The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-08-27

o. foot tie buggy preceding us We
piok our Wy Through we, grass and
bashes. tba buggy soon has reached
limit aaa we tAte Up oar baskets ana
walk. chotro5 aud melted by na aa.
teIpatiau If tHa beauties ai nature
TRUTH must be spoken at the expense
at sentiment. -hut Iy chr prospect 81
rslrcsbmout to Gle inner man llcne
at last. is the ledge Of rocks 20 which
cur longing s7gls aud bodies have as
pired and perspired. What a pleasure
% think Of having SO much Of the
woFld at one feet As II is quite eu-
veloped 10 mist, however, VIC shall
have to rely upon cur Imagination for
this fact: 'Just see those lovely ferns
against the rock the very things for
pressing :" calls out the sunbeam Of
our party Two young ladies 10 black
watcrprools arc standing motiouless
against the rock. Black ferns wouli
al least be curiosity well suited 70
the Internal subterraueau regions near
us, but they might object to pressing
4 question to this effect eIicits the re-
ply from one that she has no desire to
be repressed at all events
The mountain air has given d @
mouutaineers good appetites, bat the
manner Of our eating resembles that Of
the lsraelites last meal in the land Of
Egypt, while we half crouch and bali
sit beneath the shelter % Of an up
right rock We really enjoy the sand
witches favored with our ncighbors
waterproof sleeves, aud the addition Of
few midges and mosquitoes, who in
sjst on sticking their bills into the but
ter II they would be quiet there and
let our noses alone when we attempt
10 pass coffee TO our friends, we should
be grateful. Our coffee is getting d.
luted and the strawberries have more
Juice than was once contained in their
soft skins, but no matter the taste Of
those strawberries will be sweet in
memory for many day. Is it possible
that | see drops on all the faces around
me 7 Even the sterner sex are melted
to tears The Sunbeam says cheer
fully, conc thing at any rate, cannot
be affected by the rain--a few steps
will bring US to the cave"
The entrance to this mysterious
abode Of gnomes, imps and fairies is
well bodecked with feathery ferns and
swaying vines, bnt, we confess, we do
not envy them the comforts Of their
dwelling Yet if we possessed their
nimble feet and uncdnny wings, we
should probably leor at the slipping,
stumbling, sliding steps Of mortaIs
over the floor of rough, damp rocks. -
Our birch-bark torches flicker weirdIy,
making visible the dark masses over
our heads, on either side and under our
feet, but the gloom in the distance Is
thoroughly impenetrable, and we feel
that we are on the confines Of some
great mystery, We are not very sorry
when our supply Of birch bark is near
ly consumed and we must hasten bach
- the uthole~a..." -" and light outside.
We bring out as a perishable memento
a thick piece Of ice, congratulating the
elves upon this luxury in midsummer
Now we will pick few wet ferns
and turn our steps downward. BY the
time our wagon and buggy are repack-
ed with freight and passengers, we
have become, in the immortal words of
Mantolini, ''demd moist, unpleasant
bodies" A brisk rain sets in, we hone
the "clearing-up shower" but it she s
us no mercy until we are deposited at
our doors.
How did you enjoy the prospect as
we descended? What of the marble
palaces we were to visit? Had yon
preferred their cold wet grandeur to
the dry comforts Of home in the dis
tance, we might have stopped there
on our return.
MORAL,
If any one Of you, my readers, should
be tempted to visit the quarries and
explore Dorset Cave in a siuIilar wag