doubt, have been discerned by this sulphurous light; that the face of nature itself, the very picture of but my whole attention was absorbed by the river, woods, and streams, and meadows, is a hieroglyphic which seemed to come out of the darkness like an writing in the spirit itself, of which the retina is no apparition at the summons of my impatient will. It interpreter. The proof is just below him (at least it could be borne only for a short time; this dazzling, came under my eye,) in the lady (not American) who, bewildering alternation of glare and blackness, of vast after glancing over the landscape, brings her chair inreality and nothingness. I was soon glad to draw to the piazza, and, turning her back to the champaign, back from the precipice and seek the candlelight within.

and her face to the wooden walls of the hotel, begins the study this Sunday morning, of her lapful of newsThe next day was Sunday. I shall never forget, papers. What a sermon is here preached to him if I live to a hundred, how the world lay at my feet at this moment from a hackneyed text! To him one Sunday morning. I rose very early, and looked that hath much; that hath the eye, and ear, and abroad from my window, two stories above the plat- wealth of the spirit, shall more be given; even a form. A dense fog, exactly level with my eyes, as replenishing of this spiritual life from that which it appeared, roofed in the whole plain of the earth; a to others is formless and dumb; while from him dusky firmament in which the stars had hidden them- that hath little, who trusts in that which lies about selves for the day. Such is the account which an him rather than in that which lives within him, shall antediluvian spectator would probably have given of be taken away, by natural decline, the power of it. This solid firmament had spaces in it, however, perceiving and enjoying what is within his own dothrough which gushes of sunlight were poured, light- main. To him who is already enriched with large ing up the spires of white churches, and clusters of divine and human revelations, this scene is, for all farm buildings too small to be otherwise distinguish- its stillness, musical with divine and human speech; ed; and especially the river, with its sloops floating while one who has been deafened by the din of like motes in the sunbeam. The firmament rose and worldly affairs can hear nothing in this mountain solmelted, or parted off into the likeness of snowy sky-itude. mountains, and left the cool Sabbath to brood bright- The march of the day over the valley was glorious, ly over the land. What human interest sanctifies a and I was grieved to have to leave my window for bird's-eye view! I suppose this is its peculiar charm, an expedition to the falls a few miles off. The falls for its charm is found to deepen in proportion to the are really very fine, or, rather, their environment; but I growth of mind. To an infant, a champaign of a could see plenty of waterfalls elsewhere, but nowhere hundred miles is not so much as a yard square of gay else such a mountain platform. However, the expecarpet. To the rustic it is less bewitching than a dition was a good preparation for the return to my paddock with two cows. To the philospher, what is window. The little nooks of the road, crowded with it not? As he casts his eye over its glittering towns, bilberries, cherries, and alpine plants, and the quiet its scattered hamlets, its secluded homes, its moun- tarn, studded with golden water lilies, were a wholetain ranges, church spires, and untrodden forests, it some contrast to the grandeur of what we had left beis a picture of life; an epitome of the human uni-hind us.

verse; the complete volume of moral philosophy, for On returning, we found dinner awaiting us, and al which he has sought in vain in all libraries. On the so a party of friends out of Massachusetts, with whom left horizon are the Green Mountains of Vermont, we passed the afternoon, climbing higher and higher and at the right extremity sparkles the Atlantic. Be- among the pines, ferns and blue-berries of the mounneath lies the forest where the deer are hiding and tain, to get wider and wider views. They told me the birds rejoicing in song. Beyond the river he that I saw Albany, but I was by no means sure of sees spread the rich plains of Connecticut; there, it. This large city lay in the landscape like an antwhere a blue expanse lies beyond the triple range of hill in a meadow. Long before sunset I was at my hills, are the churches of religious Massachusetts window again, watching the gradual lengthening of sending up their Sabbath psalms; praise which he is the shadows and purpling of the landscape. It was too high to hear, while God is not The fields and more beautiful than the sunrise of this morning, and waters seem to him to-day no more truly property less so than that of the morrow. Of this last I shall than the skies which shine down upon them; and to give no description, for I would not weary others think how some below are busying their thoughts with what is most sacred to me. Suffice it, that it this Sabbath-day about how they shall hedge in an- gave me a vivid idea of the process of creation, other field, or multiply their flocks on yonder mead- from the moment when all was without form and ows, gives him a taste of the same pity which Jesus void, to that when light was commanded, and there felt in his solitude when his followers were contend- was light. Here, again, I was humbled by ing about which should be greatest. It seems strange ing what such things are to some who watch in vain to him now that man should call anything his but the for what they are not made to see. power which is in him, and which can create somewhat more vast and beautiful than all that this horizon encloses. Here he gains the conviction, to be never again shaken, that all that is real is ideal; that the joys and sorrows of men do not spring up out of the ground, or fly abroad on the wings of the wind, or come showered down from the sky; that good cannot be hedged in, nor evil barred out; even that light does not reach the spirit through the eye alone, nor wisdom through the medium of sound or silence only. He becomes of one mind with the spiritual Berkeley,

see

A gentleman and lady in the hotel intended to have left the place on Sunday. Having overslept that morning's sunrise and arrived too late for that on Saturday, they were persuaded to stay till Monday noon; and I was pleas ed, on rising at four on Monday morning, to see that they were in the piazza below, with a telescope. We met at breakfast, all faint with hunger, of course.

66

'Well, Miss M.," said the gentleman discontentedly, "I suppose you were disappointed in the sunrise."

AUBURN.

lost in the mud-an attempt which had hitherto THE engraving on the opposite page, represents been proved to be somewhat hazardous. In this one of the most flourishing townships in the west-year, the first fire company was formed. ern part of New York.

AUBURN is situated in the old military tract, on the Owasco outlet, about two and a half miles north of the Owasco lake, and is on the great western turnpike, 169 miles west of Albany. It was first settled in 1793, by Col. John L. Hardenbergh-and was for many years known as Hardenbergh's Cor

ners."

In 1816, after the relative advantages of the sever al villages of the western district, had been canvassed by a committee appointed by the state, for the purpose of deciding upon the location for a state prison for said district, the choice was decided in favour of Auburn. The prison was accordingly commenced-and has now long been admired as a model, both in Europe and in this country.

During the same year, the first Presbyterian So

66

North street; which house was dedicated on the 6th of March the following year. In June, the “Auburn Gazette," (afterward Cayuga Republican,”) was commenced by Skinner & Crosby-and in September, the "Advocate of the People" was pub lished by H. C. Southwick.

At this time, the bank of Auburn was chartered— capital stock, $200,000. In 1818, their present banking-house was erected.

In April, 1817, the village contained 1506 inhab itants-148 dwelling-houses-20 stores, and 40 mechanick shops. In September, 1828, its inhabitants numbered 2047-showing an increase of 548 in seventeen months.

The Auburn Theological Seminary (the situation of which is now very flourishing) was established by the synod of Geneva in 1819, incorporated in 1820, and went into operation in 1821.

The postoffice was first established here about the year 1800-the mails arriving only once a fort-ciety laid the foundation of their meeting-house on night. In two or three years, this was changed to once a week-During the war, to once a day -and now, the mails constantly arriving at, and departing from the postoffice, are almost without number. In 1805, Dr. Crosset gave the village the name by which it has ever since been known. At that time, it consisted of but a few log dwellings, a store or so, a gristmill, &c., all situated near the bank of the creek, not far from the spot which is now occupied by the extensive flouring establishment of Messrs Leonard & Warden. In this year, the act was passed appointing a committee to decide as to the location of the county buildings, which at length decided in favour of Auburn. In 1807, the building of the courthouse was commenced--and the county courts were removed to this place from Aurora. Thus the village had become the county town-and, as a natural consequence, it was soon honoured with a newspaper. The "Western Federalist" was started by H. & J. Pace in 1808, and was continued by them till 1816. But it had a good effect all the time in giving the infant village a name abroad—and accordingly we find its condition constantly improving. The courthouse, clerk's office, and several frame houses had by this time been erected; and in 1811, we find the late unobtrusive settlement had increased to quite a goodly village. At this time, it was supposed to contain not far from 300 inhabitants; the courthouse In 1825, the number of inhabitants was 2982; in was at this time the only publick building in the vil-1833, 3368, and in 1836, it is probably not far from age, and even this was still in an unfinished state. 6,500. In 1825, the Baptist Society was organized Exertions were made to erect an Episcopal church, and in 1829, they erected their house on South and during this year, the neat little edifice (destroy-street, (since sold to the Universalists,) and in 1834, ed by fire in 1832) was commenced: So also was erected their house on Genesee street. In 1827, commenced the old academy-a brick three-story building, which too, was destroyed by fire in 1816. Nor were these improvements confined to one class or to only one sect of the people-for in the same year, we find the few Presbyterians then in the place, meeting to form a society of that denomination.

During the same year, the Methodist Episcopal Society was organized. Their house on Chapel street was soon after erected; this has since been sold to the Roman Catholicks. The stone chapel, belonging to, and now occupied by this society, on North street, was erected in 1833. In 1824, the "Free Press" was commenced by Richard Oliphan; which, after having been continued till 1833, by uniting with the Republican, gave rise to the Auburn Journal.

the "Gospel Messenger," an Episcopal publication) was commenced by Rev. Dr. Rudd. In 1829, the Second Presbyterian Society was organized; and soon they laid the foundation of their house on South street also.

The Auburn Musical Association was formed in The great epidemick, which in 1813 raged so gen- 1830-and we believe is at this time in a flourishing erally throughout the country, marked many a vic-condition. In 1833, the Universalist Society was tim among the citizens of Auburn-mostly, however, of the intemperate class.

3

organized; and in 1834, the Catholicks fitted up their church on Chapel street. About nine years since, By an act of the legislature, the village of Au- great and lasting improvements were commenced in burn was incorporated on the 18th of April, 1815-the appearance of the streets. Hills were reducedat which time it contained about 1000 inhabitants. valleys raised-and all so nearly brought upon From this time its improvements became more rapid level as to entirely alter the general contour of the and uniform; the streets, which had formerly been village. In addition to this, after these improve. nothing but mud and hills, were now, for the first ments were completed, the principal streets passed time, sought to be improved; walks were put down through an almost universal operation of M'Adamion the principal streets; and in a short time, people, zation-which renders them at once agreeable promwith good care, might pass from one end of the vil- enades, at most times wearing the same appearance lage to the other without running much risk of being of neatness and cheerfulness. The new county jail

THE

NEW YORK

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Astor, Lanax and Tilden

Foundations.