Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-08-29

Goethe was not at some hotel or boardin
house when he wrote that sentence? Th
number of guests at present is not very large
but many more are expected in August when
l suppose, the spring opens! In these noun
tain regions have lost all track of the seasons
All last week winter clothing and good fire
were necessary, and the mercury for severa
mornings turned decidedly cold shoulder up
on US, standing at 450! Among the guest
here is the handsome and accomplished Mrs
K, of Washington, with her young son anC
lovely daughter; York" Of Richmond,
gentleman of fine legal attainments and bril-
liant oratorlcal powers, who is also a vel
known and witty correspondent of the South
ern press; while New Orleans is represented
by no less than four families, among whom is
the elegant Mrs. S. H. W., and her only son,
so long and we'll known in Crescent City circles.
AS for young ladies, imagine there is no love-
Her group OF grlish faces than is brought to-
gether here every day and evening on the GRO
quet ground and in the ball room.
A few days since party of Us made the as
cent OF Hankey Mountain, one Of the highest
peaks 10 the immediate vicinity of the hotel.
Cousin George and the senior partner had been
up the day before, and had come down upon
us all at dinner time, With their straw hats and
shoulders decorated with wild vines and each
playing upon chestnut whistle as they para
ded TOR few moments with great dignity, up
and down the gallery in front of the dining
room doors They looked so MUCH like blood
relations Of the god Pan, that we instinctively
looked for the goat hoofs, and made haste to
offer them honey and milk; upon which de-
lectable diet it is asserted this deity was won't
TO thrive But tell it not in Gath, publish
It not in the streets Of Askalon' they pre-
ferred a substantial dinner of beef and cab
hanQ If pnau ho hoop tbo hoa,,4r oe 49,
appearance, or it may have been the sublime
strains OF their chestnut whistles that allured
US but at all events, next morning ten of us,
each armed with stout staff and shod with
heavy shoes, began the same ascent. Our
path led through thick woods of pine, oak,
maple and chestnut, while luxurians vines of
wild clematis, oonvolvulus and the wild grape,
were TO be seen in profusion. Wintergreens
and sassafras were abundant, and whortleber-
ries grew SO plentifully on either side of the
way that We broke off handsful of the bushes
and literally went browsing all the way up the
mountain. We passed on our way, in q very
solitary spot, Confederate graveyard, Many
OF the bodies had been removed, and the empty
graves yawned under the shadows as if wait
ing for new occupants. In fact, We find re-
minders OF the war about US here on every
hand. When we reached the summit of the
mountain, lovely view repaid us for our toll
some march, and as we stood gazing upon it
we congratulated ourselves upon having been
turned by fate into these pastures Of beauty
and rest. The picturesque meets one at every
turn, aud all the artist is aroused in ones ma
ture. One feels fairgrounds middle dis
tances' and perspective growing naturally
from his finger ends, and his soul grows from
mere association with natures grandeur. AT
ter all, is it not better to be an artist than
poet? All the world loves pictures-one-six-
teenth of it loves poetry. Is it not better to
please all the world than a mere fractional por-
ton Of it?
We began our rugged descent after an hour
contemplation of the view, end reached home
with the young ministers hat glorl6ed BY YER
dant trophies, while Blondina was half hidden
under specimens Of every sort gathered du-
ring the excursion, and Blake and Bell
and Daisy and Adele looked much more
like wood nymphs and genies of the forest than
every day mortals Our next excursion is TO
Re to the famous Cyolopean Towers, only six
miles from this place. As ever,
XARIFFA