The Alexandria Gazette

FOR THE GAZETTE.
THE OLD TRUNK,
No. II.
Partiality to that part of the Union,
wherein the scene of the following little relation is laid, has no doubt induced me to
present it to you, as first upon the list of
the contents of my old friend's trunk; from
what I was enabled to gather of my vener-
able guest during his residence in my
house, and from some obscure hints which
would occasionally drop from him, I am
led to believe that the incident which gave
rise to it must have occurred very shortly
after his arrival in America, perhaps five
and twenty or thirty years since.
THE TRANSCRIBER,
THE LOSS OF CAT-HARPIN.
Business of weighty importance not on-
ly peculiar in its character, but extremely
urgent in its nature, rendered it necessary
that I should visit one of the western coun-
ties of Virginia, that state so much boast-
ed of by the sons of America, as the cra-
dle of science, and the abode of wealth,
talent, and bravery; I entered it with the
prejudiced feelings of a foreigner, deter-
mined to be pleased with nothing I
saw, and to treat with truly European con-
tempt, every thing which did not exactly
correspond with that other, and early im-
pressions had led me to believe was the
correct standard for the regulation of hu-
man affairs. A few miles from one of its
little villages, I was fortunate enough to
overtake an old and highly agreeable
friend, who to my great satisfaction I
learned was travelling the same route.—
This unexpected meeting though appar-
ently of trifling importance, was the cause
of the little adventure, the particulars of
which I am about to relate. A rencontre
upon the road with one for whom we have
long entertained sincere esteem, is the
source of a feeling peculiarly agreeable,
to meet him in the street, the church, or
the tavern, are common every day oc-
currences, which excite no extraordinary
interest, but the lonely traveller is delight-
fully surprized when turning an angle of
the road, or emerging from a little copse
of woods, to meet with a friend whom he
has known in other scenes, and whose
company has proved agreeable to him eve-
ry where; such was the feeling I experi-
enced when I took my fellow traveller by
the hand, and his animated eyes seemed
warmly to reciprocate it. The dull same-
ness of the road, the chilling barrenness
of a continued succession of fields, and
hills rendered desolate by November's
blighting winds, were no more the mourn-
ful objects of my solitary attention; the
charms of friendly colloquy added gaiety
to the scene, my friend was anxious to be
agreeable, and I was in that happy humor
of the mind which renders us more than
desirous of pleasing and of being pleas-
ed. We rode on unconscious of the rapid-
ity of our progress. the hours "flew on
winged feet," not until the sinking sun
setting in a blaze of crimson, and of gold
behind the far off ridge, arresting our en-
raptured gaze, did we remember the ne-
cessity of determining upon some place of
shelter for the night; after a short consul-
tation it was agreed that we should diverge
from the road a few miles, and visit the
residence of a gentleman in that neigh-
borhood with whom we were intimately
acquainted, our jaded steeds obedient to
the spur soon carried us to the mansion of
our friend, where we were received with
all that kindliness and hospitality, which.
however partial I may be to the blunt, bo-
hest welcome of an English farmer, I can-
not but acknowledge is universally the
characteristic of a Virginia gentleman.—
Until a late hour the night was gaily spent
in the society, and conversation of the la-
dies of the family, whose charms, and
accomplishments might have given brilli-
anc y to the ball-room, or added a wreath
to the chaplet of Genius.
At early morn, awakened by the bark-
ing of dogs, the neighing of horses and all
the mingling sounds of a country farm-
yard, I sprung from my bed to behold a
sight more glorious than the diadem of the
world. To the west in grand and lofty
perspective lay the Blue Ridge, grey in
its appearance, and but indistinctly seen
by the early light of morn, its cones and
peaks, and broken surface, its projecting
rocks, and lofty trees, its many colored
soils seen as far as the eye could trace, in
their huge, rugged and disordered state,
appeared to my astonished imagination a
miniature wreck of the world It was in-
de ed a stupendous sight; I looked upon
myself, I felt the feebleness of man, I
felt the littleness of earthly things. To
the east the rising sun just tipped the leaf-
less tops of the distant trees; I gazed upon
the mighty orb with delight, sublimed to
aw e, it seemed the smiling emblem of a
smiling Heaven, and in the fervor of my
spirit, I exclaimed O! earth, O! man,
thou hast indeed a God." To the north
and south of the mansion of my friend, lay
a valley smooth as the surface of the un-
ruf fled lake; its extremities bounded by
edifices, the habitations of neighboring
gentlemen, at its foot sweet murmuring
ran a little stream, which as the suns bright
beams occasionally played upon its sur-
face through the opening trees, seemed al-
ternate gold and silver; the cattle drink-
ing of the pure elements; the sheep stray-
ing upon the distant hills; "the stately
goose, wild gabbling o'er the pool;" and
even the voluptuous hog wallowing in his
congenial mire, altogether afforded a sight
so pur e ly sylvan, so fraught with inno-
cence and peace, that never while memo-
ry retains her seat—can I forget the im-
pressions it produced.
After an early breakfast, prepared by
our kindly considerate friend, with many
wishes for the safety and pleasantness of
our journey, my companion of the road
and myself departed. He dwelt with
rapture upon the graces and attainments
of the ladies of our host; he recalled with
delight those sweet sounds of social con-
verse, to which he had listened with an
attention, such as the doating mother gives
to the feeble piaints of her sickly infant
to describe a blooming cheek he saw not
the wild and picturesque landscape thro'
which we were rapidly hurrying; to paint
the cerulean blue of a soul beaming eye,
he beheld not the lofty Cat-Har pin whose
shaggy sides we were about to ascend; I
felt that our tastes, and sympathies did not
correspond, and in envy at the buoyancy,
and lightsomeness of his elevated spirits,
I felt a selfish pleasure in the idea: Altho'
I admired female beauty, and revered fe-
male excellence, yet I loved the charms of
nature more, the craggy precipice tower-
ing in awful grandeur amidst the thunder
cloud, or the gentle rivulet softly steal-
ing down the vale, possessed more attrac-
tions for me, than all the blandishments
of fashion, or the smiles of loveliness; my
friend marked not my occasioned abstract-
edness, he was too much occupied by his
own pleasing reflections, and I felt grati-
fied that what might appear unfriendly,
should pass unnoticed.
To be continued