The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-10-03
MISCELLANEOUS.
EA.a.Qi.N aiaSaEss
OR
THE SPRING OF THE VALLEY.
BY MARY A. DUNLAP
CHAPTER l..

ing along a sylvan road, not tar from the
pretty village of Oney. lie was appa-
rently about nineteen, and had quite a
prepossessing appearance His face was
manly rather than beautiful, but he had
the most lovely chcsnut curls, and an eye
of great briliaucy and expression. His
figure was well knit, and rather above
the medium height, and he rode his high
spirited animal with ease and grace.
Suddenly the road emerged from the
woodlands, and the traveller found him
self in one of those sweet and placid val
lies with winch our lovely land abounds
On one side in the distance sweled up a
gentle elevation, covered with green
fields and clumps of forest oaks On the
other side the hills rose more abruptly
though the nearly prccipitous sides were
il part concealed by the primeval trees
which everywhere oyersprcad 1t. FoI
the space Of three or four hundred yards,
cowoycr immediately before the travel
Ter, both sides of the valley were covered
with woods; and just where the cleared
land, on The left began an opening might
be seen in the hillside, as if a lateral
valley there ran Otto the north, From
Tire ,ra,ip,,our hiIl.si'c opposite this cap
gusncd spring OF the clcOrcst water,
which, after falling into u rude stone ba-
sin, oycr,lowcd the sics, and brawled a.
way in gentle rivulet.
When the traveller entered this lovely
and onct valley it was already late in
the afternoon, so late that the sun was
beginning to decline behind the western
hills, and his beams, struggling between
c,ump of naples in the distance, were
silvoring the water in the fountain and
gliding the grecnsward around, with fare
well radiance. The solemn shade of the
valley. everywhere cNcrlt in this spot
and the deep quiet OF approaching eve
mar caused the horseman to draw his
rein nscnSibly and gaze on the landscape
lie had tdu' stood il moment when, from
the gap of the opposite hill, emerged a
Young Girl scarcely above the childish
age, but of wonderful beauty. Hel
dress bespoke her cottagcr; but nature
that would have been envied by the proud.
est princess. Her hair was raven, soft
AVID silky, and fell in natural ringets Over
shoulders cxquisitely rounded and VIII ie
a. statuary marble. Her eyes were large
full and dark, and her mouth the pretiiest
III the world.
BY Jovc' said the youthful traveller,
"a perfect beauty, have not seen so ell
cgant face and figure among all The
beauties of New Haven. What II glori-
Gus woman she will be. Faith how pref
tly she trips. As old Sir John Sucking
has it, her feet, like mice peep in and
out I'll ask AnnabcI who she can be.
The girl had by this time advanced ia
the spring, where she filled her pitcher,
and then turned TO look around, while
she rested it on the stone basin. Never
was a more beautiful picture as she stood
there, for but one moment, with the mel
low sunlight falling around her FORM
Suddenly her eve caught that OF the Ntrun-
ger She bughcd a. his ardent look and
catching up her pitcher, bounded Off like
startled lawn. The gaze Of the horse
man loIljwcd her u"lil she disappeared
When hc lnokcd al the fountain again the
sunshine had disappeared. lie hcaved a
deep sigh and said,
'Hcigho! the place seems dark as n
dungeon without her. She came and
went like fairy. How charmngy she
bushcd wonder how Old she can be
th.l.ceu should say. II she were Older
mlght lose my heart. Bcautilu! child
lie put spurs 10 his horse, and at a
ra'lop dashed down the road turned
sharply into the little lateral valley where
she hal disappeared, and keeping on
with unaba,ed speed through the village,
which lay there hidden in the lap of the
hills like violet nesting in quiet nook
never drew rein until he stopped before
an imposing mansion cmhowcred in trees,
abod quarter OF mile beyond tie ham.
let. Here a servant quickly appeared,
- whom he flung his bride. A minute
after he was welcomed by his guardian,
anil then, in rapid succession, by the la
DIV OF the house, and her daughter Anna
bel, the latter of whom coming forward
with an affected air, languidly bid the
handsome youth welcome.
Henry Osmnn1 had been left an or
phan at an carly age. His fathers will
h d appointed for the guardian of the boy
a gentleman every way worthy Of the Of
fee; and under whose care the property
Of the young heir had accumulated DUR
in thc long minority to fortune unusu-
ally large. This guardian had an onl Y
daughter, who, though yet young, was
Of unbounded ambition, u trait which she
inherited from her mother. These two
had long resolved in their own minds that
the young heir should he the husband OF
AnnabeI; and so adroitly had they ma
nnuvred that Osmond, ever since be be-
gan to think of the subject at all, had
considered it as matter of course that
Miss Webster was some day to be his
wife. The father stood alonf from these
machination of which indeed he was
scarcely conscious. But regarding o.
mond as a lad of high promise, he treat
cd him IS an especial favorite. Thus