Year: 1859

A few summers back / was making a
pedestrian tour of South Wales, when, in
one of my solitary ran,bles, l fell in with
a very interesting companion. The snnl-
liarity of tastes which we discovered in our
first interview, led to further intimacy,
and we soon became fast friends-so inti-
mate, indeed, that Mr. Arthur Mostyn
(such was my companions name) invited
me to spend the remainder OF the summer
at little cottage he owned near Brecon.


was not over -burdened with worldly
cares l had neither wife, child, nor bu-
siness to cause me anxiety; go cheerfully
accepted the invitation 80 heartily given,
and in day or two was regularly domi-
ciled with my new friend. He was young
man about thirty, well-educated and ac-
complshed; a tirst-rate artist--for many
of his sketches and drawings would have
done no discredit TO n professional hand.
There were, however, many recullarties
in his Mariner W hich lad not appeared in
our ii rst interview, and these L could not
help noticing as l was more in his com
pany. He spoke French with purity OF
accent that had never remarked in any
other Englishman. | accounted for this
by supposIng that he had resided for some
time on the continent; but on my remark
ing his perfection in the language, he be-
came client and reserved for the remain
der of The day. 1t was evident that had
touched upon jsrring chord. and as my
only object in keeping his company was
the enjoyment of his intellectual taste, aud
the qualification of my love of the pictu-
rescue, did not seek to know more OF
him than lie chose 10 tell me-. l had no.
ticed that every hing relating to France,
if but slightly touched upon, produced in
him fl of melancholy; 50 l carefully
avoided any reference to that subject. But
circumstance occurred IN one of our eX-
cursions that aroused my curiosity in a
great degree. We frequently took very
long walks in the mountainous district in
the neighborhood of Brecon, and one fine
| evening, as the sun was setting, we found
ourselves at the little village of Llanham-
ZACH, some two or three miles from that
town. This village is one of the best
specimens of South Wales scenery. Ly-
ing in the midst of lovely valley watered
by the Usk, we thought, as we now gazed
| upon it illuminated by the setting sun, that
it would be difficult indeed to find u more
beautiful picture. We sat upon a gate by
the roadside, and were soon lost in DELI
cious reveries, broken only by some MUIR
INJURED exclamation as change in the as
pect Of the gorgeously tinted clouds
awoke in US such admiration that we could
no longer keep silent. Then, breaking into
raptures, we We'd with each other who
could discover the greatest beauties. One
pointed to the darkened outline of the little
church spire, that stood directly in the
crimson glow of the sunlight. The other
remarked the purpling tint of the distant
mountains, that formed the background OF
the picture, looking more like Titanic
shadows than immense masses Of earth
and stone. One, then, caught the brilliant
glow upon the quiet river, Lnat was mean
dering through the valley, blushing like
fair virgin with her lovers last kiss at
parting on her brow. Having exhausted
all our powers of description upon the see
merry, we determined, as we began to feel
fatigued, to rest for time at the little inn
that stood by the roadside.


We were shown into a snug little apart
ment and left to ourselves. As the even
ing was, rather chilly. our host accom-
modated US with a fire, and, refreshing
ourselves with jug of his home-brewed,
we chatled till it grew quite. dark.


My companion was evidently quite tired
for found, on launching out into some
flowery description of foreign scenes, and
comparing them with Wales. l received
| no snswe@ or comment from him. l looked
up, and found he was fast asleep; so my
only resource Was to stir the FIRE, and as
books were out Of the question in neigh
borhood like this, to draw my chair nearer
to it, and give myself up to reflection till
my companion should be rested sufficiently
to walk homo. Sitting by the freight,
am very apt to lose myself in imaginative
dreams. In these abstracted moods, the
ordinary objects of the room often lningle
stnngely with my revsries. and assist the
Illusion Of fancy. 1t was particularly the
case Of this moment. All was so quiet