Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-09-01
usOnp tile Mountains.

cnmfo,, those words imply to the weary So
iourncrs OF the city! But one must In reality
be here in order fully to comprehend them.
One of those hot days, not too long passed to
be remembered, We took the cars at Aiexan-
iria TO seek out land where we might breathe
Heavens Own breezeS, unmlXeo Win the
smoke and dust OF the CITY, anu 70 urlnk healtn
in pure waters that bubble from out the cartn,,
and ut the same time be spared the endless ton
of dress, and all the heart-burnlngs ana Jeal-
ousies that torment the trequentefs OF lashlon-
ohIr resorts. We have found IN this fertile
Valley of the Shenandoah all these good things,
Ind at a price that even Gods poor might en-
inv them. New Market is Il small town about
me hundred and twenty miles from Washing
ton, situated within Two miles OF the Is. Il y.
r r., with which comfortable stages connect.
The Journey up is through most pleasing and
delirhfui country for most OF the way belted
IN all sides bv the rare blue nils We cross
the North and South branches OF the Shenan-
doath-yery picturesque streams, but quite IN
significant to eyes used to gazing on the glorl-
ous Putomac The locate OF the town Is a most
beautiful one, Dciug very high, and so near the
Massanutteu Iuuuutalu that 1t seems as II one
couli almost touch il with the baud. There Is
a we'll to every house, which furnishes plensl-
full SUPPLIES vi limestone water, Icy colo. Inefe
i. al.1. within half Il mile u sulphur spring
STRONG enough to make one hold the breath
while drinking it, and to be sure to quau the
whole cup at once Tor lear the courage TAILS d
sccoud effort. But one can get used to any
thing, even sulphur water, and alter Wnlle
we are able to take several cups before leaving
the spriug. There are other mineral waters
near. amuug them chaIybeate, but not SO near
as to be able to enjoy them daily, unless one Is
| a pretty good walker, aud don't mind mile
and hall there, and, the same back.
During this moth there is quite number
| Of Strangers dwelling 10 this vlclnlty, who are
attending the first session OF the Virginia
Normal Music School, which has met with a
decided success There are between sixty and
| seventy pupils, some Of them from distance,
aud all seemingly Inspired with great Interest;
The Professors, kcltfer, Nuseld, Meeges and
others, are making every effort to acnleVe a
satisfactory result, and II talthiuluess and pa
| thence will accomplish 1t, they Will certainly
| have brilliant reward. Although the course
uuly continues for Il month, receiving SIX hours
regular instruction day, and practice III the
evening, makes it equal to several quarters OF
usual time 1t is designed to make the school
| a permanent organization, meeting here at the
same time annually, AMI there is every reason
10 hone that it will soon increase in influence
aud strength All lovers Of music should avail
themselves of the advantages 1t offers OF a thor
ouch course of vocallzatiou at u very small cost,
to say uothiug of the benefit derived from a
month"; suourn in this hcathtul locality. At
| The close of the exercises the class Will give
two concerts, aud grand picnic to the m0un-
| tains will preccdc the hual separation.
There is no chance Of ones suffering from
| cnnui, which is the demon OF country places.
| There are so many agreeable gentlemen 10 the
| neigh bOrhood who make Sucn frequent visits
| that the ladies consider themselves all bellies.
| The fact is the charges are 50 eXtrayagant at
the various springs, and the fashionable bures
So great, that gentlemen are deferred from 60
| ing there but seeking u recreation, these way
| side places profit thereby We are about twenty
miles above Orkney and thirty below the
Wcir's and Fountain Caves which makes it
az available point for excursions to either OF
these delightful places.
On the DIST the Baptist Association conVen-
| cd 10 a grove near by, but as the weather turn
ed out stormy they all sought refuge 10 town;
| consequently every place was thronged tor the
three days that they were assembled. Every
imaginable vehicle was to be seen, even down
to circus wagon, and another containing quite
fine baud Of music. Such was the hllarty
manifested one might have supposed it rather
lively 22d OF February. The religion of the
community is chiefly Lutheran and Baptist.
and such good people are sci dom met with: 4
social game Of cards or dancing has never been
witnessed by some OF them, much less indulge
in. The citizens are quite proud OF their
churches ard their college, which last Is under
the efficient management or Professors oaly
ards aud Benton, gentlemen distinguished Tor
their learning, etc. The students are accom-
modated at from ten to fifteen dollars per
month board.
We have not dwclt upon the surrounding
scenery, which would thrill even the heart least
awake to naturc's beauties The appearance
of the mountains Is ever varying, and fills with
new admiration whether
Hinged with the golden sunlight,
Yelled in the morning mist,
Or sutfuscd with the crimson dyes
That fade in the distant west.
A drive of about four miles brings one to a
height from whence the vallies Of Luray and
Shenandoah are spread out before you like an
open book, but Dore book could scarcely pic
ture the lights and shadows thar nature traces
on the fair green page beneath you
\ flock of sheep grazing on distant hill re-
Calls tiidl pdStOLdi vi ooSshS SiiS
Shepherds Lament. We can imagine the
lonely shepherd, who had YEARLY followed his
sheep all day long with no human ear to listen
to his plants, pausing upon some holder crag,
'leant on his crook and gazing down IN the val
ley land and pouring out from his ovcr-full
heart all the tale of his sorrow to God. The
solitude OF the mountains like the grandeur OF
the deep sea stir5 our hearts to their deepest
depths But while one might be content to
dwell forever on such scenes-one is reminded
that nothing waits and am compelled to re.
member that the mail hour is at hand. If |
have succeeded in convincing you that this is
the place for summer touring, my end gained.
A. DEk. 4.
Elk Gov. WALKER The following is the
closing paragraph of Gov. Walkers speech to
the Richmond Convention
Always an earnest friend of education, shall
labor to secure the application OF the entire pro-
ceeds derived from the sales of the public lands
to the education of the people. A firm believer
in local sei-gcvornment l shall always oppose
oantraliZ alton come in whatever form it NAV.