Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-11-06
Uncle Demands St0ry.

t-t f' Uncle Demands Story.
"0h, Uncle Bernard, cried all together eroup
of little people "telI US story .'f''
Uncle Bernard. white-haired old man. whose
easy chair had been drawn TO warm corner-for
the winter was bowling against the windoVs-look-
ed up from his large print Bible and smiled fondly
ca their rosy faces: "a story, let read YOU one
oat Of this good book" ,f''r
oh! no. says bold little Bob, as he caught the
old man round the neck, eve know all the Bible
stories tell us fairy tale
'Yes' yes! Uncle Bernard" chirropped ,be rcst
"a fairy tale, fairy tale; You have neger told MS
fairy tale"
No, deary, have never told yOu fairy tale
Fairy tales are lies and Young folks like YOU should
not love 10 hear lies nor should old folks like me
tell lies - - $3.50
"0h! but Uncle Bernard, we know that fairy
tales are not true, but It is snch fun to hear them
-"WelI, my little pets, I'll try to tell YOU story
that sounds IKE fairy tale and vet it is all true
! Sit down and listen. r
"Onee upon time, ana great while ago. there
| lived in wide wood a wild man whose name was
Hiea0s His father and mother had been keepers
OF lovely garden, where they dwet in peace with
our good God; but he very early in his childhood
had wandered far on and lost himself among the
shadows Of the forest where he soon forgot all the
little that he knew. Not only his head and face.
but also his whole body was covered with long
shaggy hair; his nails were like claws and he could
Climb tha trees, or swim in the water as easily as
walk On the ground. Gigantic in height his shoul-
ders vera broad and his limbs sturdy. lle could
ontran the swftest deer, hit with stone the flying
bird, ani Kill with his knotty club the fercest
beasts. lie ate only what he won in the chase
with some pleasant herbs or futs, or honey which
he found in the hollow trunks and among the rocks;
AMI he drank oniy wafer from springs. or the deep
river which flowed through the valley. tie slept
in caves in the erotches Of trees lest the prOw-
Ing beasts should catch him unawaras Yet saw
age he was, he had a certain nOblcnesS aud rough
grace Of mien which distinguished him as superior
to the bFutes around him aud made them acknoWl-
edge him as their lord. Thus he lived, lonely and
unhappy and notwithstanding his strength, fuli Of
fears e - .--
'One day, as he was pushing through the theket
TO reach the river Ire heard singing sweeter than
any he had ever heard lie thought at FIRST that it
was bird But he knew the songs of all birds.
and that this was not like any one of them. lie
dashed on, and saw reclining on the bank Of the
river creature lovely that he stood still
in wonder, trembling with new feeling that shot
Ike fire through his heart aud joints. Her !
form This woodmans eve saw at once that the !
delicate proportions were those of fe,naleJ was
8 :.
his was brown and shaggy. Around her was cast J
a loose white robe aud about her shoulders 9oatel
a scarf blue as the sky. While she sung she look !
ed upward as if some one was hearing her, whom !
SthenOs could not see and then she listened if TO
n voice she could not hear. Soon turning her eyes
upon him. she smiled with ravishing sweetness and |
beckoned him nearer. Awe-strucE, but drawn ir-
resistibly on he fell at her feet gazing her beau
tful face She spoke in accents OF his early speech,
which now came back to his understanding and
said: .Sthenos, our good God whom you have so
long forgotten, has not forgotten you but, pitying
your loneliness and misery has sent 10 live with
YOU and be your friend Already ! love YOU and /
you must take me to your heart and give me your |
love
AS she spoke, she bent down and wiped his fore I
head from which She had parted his matted locks |
looking with her clear blue eyes into his, until his
whole being seemed drawn out 20 her and he laid f.
her head with its bright golden curlg on his broad
breast, aud felt ecstacy OF inexpressibe happf !
ness. y
's'And now that am to dwell with you dear Z
Sthenos lead me to your home /
"'Home" replied he, Il know not what You !
mean
Where DO you rest after the chase, or amid
darkness? Where do you eat yGur food and where
do you most delight to be? That is home,
81 have 10 home. All places in the forest are
alike to me- Where WEAKNESS or night comes up /
on me, there lie down; when have killed the /
deer, then eat. have never thought Of home
.'.Come then. said She, sweetly, let US seek a I
spot where we will make home for ourselves and 4
putting her slender hand in his, she led him on un-
i'll they came to a fountain gushing ont from under
high rock before which sunny meadow spread !
itself towards the southwest, blooming with bare /
bells and daisy -cups, and pansies and many more |
wild flowers. is it not charming? said she, the I
spring shall give us water and the rock guard US /
from the fierce north wind. and We can look ont (
upon the sunlight and the shadows as they float |
mingled together over the green grass ani the hoy-
ers that spring up through the yerdure.
"Sthenos smiled and though he could not under
stand her meaning he felt charm Of nature he |
had never before known.
CHOW she said, the sun, though its light be
pleasant looks down too aot!y upon us; and when
the night comes the dews will fail and the winds
chill us. Go break of bouqIs from the trees, and
strip the broad bark from the decayed branches ;
This was an easy task for tbe.yigarous man; aud in
the mean time she had gathered heaps OF dry mos
ses. and the spicy shoots from the hemOcbs, and
spread them deeply over the leafcovered ground
Then leaning the thick boughs against each other
and layng by her directions, the curved bark over
tapping in successive and continuous layers, upon
them, Sthenos saw as his work rude bat safe hut.
ana said "rhis shall be our home 20 for our eve
ming NEAL and dashng into the forest, he soon re-
turned with wood, pigeons, anda young fawn which
he had killed. casting them at the feet Of his gentle
wife, who had already arranged in leafy cups the
berries which she had gathered from the meadow;
and SthenOs beheid wild flowers. mingled with long,
trailing, delicate vines. adoFning the entrance TO