The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1859-10-20
GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
From the chronological Journal of Jan. l
Grace Greenwood.

The gifted writer who has won such a
wide and beautiful reputation around the
domestic hearth-stoncs OF this country,
under the name of GRACE GREENwooD,
was born IN Pompcy, a quiet, agricultural
town IN Onondaga county, n. Y. Her
family name was Sara c. Clarke, which.
by her marriage with Mr. Leander X
Llppincott, Of Philadelphia, in October
last, Is again changed; but the appella-
ton by which she will be best known in
the history Of American literature. is that
under which she made her earliest an
pearance in the field of authorship, and
attracted a multitude of appreciative and
admiring readers.
The first years of her childhood were
spent with her parents, and large family
Of brothers and sisters in pleasant rural
home in her native place Here she ac-
quired that face-to-face familiarity with ma
ture, that wild passion for outdoor sports
and exercises which made her sort Of
Die Vernon at an early age, and which, if
we may judge from her writings, the ex-
periences Of maturer life has never quite
taken out Of her heart No one but
genuine country-girl, with eye and soul
s..
and waters, and verdant fields, could have
given the description of Beauty which we
find in one Of her published letters
Beauty" says the jOcound Grace, sis no
fragile, rouged, and powdered ballroom
belle; but a wild, blooming, vigorous
nymph OF the mountains, a bounding,
sparkling Undine, amid green dells and
dashing Waterfalls. Her eye flashes not |
back the glaring brilliancy of the gay sa-
loon, but warm sunshine and clear star
light and her voice is not tuned to the |
harp and guitar, but sings with the wild
bird and laughs with the rivulet. Hebe .
herself was no luxurious habitant Of a
marble palace, with silken couches and |
relvet carpets, but rcclined beneath the
shades and danced amid the dews and
moving splendors of the sacred mountains
# the Gods. The Muses and Graces were
III young ladies of rural propensities and
most unrefned habits"
4 little incident of her childhood is
elated in one of her Juvenile works,
which shows the precocious development
f that spirit of enterprise and romance
which seems to be ingrained III her natur-
! temperament. On a certain occasion,
appears that the young madcap had call
d forth the displeasure of her atfcctionate
aother, by indulging in wild equestrian
erformance which had nearly ended in
roken bones. "Ithappened," says Grace,
that L had on that day nice new dress,
yhich had sadly soiled by my fall from
he pony; so that when l reached home,
~ mother was greatly displeased. L sup
ose l made a very odd appearance. [
-as swinging my bonnet in my hand, for
had natural dislike TO any sort of COW
ring for the head. Ny thick dark hair
ad become unbraided and was blowing +;
YER my eyes. [ was never very fair III S
and my face, neck, and arms
ad become completely Drowned by that '
exposure. Ny mother took me {
y the shoulder, set me down in chair,
)t very gently, and looked at me with |
al frown on her sweet face. She told
e in plain terms that was an idle, care a
is child! 1 put my finger in one corner L
my mouth, and swung my foot back
ID forth. She said | was great romp. l
Douted my lip, and drew down my black h
a-brows. She said | was more like h
d youngsquaw than white girl Now t.
IS was too much; it was what called P
itting upon facts and twas not the Il