The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-12-20

nave been suffered to grow up half wild in
inc country than that they should have been
exposed, without the guidance and protec
tion oil mother, TO the corrupt atmosphere
ana dangerous relinements of the town.
W hen upon this theme, Fragor was mex
haustelc. l never saw man so much IN
love with his own children. vt last he dc
eIared he would wait no longer for the girls,
and we began supper. We had been at Ia
blc abont quarter Of an hour, when the
door opened, and Oxen, long expected,
came at last Very different was the i'm
preston she made upon me to that produced
by her sisters. She was quite as pretty,
but gentle and amiable in countenance and
manner. She did not run past me, like
Ni'nrod and Dieifenbach, as if | had been a
part of the furniture, but bowed her head
gracefully and cOurtcOusly, apologiZed for
her tardy arrival, and added that had she
known ] was at Wicsentha the most inte
resting researches in natural history should
not have withheld her from returning home
to welcome me. | was deigeted to find her
50 pleasing contrast to her sisters, and,
but for thoughts Of Minnie, | should at once
have admitted myself vangui-hed by her
charms. She was tastefuly Gresscd-her
hair just little blown about by the evening
[
basket, which she placed upon a chair be-
SD: her when she sat down. The conversa-
ton turned on natural history. Out Of com
plaisancc, and to win her good opinion, |
fyiguei Lively interest in the science about
which had never in the least troubled iny
{ head We were most harmonious trio
( Counsellor Frazer was in the seventh hea-
ven. Il was clear to the worthy man that
/ Erne-t,ac and were born for each other
/ For my part. ! forgot the disasters oi the
morning. aul ba,hcd in the smiles or the
+ lovely naturalist, Who by tbs time MAS deep
. IN tas latest 4 s..E.rigs respecting amply
+ Lil Concerning tn Sc neither knew nor
I cared anvthidy, bat | pretended profound
/ att.ution, AMI gazed with delight on the
+ lovely mouth that spoke so leaTneGy- II
| was quite a i.,de lecture on replies. Pre-
/ sently Ernesline opened the bask-t beside
/ her, and the next moment an extraordinary
/ object writhti and danced within few
I inches Of my face Is appearance was so
sudden that I did not at the instant recognize
| its nature. blt when | di1, | thought
should have fallen from my chair with ter
ror. \ l.yiug z and very lively snake stretch
ed out towaIIls me is horrible lead and
fJrked tongue.
"iere you have a most beautiful, specimen
Of the -" sac wound up the sentence
with some Latin name Of snake. | was
almost hes e myself From ny Infancy
upwards had held serpents Of every kind
in cXtraori.nary respect. Oxen detected my
discomp0sure "Nhat,' She exc aimed,
laughing cornfuNy. you wou.I pass for 4
naturalist. AMI are afraid Of 4 snakc: Ian
poSsib'c,'
And the nccursed head, with its quvering
tongue and bri yi!t beadke eyes, drew near
cr aud nearer. Oxen seeming 10 enjoy my
manifest uueas;ngsS.
For Heavens sake cred, take away
that horrible creature
II see ny,hing horrible in it, quietly re-
piled Ernes,iuc. observe how gracefully
is body undula;cs" And ag1in the reptile
writhed itself Just before my nose. lump
cd up and Tetrca,ci. Eru.stiue .U.owod
me. snake In hand
Il have never been able - understand
:cgan the IDIOT: counsellor. ia G5st1s-
tone, "~hrEcs arose the peculiar aversion
with which ucu rygIr- all k.-IS oi Er.r
tiles
The deuce yoI have not" cried !, still
re'reatns from Oxen and her odious pet
The aversion Is no: very G.Iiru.tto acc unt
for. For INV rart, abaor the creatures
"PShaw,I said Erncs;jne, angr.y; ''yor
are but counterfeit uatura 'st. ADt
thcreupon she slapped me across the fac,
with the snake. could not restrain cry
Of horror and disgust. Then she returnec
to her seat, and put the vcrln;n into lis bas
kct
In my estimation the couusy,log's third
daughter hai now fallen into the same cate
CORY with her sisters. Frager, who saw
that was unable to conquer my innate hor
rOr Of snakes, had ordered his daughter &c
discontinue her unsecnlly jest; but the poor
oli Centlcmau's authority was evidently at
discount that day, and Oxen, with d;abol:
cal maIignity, had continued to torture ms
until the perspiration rolled oil my fore
head
Now may Old Nick fly away with al
three Of YOU" said to myself, as passed
NV handkerchief across my damp brow
'You have seen the last Of me al NIcscn
thai. At daybryak pack up my traps ant
leave this place of torment, worse than {
cell Of the iuquSition, or dungeon ii
Front de Bnuf'S Castle. \ nice place tc
come awooiug snakes, bullets, and tooth
drawing pheasant welcome for a suitor -
The evening wore wca:i'y away, Ms:
Oxen having as ertained that was no na
tursiist, adopted her sisters system. anc
treated me with profound contempt; in fac
For my part, the sympathy with which she
had al first inspired me had completely va
nished. Frager was quite put out the
change in his daughters demeanor, aud o
course cast the blame of it on me. s.
should never have thought he said, "tha
you would be SO alarmed by little harmless
snake"
"Who could have supposed it, - cried Er
ncstine, applauding her fathers words
1--WE are different sort of people here.
at is impossible to change ones nature,
Ireplied. =.
YOU know about naturcy For Heavens sakt
hold your tongue
> This was really too rude. was on the
point of making a sharp reply, when | saw
Oxen extend her hand towards the reptile
cage. l kept silence, and prepared TO
flight.
Never have | passed two more irksom
hours than those that elapsed before bed
time came. The counsellor proposed CT
gar. | caught at the idea. With glowin
, Havana in my mouth, felt as if | shou
be safer from the assaults OF that cobra d
capelo, or whatever else it was, that Oke
kept beside her, like greyhound in leash
Z ready to let slip upoa her game. Vowed t
myself to smoke the beast to death Ii posi-
BILE Again was to be baked.
''Bless me, papa" cried the naturalist
''you forget that my pet cannot bear smoke
Can your" she said, raising, to my iniinlt
alarm, the lid of the snake-inhabted han
per.
"True, my dear" placidy replied her f.
ther, 81 did not think of it, and turning
: me, Excuse me, my dear friend, he ao
ded, "but the little animal really cannot en-
dure tobacco"
1t is bad enough to be henpecked, but
: be chickpecked to be the slave of thre
daughters, and they possessed of the dew
appeared to me the lowest depths of huma