The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-24
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.

"The castle of Richmond stands fair on hill,
But my castle, quoth Allen, stands gallanter still.
have seen many-a city famous in story, who's
towers and turrets we've gray with the dust o
centuries; but fairer than Richmond it has neve
teen my fortune to view. Enthroned on her sever
hllls once the capital Of great and glorious com
monwealth, she, like her far-famed sistes6f the
Eastern Continent, has wept bitter tears and beer
clothed in ashes. Unlike her, she is fast throwing
| off the pail of gloon which has enshrouded her,
and will ere long, assert herself, as of old, proud
Queen Of the James. Little do wonder at the
love her sons and daughters bear her; she has a
strange fascination for all who come within her
charmed circle, if they not dead to the beauti-
full. Go where you will, in or around her, to her
hill tops or her valleys, each landscape is more
charming than all the rest.
have particular fancy for sChurch Hill not
so fashionable as it's neighbor across the valley,
but my favorite part of the city. There stands
old st. Johns, the very embodiment of sweet
quiet English village church, so secluded and rural
does it seem. AS you stand mid tho me-honored
tombs gazing at the simple edifice which crowns
its hilltop, you forget that you almost in the
heart Of great city, resouuding with the hum of
busy life, and are carried back to the time when
that unpretending edifce re-echoed to the clarion
tones of Virginia. noble son, PATRICK HENRY-for
this little church has it's proud historic memories,
and in that bears of the palm from the more i'm
posing structures on ''Shockoe HILL"
Leave this classic spot, wander little further,
and you come to high bluff over the river called
Lovers Retreat (also Libby's Hill") love-
ler scene eyes never feasted on than is presented
here at the sunset hour. The clear and beautiful
James vending its tortuous way through the
greenest fields and woods, until breaches the
city, where its banks are lined on both sides by
houses, fine factories and mills. Richmond on
the North and Manchester on the South bank, all
lies beneath you like a map-the fair city with it's
many spires, its hills and valleys, crowded with
handsome buildings; the noble river spanned by
long light bridges, adding much to The picturesque
effect, and in the far distance just over the falls
whose music chants an eternal dirge, lies Holly
wood-city Of the dead. There sleep many of our
noblest and br4vest-meeter resting place could
not be found, as it lies bathed in the golden light
OF the western sky, whose gloty fingers with liv
ing kiss upon its sacred BROW a
AS the shades of evening close in, and all is
wrapped in soft mantle Of mellow, misty DIM
moss, turned away. full Of sad musings DER the
bright aspirations and the bighted hopes of the
past which this scene brings so wildly to mind.
But away with repin1ngs. We must be up and
doing and in this Virginia sets brave example
to the other States. She assufered as much, if
not more than any, yet You find no desponding no
inertness in her. She is hard at work to make her
future what her past has been, and she will sue
eed. A. H.B.