windows and arbors
While thus contemplating the bursting buds, and
beauty OF the world about u.s. we were INTERRUPTED
y .no approach OF what seemed to be the elephant
VI 'n'noceros OF caravan Our horse ian un,,su-
any gentle onel commenced snorting and prickinc
MS ears and at length leaped across ditch nearly
nnseasins us what was our surprise, however. in
discovering as the least approached-no beast at all
out simply an ordinary wagon in which were seated
three interesting ladies' dragging after them in :.
Veh''ie which undoubtedly had been an antediluyan
oepost an old friend, who assured us he was on his
way to attend the funeral obsequies Of Americnism
lie desired us to report his latitude and longitude
anu I'LL well on board. As the afternoon approached
the sun became hot, and it seemed as If the trees
opened into leaf and blossom before our eyes, The
meadows were ploughed and adorned with every ", .
nety OF scarecrow here and there were moor crows
gibbeted on long misshapen polls, and anon wind.
mills and slistening tin; occasionally some corn.
fields were overhuag with strings stretched from,
fence to fence, and an occasional mopstrositv of
straw dressed in coat and hat held out inv;,;,, :,
pockets for wrens and sparrows to build their ness
Again weres wider fields, where rye, tall and
green rocked and and waved in the breeze and mas.
t,Ira snotted with kline In the home lot found