The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-08
NO. 349.

continuous hum had been for sCme minutes
! growing more distinct to their ears As they
passed the last turn, and struck out into the
| broad expanse, they reined up suddenly to gaze
at the novel scene opened
| A ripping, golden sea Of bending wheat lay
before them, scarcely bounded by the eve at
first glance. Around it's border, with ceasees5
buzz and slow, steady pace, "Ieaping ma
chine" was sweeping like a huge monster d
the deep, engorgIng its glttering waves at ey-
cry step, and laying them level on its track.
The hot, yellow sunshine poured down upon Is
picturesque group of men and boys near by,
who were bending to bind up the treasures ,f
their harvest.
"A genuine prairie Huzza now for first i'm
presaOnS!p Thus sarcastioally exclaimed tbs
elder of the two, tossing short stump of a
cigar from his teeth, and cracking his WHY
lash out into the open sunlight He was tall,
corsair.lramed young man, with fierce NOUS
tache, and eyes which could veil their fierce.
ness on occasion, behind the softest dissimula.
ton.
Such veil they had always worn TO the
younger companion, who sprang up that mo
ment by his side, in a natural impulse Of fresh
hearted enthusiasm The light breeze lifted
ihe broad brim of his travelling panama
and tossed back the tangled light brown curli
from an open, confding countenance, most boy
ishly beautiful for he was only seventeen years
old
Both were undergraduates of -- Univer.
sity, who had been spending their summers
furlough amid the lake scenery Of America.
the farest if not the grandest, of the world
They had clambered over the hill.island of
Mackinac, had assembled the Sault Ste. Marie,
and roved at their own wild will through tho
vast, glorious amphitheatre eircling Lake Su
perior enc of them, at least, had baptized
his widest dreams in the mists that cloud Nj
agara; the other had outlived his dreams.
Sadly sun-browned for coegians, but untired
and unsobered, they had chartered vehicl1
at Michigan port to cross the prairie coun
try to the upper Mississippi, "boat up to the
Falls Of St Anthony, and float down with tho
Father of Rivers" toward their Southern
| homes.
Pshaw, Henley exclaimed his comrade,
impatiently jumping up to reach the tassels Of
| cemats vine swinging from the branch of y
beech, and checking the frank exclamation OF
surprise that had half parted his lips as though
he were really ashamed of his young heart and
fancy
Nonsense You suppose | have always
few ecstaces to squander on step-dame Nature,
even in her work day dress ~
His tongue had belied his feelings and hs
blushed as he glanced again at the insulted
loneliness before him. But rdicule is too often
a weapon fatal to frankness
Henley arched his eyebrows, which nearly
met beneath his high but retreating forehead.
81 opinionate," said he conceitedly, insert
ing the end of fresh Havana into one cor.
ner of his mouth, that a dame, six thousand
years old, is IN peu pdssee and rs to making
love to ones greatest of all great grandmother,
why the idea is simply ridiculous! SO, hero
goes
The horse plunged forward at the blow
which accompanied this exclamation; but aftec
dragging the buggy awkwardly for few
PAGES he stopped planted his forefeet straighs
forward, and his head down before them, and
in spite of jerking, shouting, and whip-crack-
ing, refused to bulge an inch.
TO BIC CONTINUED