Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-09-02

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you Of all this lumber!"
mot for the world" replied Charney,
with smile. 81 am boarding it to build a
palace for my lady.love."
4 The gaoler gave knowing wink, which
slgnihed, however, that he understood not
word about the matter.
4 Meanwhile, ChaTney set about splitting
aud pointing the uprights OF his bastions I;
and carefully laid aside the osier bands
which served to tie up his daily fagots.-
lie next tore from his trunk its lining Of
coarse cloth; out Of which he drew the
strongest threads and his materials thus
prepared. he commenced his operations the
moment the rules Of the prison and the ex-
aciitude Of the gaoler would admit lie
surrounded his plant with palisades Of une-
quail height, carefully inserted between the
stones Of the pavement, aud secured at the
base by cement Of earth, laboriously col
lecied from the iniersiices, and mortar and
salIpetre secretly distracted from the ancient
turret-wals around him. When the la.
bours OF the carpenter and mason were
achieved, he began to inierlace his scanold.
ing at intervals with split osiers, to screen
Ia pieciotd from the shocks Of exterior OBJ
jectss
The completion Of his work acquired
during its progress, new importance in his
eyes, from the opposition Of Ludovico.-
The gaoler shook his head aud grumbled
when first he noticed the undertaking But
before the close Of the performance the
kind-hearted fellow withdrew his disappro-
baton; nav, would even smoke his pipe,
leaning against the wicket of the courtyard,
aud watching, with a smile, the efforts of
the unpraetlsed mechanic inlerrupting
himself in the enjoyment Of his IA, ourte
recreation, however, TO favour Charney with
occasional counsels, the result of his own
experience.
The work progressed rapidly; but to
render il perfect, the Coun. was under the
necessity Of sacrificing a portion of his
scanty bedding purloining handfuls of
straw from his palliasse, in order to band
up the interstices Of his basket-work, a, a
shelter against the mountain wind, and the
ferceness Of the meridian sun, which in
summer would be reflected from the flint OF
the adjacent wall.
| One evening, sudden breeze arose, az
ter Charney had been locked in for the
highland the yard was quickly strewn
with scattered straws aud clips Of oaier.
which had not been worked in with sulii-
Client solidity. Charney promised himselft to
counteract next day the i'll effects of his
carelessness but on reaching the court at
the usual hour, he found that all the mis-.
chief had been neatly repaired: hand
more expert than his own had replaced the
mating and palisades. II was not difficult
TO guess to whom he was indebted Cor this
friendly interposilion. Meanwhile, thanks
to her riend,-thanks to her friends, the
plant was now secured by solid ramparts
and roofing and Charney. attaching him
self, according to The common frailty of hui
man nature. more tenderly to the objects
on which he was comforting obligation, had
the satisfaction TO see the plant expand with
redoubled powers, and asquire new beauties
every hour II was matter Of deep inter-
est to observe the progress of its consolida-
ton. The herbaceous stem was now &C.
curing ligneous consistency. A glossy
bark began TO surround the fragile stalk
and already. the gratifed proprietor Of this
gratuitous treasure entertained eager hopes
Of the appearance Of flowers among its
leaves. The man Of paralysed nerves.
the man of frost-bound feelings, had al
length found something to wish for The
action Of his lofty intellect was at last con.
centrated into alteration Of an herb OF the
| field. Even as the celebrated Quaker,
John Bartram, resolved, alier studying for
hours the organization Of violet, to apply
his powers Of mind to the analysis Of the
vegetable kingdom, and eventually acquired
high eminence among the masters OF boil.
anical science, Charney became natural
philosopher.
A learned pundit Of Malabar is said to
have lost his reason in attempting to ex-
pound the phenomena Of the sensitive plant.
But the Count de Charney seemed likely TO
be restored to the use Of his by studies Of a
similar nature and, sane or insane, nc had
at least already extracted from his plant an
arcanum sufficiently potent to dispel the
WEAKNESS of ennui, and enlarge the limit oil
his captivity.
"If it would but flower r-he frequently
exclaimed, "what delight to hail the open
ing of its first blossom blossom whose
beauty. whose fragrance. will be developed
for the sole enjoyment of my eager senses.
What will be its color, | wonder what thu
form of its petals l---time will show Per.
haps they may afford new premises for
conjccture-new problems for solution
Perhaps the conceited gypsy will offer a
new challenge to my understanding! So
much the better Let my little adversary
arm herself with all her powers Of argument.
will not PREJUDICE the case. Perhaps,
when thus complete, the secret of her mys-
FERROUS nature will be apparentl How |
long for the moment Bloom, picciola
bloom--and reveal yourself in all your beau.
~ to him to whom you are indebted for the
preservation Of your life ~
"PIccIoLA l'-Such is the name, then,
which, borrowed from the lips Of Ludoyico,
Charney has involuntarily bestowed upon
bis fayorite l-"Pcciolap la poDera PieciO'
Ia, was the designation so tenderly appro-
priated by the gaoler to the poor ittie thing
which Charney's neglect had almost allow.
ed TO perish.
"Picciola" murmured the solitary cap.
tive, when every morning he carefully
searched its already tufled foliage for ndi.