Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-07-21
They are the scriptures of the earth
Sweet flowers, fair and frail +;

oWeet flowers, falr and frail
And sermons speak in every one
That woos the summer gale"
tie who cannot see God in a wild flower
Will not see the true God in the mountain
or the storm.
The Alum Spring does not deserve its
name. The water is about the same as of the
Pledmont-but is not so cool. The strea m
comes from fssure in large rock which
overhangs the creeks-but it is SO small
and weak that it requires some time to get
gill of the water It is however in a
cool, sequestered spot, with objects of inter
est around. The creek runs over bed OF
s.satld Eeeks -sEhas- wassssiis sbHght and pei
lucid. We sat by the sprihg and watched
the little fishes sporting in the limpid cur
rent. You would have laughed to have
seen US seining with our handkerchiefs,-
At the first "haul" we caught two "bona
tide" fish-at the second, one. You have
no right to ask me how large they were,
and have no inclination to tell you [
saw near the spring a mahogany tree. 1t
IS the first | have ever seen. 1t resembles
the common birch-the leaf is almost the
same-and when it is bruised or broken,
1t emlts an odor very like the Sarsaparilla
plant. There also are luxuriant clusters of
what | think the most beautiful species of
the laurel-the purely white.
Before leaving Piedmont we had amused
ourselves in scrutinizing large rattlesnake.
The peculiar sound of his rattles was still
IN our ears, and the fact that we were in
the land of rattlesnakes was not forgotten
by us. Just as we were starting back, nv
friend l., who is "all the way from
Germany" suddenly heard something that
he thought vas de rattIes, stopped short,
looked wild, and, with no ordinary earnest
ness, cried out-'aCat iSh dat ?" We knew
it was only locust-which makes SINH
larsound, only louder and shriller-we told
him SO and thus composed his good-na-
tured face. May he never be in any moro
danger from the venomous creatures, than
he was then The one we had seen was
enough to render us fearful. He is about
four feet long-has eleven rattles and one
button. He was captured by pressing a
torked stick on his neck and running a
moose over his head. He is quite an at
tractive object to those who have not seen
them. A frog was caught and put in his
box the other day. You have heard of and
seen many frightened objects-but that
poor toad surely challenged as much sun-
To our surprise, the snake did not trouble
it-and on the next day, the two were still
living peaccably together. On the second
morning the frog was dead, though with
out wound. 1t probably died from its
desperate fear. The birds that are thrown
in are not so much respected by his majes.
ty. but are devoured without much cere
mony.
But my letter is growing long and
must close. 1t is night-a soft and peace
full highland nature seems to be enjoying
that tranquil repose which she offers to he
children. A few stars are shining--thos
heaven-companions which our Father lend
to talk to US of Him and Heaven, when al
earth's babbling tongues are still. Such
silence as this is natures eloquence, plead
ing for God. Aye, more, to the soul tina
listens, 1T IS the very shout Of Deity. A
such time God loves to visit those VIII
love him-and bless them with a commr
Mon whose pleasures would be cherishe
where earth's fondest joys were dross c
shame. Oh, how precious is childlik
confidence in the Lord and a sweet and III
trembling companionship with him! Whe
such happiness is the sure boon of th
believer, he, who is rational and spurns tt
privileges Heaven offers the soul ma
challenge the universe for parallel to h
recklcssness and folly. A. w. NJ.
Piedmont Springs, July Sd, 1858.