The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-05-21

reached kind of hermitage scoopcd in the |
rock, in front o: which. on a sunny beach, sat I
an old man, with a huge white beard that /
swept to his knees No stranger had rcne-
trated into that valley, for many long wear:
but the patriarch was past the ag, when sur
prise is possible, and me RELY halr the travel
lcr> to be seated on the bench beside him.
When they had refreshed themselves with
rest and fool the old hermit babe them tell
their stories, whilst the maiden sat at their
feet, little nearer to GorgeS than 10 the
others, listening with tlownca>t ewes. Hanna
related what had sent them in search of the
Whispering Tree of Kama. omittinc nothing.
not even the love of the vounu man for the
being of his dream. The hermit smiled in
his white beard. and said: IL am one hun
drcd wears old. and no longer fear the cnmiiv
of man for | am in hopes of the mercy of
God. have sinned. but I have suffered 1t
was l. o Hanna, who took awav thy wifi, Lis
bet. took her TO nv tents. not far from this
valley. but she refused her love and died
Then desponted and retired TO this hermit
tage with her child. whirh bred as nv own.
| called him Kama, which in our tongue
means the Bcrcaved. and named the place
of our dwelling after him He rrcw up not
knowing his origin. and IN due time knew
a maiden. and took her and dwelt with her
in happiness until he died. an, she died leav-
inc this daughter to NV care, There are the
graves OF Li>bct and her son, and her sons
WIFE said the old man, pointing to the three
mounds of earth His hand fell. saws the
story, with the rattle Old are had done IT,
work. lie had lived To restore the grand
daughter of l.i>bct to him who hal >ouri;t
for herself and was buried in tn, little gar
} den before his hermitage
The worthy gentleman who related thi~
story Ia uc. after observing that of course
Miriam became the wife o; GorreS. and that
th"v and Hanna returned IN safety tn Carlo.
en'lravor"d To pIav the frre-ihinkcr hv rx-
planning whatever seemed supernatural in this
story as purely ornament: that the Tree
most probably did not whisper At all: and
that there WAS nothing in it Incompatible with
the >uIpo>i'ion OF an extraordinary coinri-
dencr.
observed, however. that while vcnfuring
= IL I I l
which reminded me Of those rhii">orhiral
vounT Gentlemen whom one meets In >orirtv.
and who observe in dismal voice that th.y
believe in nothing which they do not under
stand.
The fact Ia these l"rantinr< arc rrcdnlouS
as the Mu>lim> and, although their stories
are not quite - wild and rNtrara-aut as those
ot the Arabian Nights Entertainments. they
exact the exercise OF nearly aS grrat an a
mount of faith mentioned this to the mar
rator. and Observed, Instead of entering upon
philosophical discussion with him. that he
seemed to lay no stress on the JOY of Hanna
at recovering his granddaughter. or on that
of Gorscs at brhoding the lady Of his dream.
AS to the latter point" said he, we can
all imagine the feelings OF the youn. man !;
but remember that it is usual TO say in tell
ing this story, that the good old Hanna
| whilst the hermit was telling his story-put
: his arms round the neck of Miriam and Cor
gc>, and pressing them to his breast tried to
speak, but could only give u,terance to a loud
cry of triumph and joy, They say, too. that
he always wandered in his speech little al
1 tcrwari>; and would, now and then. wish
, that he were asleep in Mama by the side OF
l Lisbet"