204    THE WISCONSIN FARMER.



exhibitions which do not apply to County
Fairs, where there is not so much at stake;
and if the State Fair should be again post-
poned, we sincerely hope it will not operate as
a discouragement to the Counties. If it will
so determine, every County Society in the
State may hold a successful Exhibition the
cotting fall.  We exhort them every one to
make the resolve and a determined effort.

         A Night on Cheat Mountain.
               ry  etrs.  t10-T.

  One day out from l'ost, atld all day in the
magnificence of -Nature's best. The last dozen
nll( s !:&d] let tile valley further and further
oit'. Stal in the clearer light of our' aseent spread
it az a lake behind us.
  A more winning day I had not seen. Occa-
sional gleatus of sunlight had flashed in, hot
and glowing, but the deep shade of overhang-
ing rocks and foliage had been most of the
way just tempered into a delightful softness.
tempting us to ride for hours together hats in
]land   Cheat Mountain Summit was in the
programtne for a night's lodging, and Ad Col.,
remember we want to sleep on the very top of
it '  was echoed more than once from our
really tired, but enthlsiastic company.
  Talk about enthusiasm in relation to a great
principle or a great man I Many of that party
will remember to oldest age the enthusiasm for
whose outburst Nature had piled up that grand
mountain. 1 shall not describe it to you; so,
unless you have the good fortune to have the
same sight with the same experience, I chaU
have one possession, artistic and eternal, that
you have not.
   It was in the deepening twilight when, be-
 tween some stars that were not yet lighted and
 some torches that were, I heard the sharp and
 sudden order "1 Halt! " and realized, rathei
 than saw, that we had gained the summit. Al
 that moment, as my eye took in that vast, wild,
 awe-inspiring prospect, I supposed that, in the
 weird light in which it was wrapped, I sav
 more than was to be seen; but, in the cleat
 sunriMing of the following morning, I found I



had not seen it at all. Thus is night. and such
is day.
But the hotel at which wie were to stop.-
Perhaps sonie of you think there was one, or
some sort of a house there.  lou arc right
Old man White had settled on thlt   , ;uIo.,
many years before, and though I           X-
changed this homne, some months prt  -. Fo.
a berth in Camp Chase, the tenetr,      i i
former habitation remained, beitig t. Guided
by a remnant of his holuselold. Witiin these
narrow and 1dilapidated wVtlis, scarce fit for
any sort of use, wc stowed the rebel ladies,
children and lackeys, for whose safe trrival in
Dixie our Col. was responsible-they prefer-
ring the attosphere of this old guerrilla haunt
to thc ptire air without.  Did we leave them
without a guard?  No, indeed. A smoiry was
stationed wherever a sentry should be, , the
countersign given, and every packet at his as-
signed post, quietly and promptly, i,:a'ing our
camp safe as such preparations could for miles
around.
  If any Oue thinks the courteies- tn I refined
graces ot' life are confined to the best clothes
and parlors of civilized homes, that person
ought to have been where Zaccheus was, over-
looking that night scene on the top of Cheat.
  Here were some sixty or seventy persons,
each one or two, or in small companies, light-
ing fires and getting together such convenien-
ces as camp utensils afforded to prepare sup-
per.  Of this number there were two ladies
and one bright seven year old little girl,-my
sister, the wife of the Col., their daughter, and
myself. Just as the fires were nicely lighted,
a fine rain began to fall, more like mist than
rain, and yet enough to interfere with the cook-
ing operations.  It would have been a good
place for young ladies to become acquainted
with the tempers of prospective husbands.
But, in justice to those brave young soldiers,
most of whom belonged to the Ringgold Cav-
alry, I can recommend the amiabiiiy with
which they bore the mishaps of pot and pan,
taking with good-nature what they could get,
in the place of what they wanted.
   Sitting at home at our nicely laid and boun-



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