The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-19
CHAPTER VII
The knight and the Backuoodsmdn.


The KNIGHT and the Backpoodsmdn.
"A youth, light he rted and content,
wander through the world N
Here ArBb-like is pitched my tent,
And straight sgain is fured.
Yet off ! cream that once - nj
Pfzer, translated BY LonefeHOw
The frat day of Herman's journey, after the
hustle and excitement of the first hour of start
ing, passed but heavily. HE WEAKNESS re-
turned upon him and the severed heart strings
acbed. The sides of the railroad were beaped
up with drifts; and the air was filled with
fakes, which the charging winds made such
conmotion among, that it seemed to him that
It was showing up as fast as down, and that
storm would end in the flying white feathers
hitching again in the low brooding clouds, and
leaving the earth again as bare as it was be
fo.e they fell. The windows were oil shut and
dim with the breath of his grimly contented,
ssfocation-!oviug fellow passengers; he made
no attempt to open his, for he thought that if,
in circumstances 30 depressing, they could
derive any comfort from the inhalation of their
customary carbonic acid, it would be pity to
deprive them of it; and even when he wiped a
pane, and tried to divert his thoughts by look.
ing at the shifting views of the CHASTITY land.
5cspe, the provoking steam, which the engine
blew from its ever smoking pipe, kept clapping
iis provoking hand over each picture, Just as
bis eye fixed upon it. Last, not least, as he had
feared, his otherwise worthy companion proved
a ptig.
Happily, the latter had laid in seemingly
ine1haustible supply of mental provisions fer
bis journey, in the shape oftracts; pamphlets on
teaching children to read right by the ingen-
ious process of spelling wrong, and on other
important and practicable kindred reforms !;
specimens Of the phonetic alphabet, and of
the productions of its patrons; and second rate
treatses, by selftaught, not to say untaught,
geniuses on intemperance, war, slavery, &C.
a gloomy and depressing kind of literature,
chiefly remarkable, perhaps, for its power of
bringing the might of pressing social evils into
the strongest contrast with that of the means
By which it proposes to remove them. He
kindly offered some of these to Herman. He
accepted one, as an excuse for his unsociable
silence 1t put him to sleep, and was thus of
some service to him; but he dreamed of Con.
stsEce Aspenwsll, and when he awoke, he
dreamed of her still.
Day and night he hurried on but it was
still az one in dream-a dream of her. He
could not help it yet. He glided over Della
ware Bay, and with an idle eve watched its
G0UAs y: "id duvhs nJatiug WAFER nhS
the brown sea-weed of Sea Farm, till the steam
boat came too near, and then flying up and
away with the silver Innings of their wings
tWinkling in the sun against the evergreen trees
on the shore; and wondered whether she had
lately watched them 30. Delaware and Mary.
land lay behind-Marylsnd where she might
even now be, SO near him, yet 30 far from him,
so little guessing he was there-caring so little
where he was. The beautiful hills of Virginia
closed in around him, with houses nesting,
and sometimes even carefully fitted, into their
sides. The mountain-laurels cleaned like
emeralds through their coating of thin ice.
The hills grew higher and higher; and, where
the road cut through them, rich green mat.
ting of thick tufted moss dropped lovingly over,
to heal their wounds and hide the scars. Log
cabins began to appear aud run by, with GAL
tsr'es, matched roofs, and-alas now aud then
great black holes broken through them but
who would be tasteless enough for q moment
10 speak of thrift and comfort in comparison
win the picturesque, and with the (very) g. pc.
eulIar institution" which is 80 very promotive
ONT? Large snahy creepers ran writhing up
lhe trunks of the still leaaess trees. The SET
ing sun shone on gilded, 6lmy, distant noun
tslns and clouds, which one could hardly tell
apart but he passed the highest Alleghanies
10 his regret in a dark night, without seeing 80
much as bear, in jolting stage.coach with
rOugh'lookIng men about him, as he found
wen the morning broke and be beheld them
'Or the first time, nodding waggishly at each
O'neF IN their uneasy sleep. They stopped for
breakfast, Tor few moments, at an inn. Her.
man determined TO avail himself of the oppor.
'un''y TO wash his face. For this purpose he
Was shown into spacious apartment contain.
ing The convenience of handsome rose wood
Oeaslead, and nothing else. The very door had
neither latch, lock, bolt, nor button, to keep it
smut By earnest and repeated expostulation.
ne obtained quart bowl of water and q nan.
kn' Just before the coach started again. On
'ney went once more through the wide dreary
iactS Of brown and white mountain and wood.
iano' coming now and then to a clearing, where
~e snow was unbroken except by the ebon
Sumps OF felled trees, which looked like the
graveyard of the departed lords of the forest.
At Wheeling, Mr.. Grubbe, who had taken q
great liking to Herman, pointed out to him a
'H novelty. 1t was wharf boat" sor,
'''" with store-house in it, containing for
sA'e' the old man told him, such things as pass
s steamboats, were likely to want, and moored
:, 'ne shore, or rowed out towards the middle
'ne river, according to the depth of the water
iney we're again embarked. and slidinO
OO'n'y down between the brown sepis land.
apes On The banks of the Ohio, with the small
'A mouths OF their sub-soil coal mines open
everywhere, like those of the soul-destrov
PIT CAIRO was passed; and they were sti,
bon '''n The prov Of their steamboat the dingy
ing Cruel of the Mississippi.
g., 1e'e MS worthy old friend, having BY this
- READ most of his pamphlets, and distribut
many was much thrown upon Herman's
Icy Tor entertainment. Herman made the
ofL. IL oy drawing from him little accoun,
vha ,' mode of life, and of the savages among
~ ne passed it. He limited little surprise