The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-01-16
THE SHADOW

was travelling lDWaru evening Oh one vi
those great moors, covered with low gorse
aHd scattered stones of granite common
enough in Cornwall. The gorse was cover.
ed with snow, and the huge granite rocks
that rose here aud there, pushing their way
out OF the earth from the stratum below
looked dazzling IN their long way, and was
weary. 1t was, then, a matter of great anx
iety to me when, after an hours walking, ]
discovered had lost the track. 1t had
never been more than bride road, and 1t
was quite choked up now with snow; II
was easy to lose it, The inclement weather
so rare in Cornwall had evidently deferred
any traveller from choosing this shorter
route, and the great bleak ridge lay now
before my eyes IN unbroken whiteness. un-
marked by step ofman or beast.
In vain turned to the right and left,
seeking to recover the lost path, or at least
60 find some blessed footprint that should
speak to me in accents clear as human voice
OF help and sh tier. None such met my
view. If any waylarer had lately passed
that solitary waste, the fast falling snow
had effaced his steps with the white cover
ing that hid my own tracks almost as
quicklyas my weary feet marked their
way.
/ stood still In d,s. If and gazed around.
As far as I could see stretched one wide
waste of snow dotted here and there by
the rugged granite that arose in solid
masses from the earth. The snow fell
tbickiy, binding me as | looked, and FAM
ced in the dun distance could define the
form Of solitary tree.
stood patiently waiting till some mo-
mentary lull should quiet the sharp wind,
which was now whirling the binding snow
INTO my face, and thus enable me to jadge
whether this indistinct object was tree or
not. In short time such lull occurred
the snow ceased to fall and felt convinced
there was tree, being also equally certain
!, could not be growing on the common 1t.
self. This inhoSpital soil, scarcely an inch
tuick, resting on the primeval granite could
not shelter the roots of tree Here, then,
we're the limits of the moor. By the tree
cpnntry,-mesdows, roads. perhaps vii
age | determined To steer straight Tor
this point, abandoning all hope of reaching
the place for which had set out BY this
means only could | hope 10 escape from
aus intermnablo waste, which, perhaps
stretched mil, S on either side OF me, Sha
dlng my eyes with my hand, looked at
NV andmark, and judged 1t To be about
three miles off and with cheerful Courage,
counting the distance but little in my new
hopes, started at brisk walk in spite ot
my weariness.
NigLt fell suddenly around me as sped
hut q 10 aaplu n iba at
iernoon, and her bright light enabled me To
keep the tree Constantly IN view. soon
discovered that was right in my conject-
lewhen | supposed it t lie beyond the
moor. The changed character Of the ground
suffered to prove that | was approaching
the outskirts OF the common. Tue gorSe
grew thicker and wilder, aud here and
there a little corner, incosed by low
hedge of loose stones, showed that cultiva'
tion was encruaching on these desolated
borders. These little patches in the great
waste, covered they were with snow,
had an inexpressible, dreary look, making
me feel the solitude more acutely from their
very association with life and honor.
plodded straight on, ever keeping the
tree in front, while an oppressive sense OF
loneliness, WEAKNESS, ande cold weighed
heavily upon me, added to an indlinable
feeling, more painful still, that made my
flesh creep and shiver. Suddenly l found
myself obliged TO halt before steep en-
bankment rising like snowy ridge on the
plain. AS it wound its length to some ex-
tent on either side OF me, scrambled up
its side in order to see if | might not by
crossing the enclosure, avoid tue detour OF
skirting it. On reaching the top perceived
it enclosed the workings of an abandoned
mine. The Yawning shaft was still there
black spot in the white snow teiing I"
depth and darkness. The ruins of buildings
lay in dreary snow covered heaps; fragments
OF walls, piles of rubbish scattered mere ana
there, glittered in, the moonlight with dag
dg dhng whiteness; while through 1t all ran q
deep stream, not bound up in frost, bat
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