Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-11-14
SOPHIA.
THE GIRL OF THE plNE WOODS

THE GIRL OF THE PINE WOODS.
~"Efolio tie housem said well dressed gentle
man on horseback, as he approached u log hut il
the centre OF large pine forest. sWhat do 20,
want SIR" said beautiful girl about sixteen, as
she came to the door, with outlenance smiling
and4sweet as an angel "Can lou direct me the
way ,othe Red mills, madam, pa Fish Creek !?
"Yes, sir; hut the read is veY intricate. ans
nuca farther to 60 round than is TO go through
the fields. BY letting Down ihehars Wonder, ms
keeping the tootpath, until YOU rome TO a swing
gate, vou can shorten the distame two miles,
as il would require YOU to dismpun,, permit me
sir. to opea the bars for you:n sssaying, she lait
by a book which she held in het hand, put an a
sess sisi'e sunhonnes, and triped along the weeay
path bef,re the horse and bis rider, wrishins
her elegant form, and showing her white stock.
irs5ssas she kept her c'cshes above The wet grass
until she laid her snowy hand and arms upon the
rais--aeising them gently fall one upon aao,her
she turned TO the stranger, who was Just spurrnr
shis hnrse to pass, when he screamed out ga rattle
tsnakc! suake, miss, in the grass, ring and
save yourselin' She sprung with The agility ri
a frightened fawn, at the very instant the huge
serpent unccied himself and made Il dart at his
fair prey, who cleared herself from his fangs and
lei fail Rer honnet upon the snake, she leap
sai frsm his reach. The gentleman dismoun;iu..
snon dispatched the Willy foe with his loaded whip.
whIc > 'phia 50 mslch frightened, that sh,.
was afub'e 10 return to her hut without help
1ie fastened his horse al The bars. anl offered her
his aFDs, winch she did net refuse, and led her
back 10 the cos;see pale sHd trembling,
Coming Is the door, she let go his arm eIy,.t,-
ped cDqrscsy, and sand. II am much as,li.sd
you, sig, and were Esa alone, ws,r,ld ask ye,,.
80 walks and eat saaGc Strawberries sAfssee
snss sst ssuch be better; with yorr permission.
vii. ws,k in nipIait ior yos apEear tess feeble.
from fight. so he let alone in tAss arcsrs
place" ,iy father AND mnsI,es have gns,e Is, the
y,Iaseahout two miles off. and NV mother III
soma tc 5aekT"snd Your father too " i'll he moi %
said BE- stranger as be ssooped in at the door, an.
took 'his seat hcncs,. "4y father, sir. has
been Ul,forts'rase, and I know ngt ,Iiat he Wi
svcr!ssve his liberty s.ain. He WIS o;.ce = nes-
ss,ant .In Dsoaa.ay. New YORK, where I was
brought up until about fot;r wears ag -w hen nv
father removed into the village at,t two miles
fr,m lbs, as said tciare, viii b suppose vos,
passed in coming here. He has done every thing
in hiss psse 20 satisfy his cscsiitors-tur.scss ol
all has property, not resersing his furniture;
but there is creditor who i'll NOT be appsased.
do all nc can, and as his demand amounts 70 more
than one fourth more .bsn all the rest, be has il
in his powerto keep my father confined, they tell
me for ever"
"Wherc does this cre5itorlivef' @In William
astrees, New York" ssWhat is his name.n Jack.
son." ''What is your fathers namer' STh,mp-
SON. The stranger biushed aud looked cont -.
ed. did your father ever apply to MIR. jack
son himself, and make known his situation ~
s'N,s sir, l believe not; but he has an attorne.
who lives about fifteen miles from here, to whom
he sent his notes against my father, ordering him,
as he says, to show no ienity; to him my father
> has applied repeatedly, and left letters in his
~charge, TO Mr.. Jackson; but all TO no purpose.
Mr. jackson says he can show no mcrcy--he has
lost enough by such scoundrels, already Here.
!; sir, lake few of these strawbcrnes-we used to
get them OF the market women, in New York
but herei gather them myself, and sometimes am
obliged to cary them to market myself, too, to
get few cents in order to keep my poor father
from starving" Here she turned away her head,
put her neat white apron up to her eyes, and he
saw her frame convuIsed if weeping.
ssDid you ever have any acquaintance, with
this lawyer, madam!' "Yes, sir, he has been
here frequently, on purpose to distress us with
terms Insulting and cruel" as he a married
MANI" "No, sir; and 50 much The worse. A
man whothad family of his own would not he
so unfeelng as he is to the man who has -
MAY ASH what his terms req" Sophia blush
Enthusiastically, miss 10 not be ashamed To
tell--perhaps l can do YOU father some service
in this business" "Why, sir, there is little
property wiiled to me when i come of age, or am
married, and the hint, sir, Ipresume viii be sufi
= ciept for you to fern a conjecture. He is old,
ugly, Disgusting in person and we removed into
this 'dreary place as much to avoid him as to
curtail our expenses Of. living. His age might
be dispensed with, for the n,nd never grows old,
and-the person who possesses all that IS estima,
BILE, should never be neglected, but rather more
highly. esteemed for the maturity Of years. But
when insolence and vanity appear with grew
head, theybecome doubly dfensiye"
allow old is your lawyet, madam9' Gle is
MOI my lawyer, nor my lever -butl should take
sAIs to be asout forty, and sill i. dandy--vain,