Cruel As The Grave

me? 'tis where th

richness to

tream its rocky

ls a vein of light

could view five counties. At the little hotel they were entertained very much in the same manner as at the

valley that lies between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains. And again Lyon Berners' devot

the cross-country coach and changed their route, which now led them to

And, in fact, it needed all the noon sunshine to light up the gloom of that fear

e this in the old country," she

Sybil Berners sickened at heart. Every time Lyon so smiled on Rosa, Sybil

l, at nightfall, it entered a pass so gloomy, so savage, so terrific in its aspect, that the yo

med of a place lik

e 'Devil's Descent,' this should be the 'Gates of Hell.' Yet to us, it

ome almost consoled the wife for the smile he b

except Sybil held t

wound hanging at a dizzy height between heaven and earth! The dark iron-gray precipices that towered on each side were clothed in every cleft, from base to summit, with clumps of dark stunted evergreens as sombre as themselves. So tortuous, besides, was the pa

ns of the 'Entrance into the Infernal Reg

gloom would be perfectly horrible! and it is ho

r me. It is my abode. I only seem to live my own life in my own Black

ll on the part of the coachman, whose anxiety was shared by all within the coach. Each passenger clung for support to what was nearest at hand, and might reasonably have expected every instant to be dashed

oldings and loosed their tongues a

more than terrible! more than awful! And it is just a miracle that we h

accident on this road," obser

every time a vehicle passes down

the window as the coach rolled on. Sybil was already gazing through the right-h

were out in all their glory, and by their shining the travellers saw before them a beautiful little river,

ich are called the Black Rocks, and which shut in our Black Valle

lackness!" replie

tupendous height and dark iron-gray hue of the rocks that overshadow and darken the valley and the river, and also the situation of the village at the entrance of the dark val

, and had their baggage taken off. And the coach, waiting only long enough to change horses and to pick up passengers, all of whom, bot

led the ladies on board. He saw them comfortably seated, and the nurse and child in a s

aron! all rig

great age and flowing gray locks, yet stalworth form and unbroken strength, had con

, and in the valley?" fur

t arrove at the tavern, do report all right in the w

rriage is waitin

out twenty minutes ago, punk-too-w

e, the boat touched the wharf immediately under the lighted windows of the hotel

and, and proposed that they should stop at the ho

her talent on the supper that is awaiting us at home. And she would weep with disapp

Sybil's tyrant and Sybil's slave; for she is both despotic and devoted, and scolds and pets her alternately

Rosa, with an admiring gl

re, and indulges or rebukes her housekeepe

erners to her coachman, who was

Marse Lyon!" exclaimed a very black, short, squarely built, good-humore

let bar-rooms alone? Joe! where do you expect to go when you di

wants to take a drap of comfort in dis worl', 'cause I nebber shall get none der

f that's a compliment? But, Joe, w

exclaimed Joe, stretching his eyes. "Why, Miss Sybil, there an't a man nor a maid about the h

so!" said Sybil, tu

with the baggage," said Lyon Berners, leading his wife and his guest to the carriage, and placi

out," regretfully exclaimed Rosa Blondelle, lookin

not very safe at night, and our coachman is rather too much exhilarated to be tru

en the two high mountain ridges; but it was so dark that nothin

istant waters fell upon the listening ear, and from the faintest hum that could h

?" fearfully

what?" ec

horrid

ed Sybil in a low, pleased tone; for the sound of her native waters,

ackness!" sh

! All beautiful things are not

have ever seen in my life is very dark." And she raised and

ed. She drew her hand away; and then, to heal the little hurt she mi

le! You see the lig

d, and she saw scattered lights that seemed to be set in t

rm the mountain; and being immediately at the foot of the mountain, and closely s

ght have been taken either for a very small lake, or a very large pond

the right-hand the gate letting into the elm-

e 'blackness,' Mrs. Blondelle," smiled Sybil, who was

laughingly greeted as "Cerberus," although the name given him in baptism was that of the k

ed his young mistress back, and widely str

ds and curiously twisted chimneys, its steep roofs and latticed windows-all monuments of the old colonial days-came more and more distinctly into view from its backgr