The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-03-04

to proceed to nashville, the traveller Win MI
bride, embarked, and few rapid strokes o.
the oarsman propelled them into the middle
of the stream. Soon the dark shadows o
the cave cncircled them, the lanterns were
lighted, and served to make more weird the
mysterious depths into which they were pene
trating. The young wife crept closer to hel
husband, whose arm encircled her waist
Lost in their imagining and the awe Of the
place, they proceeded for a long time in 81
lence. Naught was heard but the dull splash
of the oars as they slowly glided over the
murky water. Now and then phosphorescent
CLEANS sparkled amid the foam
Now as they passed through long hall
whose straight walls seemed chiseled by the
hand of man, and then they emerged into a
spacious vault, whose overarching roof spar
killed. with white stalactities, appeared mile
above them sometimes they we're startled by
what seemed grotesque monster glazing out
upon them from an abyss, nearer approach
to which. revealed only mass of stone
Now the most delicate gothic moldings fig
ure within figure, attracted their admiration
the beautiful architecture having no other
origin than the agency Of water working for
ages upon the rocks.
| Neither of the lovers we're DESTROYS of break
ing the stiffness so harmonious with the soil
tude and grandeur of the place-each was
satisfied that he or she enjoyed it in the pres
ence Of the other, therefore on and on they
passed, without word lost in astonshment.
At times the lady would press her husband s
arm and point to some object Of peculiar in
! terest, and smile was the answer she receiv-
! ed
The boatman suddenly ,disturbed their medi-
tations, shouting, as for the moment he ceas
ed working the oars
| ''There's fine echo here, sir. Would
you like to try it,"
| Immediately chorus Of voices shouted
on all sides. TRY it, try it, try t!'' Some
seemed to proceed from great distance, 9th
ers close at hand
To the excited fancy of the welded pair
the tones appeared to express every variety
of passion-anger, entreaty, scorn, contempt
and mirth The travellers cast frightened
glances about them and turned pale so novel
was the experience, so real seemed the voices.
The lady tsembled at the sight Of their con-
fusion; the guide burst into fit of laughter
and instantly demoniac pearls rang from the
gloomy recesses of the vast apartment.
Indignation at first fred the husbands
breast and he irately began:
"Really, boatman, though we were prom
ised an amusing companion in you we did
net expect. You have frightened the la
dy. sir You ouhgt to have prepared us y
Here sense of the ludicrous overcame him.
and he too laughed, the echoes taking up
the sound as before. swell, Emma, what
do you think of this ~
81 never was SO startled I thought we
must be in the veritable cavern in which
Rip Van Wrinkle was borne when asleep, and
that we were in the presence of Hendrick
Hudson and his piratical crew. How fear
full it wasp
.'Frightful! I was lost in revelrie con-
corning the river Styx and the horrid en-
trance Of Hades, when the sound first burst
upon US really believed l was about to
be confronted with vision of hell such as
Dante beheld
''Hell, sir did you say hell? Yes, it is
here )" and so speaking, the guide again
seized his oars and pulled ssvasely acress
the water. Again the echoes took up the
sound, and amid Kisses, the words, "Hsre,
here p resounded from the depths.
edward, [ am afraid of that man." the
lady whispered, putting her face close to her
husband, and drawing his arm more tightly
about her. "Just lock at his expression
he is bad man p
| "Pshaw, Emma, you are nervous He If
only rude jester. But We will have nc
more Of this" and turning to the haatman
he ordered him in harsh voice not to speak
unless he was spoken to. "You are employ
ed, my man, to guide us about the cave, aud
give us information respecting it, not to tor
ment the lady by absurd remarks"
Il don't wish to torment anybody; | an
tormented myself" the boatman sulkily re
sponded.
The husband frowned at this speech. and
seeking to divert the thoughts of his fail
companion from contemplation Of their mo-
rose guide, said, as he pointed to the water
where the lantern most brightly iilumined it
"There, Emma. do you see that; white form
moving lazily beneath US? There, did you
see the glstening Of his scaly fin /? Nature
as you have heard, has wonderfully harmon
lied matters within this case, the strangest O
her products. Could we draw the FISH from
Atlo opoAso, VIC oHoulu uuu ue Hdu no eyes
"Not that kind" broke in the oarsman
"not that kind. That kind has eyes, but til
stone blind Can't see; better for them.
His voice sank lower and lower and ne NUT
tered something unintelligible.
/ A tremor shook the young wife from heae
to foot. Again she whispered to her husband
edward, | am SO afraid OF that man. w,
are not safe with him. Just look at him
See how he scowls, and how gloonlily hi
looks at us p
"Pshay! Emma. As the driver said, HI
is rather out OF sorts this morning, that il
evident. Consider the dismal life the mar
has led. You cav how deserted is the plac,
at the mouth of the cave He lives in soil
tude, which engenders an eccentric style"
Thus the traveller would have continued t,
soothe the apprehensioDs of his bride, hat
not the section of the cave into which the,
!, at the moment entered differed so much il
} in its features from the apartments which
they had passed through, that his attention
and admiration were at once excited. b,
look, Emma! This is magnificent beyond any
thing we have seen yet"
Hitherto the river had been the only visi
BILE bottom Of the cave, touching its walls OF