Virginia.
— Dilapidated, fenceless, and trodden with war as Virginia is, wherever I move
across her surface, I find myself rous'd to surprise and admiration. What capacity for products,
improvements, human life, nourishment and expansion! Everywhere that I have been in the Old
Dominion, (the subtle mockery of that title now!) such thoughts have fill'd me. The soil is yet far
above the average of any of the northern States. And how full of breadth is the scenery,
everywhere with distant mountains, everywhere convenient rivers. Even yet prodigal in forest
woods, and surely eligible for all the fruits, orchards, and flowers. The skies and atmosphere
most
luscious, as I feel certain, from more than a year's residence in the State, and movements hither
and yon. I should say very healthy, as a general thing. Then a rich and elastic quality, by night
and
by day. The sun rejoices in his strength, dazzling and burning, and yet, to me, never unpleasantly
weakening. It is not the panting tropical heat, but invigorates. The north tempers it. The nights
are
often unsurpassable. Last evening (Feb. 8,) I saw the first of the new moon, the old moon clear
along with it; the sky and air so clear, such transparent hues of color, it seem'd to me I had never
really seen the new moon before. It was the thinnest cut crescent possible. It hung delicate just
above the sulky shadow of the Blue Mountains. Ah, if it might prove an omen and good
prophecy
for this unhappy State.