The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-08-17

was silently floating down the ST. Lawrence,
he had read Gray's Elegy-then just publish
ed;-and as The melancholy rhythm of its
sorrow echoed through the char bers of his
soul; as he read that plaintive stanza, /
The boast of beraldry, the pomp OF power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, ~
Await alike the inevitable hour
The paths Of glory lead but to the grave-oFt |
he uttered shat memorable senten ce: 81 would
rather be the author of that poem than take
Quebec.' So, too. as stood before the plain
but Suggestive monument, with this simple in
scription, Here fell Wolfe pietorious."
called up the gallant young soldier, as. in the
agonies of the last momeEt the Wild fnsh of
victory illnmined his countenance, and from
his lips, trembling in death. hurst those words
of melancholy grrndeur: "Now God be prais-
ed die in peace!"
Standing on the plains of Abraham. my
mind tbronged with memories of the military
events of which Quebec had been the center,
and thousand obscure things were made
clear.
We also visited the falls of Montmorenci
The, e falls are 290 feet high. All strangers
ought TO visit Montmorenci. I quote from
Prof SiIliman. and can fully endorse it all:-
"The river, at some distance seems suspended
in the air, in sheet of hillowy foam, and.
contrasted as it ia, with the black frown-
ling abyss into which it falls, is an object
of the highest interest. The sheet of foam.
which first breaks over the ridge, is more and
more divided as it plunges and is dashed against
1.-THE successive LAYERS of rocks, which il almost
completely wells from view; the spra- becomes
verv delicate and abundant from top TO bot
tom, hurrving over and revolving around the
torrent, till it becomes whittier and more evan
Ieecent than the whitest feecy clouds Of sum-
mer, than the finest attenuated web, than the
Eghtest gossamer, constituting the most airy
and snmptuous drapery that can be imagined
Yet, like the draoery of some of the Greciar
statues, which, while it wells, exhibits mor'
lforcibly the form beneath; this does not hide
but exalts the effects produced by this noble
cataract. In winter the spray freezes ant
forms regular cone of one hundred feet, o
upw ard, in hight, standing Immediately at th
bottom of the cataract like some huge gian
of fabulous notoriety."
On the road to the falls we we're CONSTANT
besieged by little French children. who mad
themselves visible at the doors or run alon
by our carriage. They knew by instinct al
most, an American" as we are called Littl
creatures, just able to stand, would wave thei
arms in the most approved style of Frenc
salutation. They did not thrust their arm
out at angles as children here would. but i
more graceful curves. They had an end i
view beside simple juvenile galIantry. The
were soliciting "small change" Flower girl
also besieged us on the road. A very amusin
scene occurred on the first appearance of one
As we were driving rapidly along, there sue
denly dawned at the carriage door, running
fast as the carriage moved, twelve year ol
girl with beautiful bunch of flowers. Or
of our company. astonished at the goodne
of girl he never knew, reached out his han
to accept what he supposed was offered
him as gift. He had partially secured thei
but still the flower girl blowing and pufin
seemed reluctant to let go. Not understand
ing her dialect, our hero was surpsiSed. Or
of the ladies in the carriage suggested 81
wanted some money. He as thunderstrucl
He had supposed all along this was speech
blessing of Providence sent to him. He re
linquished his hold; but was again constriane
to extend his right hand. while be fumbled Fl
change with his left. But indecision was
- his counteDanee Was it dream, q shan
The "small change" was slow to be reache
The girl ran and puffed and looked with eag
eyes. until, amid the CONSERVATION and iDextir
guishable laughter and terrible flights of Il
carriage, the girl, like a wearied Indian runne
was compelled to put an end to the wonder
? fully rapid and persistent oscillation of her ia
flying legs, at length falling far back in IL
rear, leaving her ungallant patrons and o.
bewildered hero in a storm of boisterous mel
riment. But enough fer this time.
as j. "a. R.