The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-08-21


ing, run Off 10 another uncle's, and vowed I'D
never 90 back again I'LL was my own mas
ter. They told me Ellen cried for days after
had gone but my blood was up, wasn't to
be made mock Of, to have people sheer at
me
/ was gone five years. The first year !
was at college, and bore my absence passa-
bly,; for though could not help thinking Of
my cousin, always put myself at once into
passion, and so got rid OF il pretty well. But
alter while began 10 feel mighty desolate,
ana missed the walks, the songs, and sweet
roses, and often wished hadn't been in such
hurry; but It was no use now I'D vowed
not 10 60 back till was a man, and ! always
kept my word. So when left college |
thought I'D 60 10 see the world. and set out
accordingly for the West, and betwixt hunting
and fishing, ! managed TO spend year or two
very well. hadn't intended to have gone
beyond ST. Louis, but heard so much about
the good buffalo hunting, just over the river,
near the Rocky Mountains, that resolved to
take a run up there for day or two, and have
little shooting by, way Of sport. But when
got there liked it so much, that conclud-
ed to stay week or two longer.
Well, had been absent; say three years
or more making tours on the prairies. and
out amcng the Black feet Indians, hunting
bufaloes on the hill, smoking my pipe with
the chiefs, and kissing the Indian girls. God
bless em when il occurred to me, / was
nearly twenty-five, and that il would be about
as well to be a Christian again. or at any rate
to see how that pretty little cousin Of mine
was coming on. So set out with party Of
traders, and betwixt fighting and speechiying,
managed to get to the mouth Of the Yellow
stone, and so TO st. Louis and civilization. l
learned good deal in that shooting jaunt to
the Rocky Mountains, and came back as you
may well suppose. as shrewd as Sioux. But
that's neither here nor there, and only mem
ton il to show that man that's seen the
world, hunted buffalo. and been to the mouth
Of the Yellowstone, isn't to be despised even
in kissing pretty cousin, as I'LL show you by
and bye.
II was bright sunny day when rose the
hill that overlooked the village where was
born and where my pretty little cousin dwelt.
The clouds lay piled in feeces at the west,
or were rolled away like messy curtains to let
the setting sun peep out, while his mellow
beams streamed forth, lining the dark green
trees, with its modest little church steeple
shining in the summer sunset. Beside the
white spire was the church, and not far offthe
parsonage flanked on one side by the lawyers
house, and on the other by my good old I'M
cle's aristocratic residence. They were, as
in all villages they are, the three best houses
in the place, for If the advisers Of our birth;
our lives, and our death, don't deserve to live
well, I'd like to know, my dear sir. who does?
Fill uphill up fill up, egad we'll toast the
whole three, sir, and give each a bumper; !
stopped awhile to look, but though crowd Of
sweet memories rose to my throat, and though
/ had been to the Black Hills, and shot buffa-
10, some how or other could think of nothing
but my pretty cousin, and caught myself
running my eye over the landscape to trace
her favorite walks, and then again wandering,
and felt a little uneasy as thought of il,
whether she hadn't got married by this time !;
or, puzzling myself TO guess If she was as
lovely and as sancy as ever. and alill "a .pror
vokingly hostile to kissing her good aor Do-
thing cousin. felt futtering az tho heart,
which ended, as | rode up to the gate, IN q
queer kind Of feeling, as if the blood in that
region had ceased 10 flow, and my whole left
side been filed up with lead. But | recol-
ected had shot buffalo, and thought it was
no use to be afraid Of my pretty cousin. Sol
threw my bride to strange servant, and
walking up to the door, relieved myself by
giving most laundering knock.
Is Ellen in = said !.
Yes sir. said the maid, as she held the door
ajar and stared at me as though had been
perfect stranger, the hussy This wasn't the
kind of reception fancied, so just lifted
my hat, and cavalierly pushed by her into the
hall.
What name shall give Miss Barton p
said the astounded maid.
None said |, forgetting that ! was in
land Of ceremonies, and highly indignant at
the conduct of the maid, None, tell her !
want to see her. and throwing open the parlor
door, l whaled in and flung myself on the
sofa, leaving the maid perfectly amazed that a
man almost as yellow as Creole, should not
only ask to see her mistress, but refuse to
send his card up to beauty who was worth
fifty thousand dollars, and to crown all, ac-
tually walked unlimited into the parlor. |
heard her slam the front door, and saw her 60
up the entry wringing her hands, but only
ran my fingers through my curls, and began
humming Black-foot tune which pretty lit
tie India, girl had learned me.
Directly the door opened was troubled
with that COMPOUNDED choak and futter again,
as my pretty little cousin walked in, looking
more beautiful than even she used TO, or in my
widest dreams | had pictured her. left her
a little girl not quite thirteen; | found her
budding into womanhood, at sunny, sweet
eighteen. Her form was like syph's for
lightness, but was already developing the full
roundness Of the capitolan Venus. Her face
had the same regularity Of feature, and the
same exquisite sweet expression as ever;
while her jeuy hair, modstly curained over
the brow, in part hid the rich brunette cheeks
beneath, and gave relief to the dark eyes that
still sparkled and flashed as when they used to
laugh at me in my boyish days. have seen
many beauty, but never did see such bril-