But, when he is once kindled,
the blaze of light casts every object on which it falls into a bold
relief, and gives every scene a lustre unknown before. He is not,
perhaps, strictly original in his thoughts; but the severe truth of
his character, and the searching force of his attention, give the
charm of originality to what he says. Accordingly, another cannot, by
repetition, do it justice. I have never any doubt when I write down or
tell what Laurie says, but Aglauron must write for himself.
Yet I almost always take notes of what has passed, for the amusement
of a distant friend, who is learning, amidst the western prairies,
patience, and an appreciation of the poor benefits of our imperfectly
civilized state. And those I took this day, seemed not unworthy of a
more general circulation. The sparkle of talk, the free breeze that
swelled its current, are always fled when you write it down; but there
is a gentle flow, and truth to the moment, rarely attained in more
elaborate compositions.
My two friends called to ask if I would drive with them into the
country, and I gladly consented. It was a beautiful afternoon of the
last week in May. Nature seemed most desirous to make up for the time
she had lost, in an uncommonly cold and wet spring.
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