The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1865-11-09

seven and the youngest in the fourth
year, and accompanied by an uncle who
for the greater part of his time was in
another car, leaving them to get along
as best they could. They had come from
Richmond, and were going to Wheeling,
whittier their mother had gone some six
months before, they had certainly been
we'll raised and l wondered why it was,
that those little girls were permitted to
travel alone, without some female pro-
tector or friend; as soon as daylight
came they were awake to resume their
merry chat, and amuse themselves by
asking many questions of the places,
passed by the cars. In addition to these
two interesting girls, was huge repre-
sentative of the "wild man," or "Cali-
fornia Joe," dressed in real Indian Co.'S
tune, and attracting more than ordinary
attention, by his wild, unnatural appear
ance, and at the same time revealing lat
intervals) CLEANS of soft and humane
heart, reflected through rough exterior.
We reached Cumberland, o'clock A.
NJ. here the train stopped long enough to
allow the passengers to breakfast. This
mountain city contains about seven
thousand inhabitants, and is said to do
large business, the morning being very
foggy, little of the surrounding country
could be seen, and we again resumed our
conversation on the country, politics, re-
ligion, etc.
The king of day did not present us
with his beautiful rays of light until we
had nearly reached New Creek, and as
the clouds of vapor rose from the ground,
tains and sat as a crown of glory, increas-
ing the sublimity and grandeur of the
scenery, and involuntarily calling forth
praise and thanksgiving to Him, who
has so diversified the scenes of nature,
to please the vast proportion of the hui
man family. We were not long in reach
ing Piedmont, where the ascent of the
mountain begins in earnest, rising some
1900 #. in seventeen miles. Now the
full beams of old Sol shone with resplen-
dent glory upon the mountain forests,
some of whose leaves are tinged with
gold, presenting scene of uncommon
interest and beauty. Ihave always been
an admirer of mountains, but never be-
fore did I realize their true grandeur
and sublimity. "These everlasting hills
proud monuments Of God, lifting their
majestic SUBMITS towards heaven, SEEM
ed to point to that period in past eterni-
ty, when the sons of God shouted for
joy over finished CREATION" My mind
also reverted to that beautiful expression
of the psalmist. Gas the mountains
are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord
is round about his people, from hence
forth, even for ever" AS one has said
there is charm connected with noun
tains so powerful, that the merest men,
ton of them, the merest sketch of their
magnificent features kindles the imagi-
nation, and carries the spirit at once into
the bosom of their enchanted regions.
How the mind is filled with their vast
solitude! how the inward eye is fixed
on their silent, their sublime, their ever
lasting peaks how our heart bounds to
the music of their solitary cries, to the
tinkle of their gushing rills, to the sound
of their laundering cataracts. Well may
we say with Hewitt, "thanks be to God,
for mountains, from age to age they have
been the fast friends of man, in thou
sand extremities they have saved him."
How often David the sweet singer in
Israel found recluse from the bitter
prosecutions of his enemies, i'll the cav
ern Of the mountains, and doubtless from
his long experience with them he was
enabled to pen the graphic description
given in the text, and thus afford conso-
lation to the sons of God in their weary
pilgrimage through this world.
Another view of mountains presented
to the mind, was the inexhaustible treas
ures contained in their bosom, as was
seen in the immense quantity Of coal
that lay on the sides ready to be shipped