File:The New England magazine (1891) (14577404597).jpg

Identifier: newenglandmagazi1891bost (find matches)
Title: The New England magazine
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors:
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston : (New England Magazine Co.)
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

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e that the only navigation of theriver is monopolized by ferry-boats, com-monly yclept flats. It is a picturesquesight, the crossing of one of these flats.The train stops at a small station op-posite Cartersville, for example. Theriver bank, — fringed with willows, andhorse chestnuts and water-elms, great andsmall, — is not a dozen feet away. Thewater slips away in a cool, clear, smoothflood, absinthe green, or of an opaqueyellow if there has been rain. Thefurther bank, perhaps a hundred yards, isa little higher than the hither one, andagainst the sunset sky rises a cluster ofroofs and chimneys, with two or threesharp spires, and a blur of great oldtrees. A road winds down to the land-ing, and there is the flat, being heldby a chain at one end, the ferrymansteadying it by a pole against the currentat the other. Two men on horsebackride on ; then a very ancient carriage,with paintless wheels, two horses whichhave evidently just been torn from the 592 THE NATURAL BRIDGE OF VIRGINIA.
Text Appearing After Image:
T I tage sweeps around plough, an old colored man holding thereins, — and from the window looks asweet, high-bred face, framed in snowyhair. The face of a gramie dame, tiedunder a rusty bonnet, with delicate, calmlyfolded hands in threadbare cotton gloves— a not unusual type. Then comes aload of hay, drawn by two white oxen,and a half dozen school children, andseveral barking dogs. The flat pro-ceeds laboriously across the stream, thetwo colored men leaning against theirpoles. What a picture, — the smoothriver, the sunset and the silhouette, thelow hills, the crowded flat. Virginiaseems never to tire of the old ways. This is not irrelevant, because we aremaking our way up the river, — slowlyapproaching the bridge ; and these arethe little things which go to make up thewhole impression of the journey. For-merly, the James River and KanawakaCanal (opened in 1841) followed the riverto Buchanan and Lexington, and, with itsshort branches, was the only outlet to theworld. Then the R

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