The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-05-25
9esrriptire Artitles,
A VIEW FROM COLLEGE HILL,
WESTMINSTER.
Written for the Hartford Democrat, Bel Air, Md.
BY C. T. WRIGHT.

scription of our scenery as presented from
"College Hill." In offering such an effort
to the intelligence of your readers, | feel
constrained to preface it with request that
those who are already familiar with the
objects presented, may not think me offer
ing what 1 deem a just pen picture of the
landscape beauty before me. But enough
of apology and to my task.
college Hill," the position from which
[ now write, is so called from the fact that
our college stands upon its summit, COM
manding view of one of the most beau
tiful and magnificent natural pictures our
all beautiful Maryland displays to the lover
of nature. Lifting tslofty head far above
the surrounding country it has at its base
the inner edge of vast circular landscape
which, as we gaze, grows and widens till
its outer boundary seems to reach as far
as the descending sky permits, and then,
as if too large for the space it is forced to
occupy, elevates its far distant limit and
presses itself against the circling horizon,
presenting to the eye purely panoramic
view gradually rising from its center to
its circumference. The gently sloping
figure of the surrounding country descend
ing from its horizon-girt circumference
suddenly stops in its downward slope, and
rising from its center, our lofty hill stands
proudly viewing the vast area, stretching
outward till the view is lost in mlngling
earth and sky. Still higher from its sum-
NIT points skyward the sentinel-like col
lege dome bathed in the sweetest and pur-
est sunlight, kissed by the gentlest noun
tain breezes, enveloped in the dark storm
clouds of summer or standing motionless
amid the fiercest blasts of winter, while
north and south and east and west, the
| rising landscape throws back the beauty of
| its hills and streams and meadows, till
wood and meadow and hill and stream form
one grand exquisite whole, gazing upon
which the eye sees no single element of
the picture but all, as a most perfect blend
ing into one, of many beauties. L am
drawing no highly colored or extravagant
fancy picture, but simply failing from in
ability to do justice to that upon which l
now look from my own lofty window. Be-
ginning on the eastern side, let me carry
YOUR readers in imagination with me, round
this picturesque circle. The eastern view
is almost entirely rural, displaying broad,
far-reaching, level area of the most highly
cultivated land in Carroll, teeming in sum-
mer with the richest vegetation and pre-
senting landscape that an Italian artist
might feel proud to paint. Changing po-
sition and looking from southern window
of the college, the scene changes from rural
life to city life; for right at my feet lies
Westminster with her long arms stretch
ing from "Fair Ground Hill' to "College
Hill" her beautiful church steeples point
ing skyward as if attempting to rise high
enough to look down, even upon US at
college, and invite us upward to a still
higher and more sacred knowledge than
we ourselves impart. | do not wish to
gaze upon any sweeter scene than that
presented to me as sit at q southern col
lege window on a moonlight evening and
look down upon Westminster | have sat
thus on some of May most glorious moon
lit nights, and as l looked out from my |
airy position the scene seemed scarcely |
real, SO gorgeously did the mingling moon
light and starlight food the air and ground
and pour their silvery richness all oyer our
beautiful little city nesting at our feet,
touching its housetops and tipping its
church spires with sparkling, flashing light |
that glinted and scintillated, till like the
reflection from the mirror, the entire rich
ness of the lunar 6 low came back to me in
soft mellow light, while mingled with all.
the low murmur of voices broken now by
the loud ringing laugh of children at play,
and again by the clang of the rich-toned
church bell tolling out the death of the
sweet, summer night hours. If [ could
paint this beautiful scene with all Its truth,
and put into my picture some Of the sweet,
indescribable reflections it has so often
stirred in my mind I could wish no more
skiIlful touch of brush or pencil. The
moonlight that touches Westminster and
us at college in the months of May and
June gilds and beauties no lovelier spot
among the miugling hills and plains of
MARYLAND. But 1 must leave this loved
night-scene, so fairy-like in its mild lowell
ness, and changing again my outlook, stand
at western window. What a change
Only a moment ago feasted my eyes
upon the gorgeous blending of a summer
nights fairest moonlight creation, and now
a dark, huge, rugged outline of noun
tain scene meets my gaze and fills my mind
with sterner reflections. Girting the hor-
izon and stretching in a dark curving line
from northwest to southwest are the lofty
peaks of the Blue Ridge lifting their dark
blue forms up against the western sky and
presenting the appearance of a vast rising
cloud, scarcely distipgqishahle at times
from the thunder clouds that rise as it
were from the valley, mingling the dark
blue of the mountain with the deeper
gloom of the storm. cloud, till both seem
one huge inky wall of blackness. Lying
between us and the mountain is the beau
tiful farming district known as Wakefield
Valley" displaying at this season scene
of rare richness and fertility. :,
But the most beautiful part of this ev
erywhere lovely picture, [ have yet to at
tempt to present. sunset from college
HILL" l stood only yester eve, as the last
beautiful sunlight of April was fading
from the mountain tops and sinking behind
them to gid the east on the morrow with
the first light of May, aud watched the
sun as he neared the horizon and touched
the dark peaks before ME with rich mel
low glow that, after resting few moments,
poured its light down into the dark green
valley below, and sent streaming eastward
a flood of flashing, cleaning sunlight that
touched and beautified hill and meadow
and stream till advancing light and reflect
ed light mingled and mellowed into a
broad sea of golden sunshine, forming by
contrast with the deep, rich green Of the
luxuriant fields, color of dazzling splen-
dor.
Gradually and slowly atevening the sun
nears the dark line of mountain-tops, sink
ing lower and lower till his great ferydisk
is half hidden; then, as his last evening
beams shoot upward in a myriad glittering
spears, to give final touch to distant hill
tops and tree-tops, the light rests for
moment in broad, golden fame upon the
western windows of the college, till each