Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-08-05
lCOMMUNICATED

COMMUNICATED.
WIsTNIcHTWo, Va, July l6.-There are
two sections of the world towards which my
thoughts haye been turned for many years.
Doubtless it is so with many of my readers.
The country in which We live, though young 10
years, is grown entirely too quiet and proper to
be interesting. There are no big forests 10 our
part of the laud full of robbers; no bold high
wayman lurking in the dark lanes to terrify the
belated traveller with the rude challenge of
money or die!" The ghosts and spooks that
hundred years ago walked openly in our land
from twelve o'clock at night until the break of
day have ceased their nightly orgies and ap-
partitions. School boys may walk past the
church yard now, and no terrible spectre will
appear except what their disordered imagiDa.
tlons coDjure up from snowy marble slab and
darkling shadows. We know that all the den
izens OF the woods are fed. From charming
little fairy queen, who made the daisy's blossom
her soft throne, to the demon of the forest that
often flew through the shrieking woods with
such horrld rout that the brave woodsnan
grew pale with fear and FASTENED to sprinkle
the door sill with holy water by the priest pre-
pared, all these spirits, great aud small, are
lied. 1t Is vain to speculate as to the reasons.
Perhaps the rude din of war filled them with
alarm, and the roar of cannon drove them to
quieter realms. Perhaps they were APPALLED, by
that suicidal folly of abolitionists, and over
powered by the gentle perfume that is waited
hlther and thither by our Southern zephyrs
Poets call it Bouquet d. Afrique." Perhaps
science has disturbed their revels by the blaze
of light she has poured into their haunts, for
as the many colored battlements and minarets
of the northern iceberg vanish beneath the
glare OF tropical sun, 80 may the beauteous air
NH, AZ lx,,a
ed, and they, homeless here, have been COM
PEELED to fly to more friendly regions. Ii is
tact that they are goDe-to speculate why, is
vain. And We know that uothing more fearful
is to be found in the dark wildwood by day
than the timd squirrel, the artful fox, or per-
haps the Watchful deer; no sound more al
aiming than the signing of the rocking
pines, the sweet songs that are warbled forth
from lnnumerable tuneful throats, and that
volceess murmur Of creation that leads the
thoughtful MUD away from earthly things to
the contemplation Of Him that dweIls above.
BY night these forests are shrouded in the
mysterious gloom of Darkness Yet, if we ven-
ture forth pcrchance, we may hear the plain
tive song OF the whippoorwill, or the more
alarming note of the owl, az be tells his Joys
and SORROWS to the moon. But nothing more
fearful than this will be heard nothiug will be
seen more harmful than the si.yery moonbeams
and the shadows of the forest.
The days Of knight-errantry had passed be-
tore our country began to be. No mail-clad
Don Quxoe fills our land with the fame of
bis chlValrous deeds. But the place of the ro-
manlc warrior has been usurped by the sher-
III. With umbrella for shield and helmet
with gum leggns for greaves and breeches;
with saddle bags for sword and spear, he rides
forth to enforce justice between man and man.
This ls an age OF reason, not of rashuess In
former years Don Quixote electrified all Spain
by bis headlong rush upon the windmills; but
now the minister Of the law does not thrust bis
valuable person 10 the reach of revolving sails,
out selecting safe place, he produces the re-
sistless saddle pockets, and from their mysteri-
GUS depths drags forth piece Of paper He
casts spell OF eDchaDtment over the structure;
the fearful sails that, like the arms of Braerius.
threatened danger, are paralyzed; the redoubt-
able knight of the saddle pockets, with looks
elated, now hurries to the building bapgs.to
the yawnipg entrance, seals it with paddock,
and pocketiDg the key, marches off in triumph;
behold the excellence of the modern age !
What could there be in this ignoble knight, er
rantry to thrill the Gerves of daily life? Law
and order have rolled along our land and
crushed out all these exciting irregularities,
auu Iue resuL 10 q uull quiet On now lDSlpid
this eternal ,ound of getting up and dressng
breaktasting on cold bread, mackere and cof-
Zee; working away stitch stitch stitch |"
until the shortened shadows point to noon.
Eating again, only to work and hunger and eat,
aud work and hunger and eat Oh the tire
some round working to rest, and resting to
work; eating to work, and working to eat |!
ALI around me are so engaged too None has
any more OF enjoyment 10 life than l have. 1t
Is one wearlsome level of propriety and same
ness. My heart is sick; l must travel. Oh
for the Russian forests; oh for view of the
land Of Llliput and Brobdignag! If 90,
reader, l will write to you.
THE FISH Law. This law, one of the best
on the statute books of Virginia, prohibits the
catching of fish with senes in the waters of tho
State tor the space of two months, from the
18th Of June to the 18th of August, and the
hne for violation is $500 and couGscation of
boat and hshlog tackle; but to secure conviction
some one must become an iuformer, and this is
enough to prevent almost any honest man from
Interfering. Of course it is not to be supposed
that the various Commonwealth's attorneys are
to become spies and detectives; consequently the
law ia of M effect