Product Synopsis

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1845. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. An evening vxdit an evening talk, and what followed. I Rainsford did not enter his appearance at the woodland festival; he had gone over to his house, under pretence of making preparations for his removal. Virginia, though she kept up her spirits tolerably since their last interview, felt a heavy weight on her heart, and fell into that state of mind which inclines to lonely meditations. One evening she wandered alone down to the river-side, not to enjoy the opening charms of spring and the rural beauties of the scene, but to brood over past times and future, probabilities. The season and the prospect which spread itself out before her were both equally alluring. On the opposite shore of the river the high and haughty precipices of darkcoloured rocks threw their deep reflections upon the bosom of the clear waters that here, in consequence of their expansion, rested quietly in their capacious basin. The upper line of these everlasting walls, viewed from where she stood, reared itself high in the air, and nothing was seen beyond or above them but the pore blue sky of evening. As the sun gradually sank to the horizon, it appeared a blood-red ball of flame; and when half hidden behind the massy barrier of the stream, assumed the appearance of a great signal fire, such as in ancient times gave token for the valleys and the hills of Old Scotland, the land of cakes, the land of Burns and of. Walter Scott, to send forth their hardy denizens to the dangers they loved to encounter. The shore on that side where reposed the village of Dangerfieldville was a low rich bottom, as it is yclept in western phrase. A fellow with some geology in his brain would call it alluvial; but we confess we delight to speak to the comprehension of ordinary readers, whom i...