The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. II., No. 1, December, 1835Various
General
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. II., No. 1, December, 1835
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Near Garsed's flax mill, the foot-path crosses to the eastern shore of
the stream, on a rude log chained to an adjacent stone, and passes up
through a forest overhanging the sluggish waters, and through a thick
underwood, which, in some places, is almost impenetrable. Occasional
openings in the dense foliage, which become more frequent as the
pedestrian progresses up the stream, afford highly picturesque and
enchanting views of the surrounding hills, such as those who
appreciate Nature in her majesty, would journey miles upon miles, and
endure pain and fatigue without murmuring, to behold. In every
direction the scenes unfolded to the eye are rich and enchanting
beyond description, and remind the writer who associates therewith
ideas of intellectual pleasure and enjoyment, of the beautiful lines
of the poet: {26}
"Dear solitary groves, where peace doth dwell!
Sweet harbors of pure love and innocence!
How willingly could I forever stay
Beneath the shade of your embracing greens,
List'ning unto the harmony of birds,
Tun'd with the gentle murmur of the stream."
One of the most interesting spots on the Wissahiccon, is in the
immediate vicinity of the great perpendicular rock of granite,
opposite Rittenhouse's mill. Here the dark shadows of the hill fall,
with beautiful effect, upon the gurgling stream, and the rich and deep
woodland foliage, the tangled and fragrant shrubbery, the towering
cliffs on the one side, and imposing hills and dales on the other,
give to the place a charm and fascination, which the reflecting mind
may enjoy, but of which it is impossible to convey with the pen, any
accurate description. It was near this enchanting place, on the sun
side of a high hill, as is currently believed, that Kelpius and his
friend, scholars of Germany, located themselves about the close of the
seventeenth century, and where for years they dwelt in quiet and
religious meditation, awaiting, with anxious prayer, the coming of the
"Lady of the Wilderness," and where they died, as we now know,
"without the sight." It was here, that, at a period long anterior to
the arrival of Kelpius, the untamed monarch of these wilds came to
enjoy the rich treasures of nature, and to worship, in silence, the
goodness and bounty of the Great Spirit. It was here, perhaps, on the
summit of this very hill, that the original owners of the soil
convened for the war dance and to make preparations for a furious and
bloody contest; or mayhap it was here that the chiefs of different
tribes assembled to bury the hatchet of war, and to smoke the calumet
of amity and peace. Perhaps it was here that the noble young warrior,
flushed with the honors of victory, stole silently at the midnight
hour, to breathe his tale of love and his vows of devotion, into the
ear of his blushing and affianced bride; and surely no spot can be
found, in the whole range of our wide-spread territory, so suitable
for scenes of this character.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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