The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-12-13

Snowman, sis my eldest girl, Louisa, a te
ribe lnadcap and hair-brained pus-, WI
should have been boy. | always cale
her my Nmrod, for she is passonately fon
OF hunting, and rides and shoots to perfe'
ton. | own that | ain not partial to sue
tastes in young ladies, but youth and hig
| spirits must be allowed their own way, an
as the girl is a real angel in every other re
spect, and has the best heart in the world,
tolerate her cavalier customs"
AS regards the young lady's shooting
replied, 81 have had some experience Of i
myself this morning. She sent a bullet
through my hat as I walked up to th'
house And related my adventure. Tn,
counsellor tried to look indignant, but his
frown melted into smile.
Just like the gipsy," he said "But yor
had nothing to fear Her hand is ready anC
her aim is sure
Il will take the liberty TO remark that
90 not think such masculine accomplish
ments particularly becoming in oung lady.
"Certainly not, certainly not," replied
the fond father you are quite right, and
preach to her every day. Blu. it goes in a,
one year and out at the other. And if get
seriously angry, she throws her arms round
my neck, and VOWS she will be better girl,
and leaves me no rest til | forgive and kiss
her. Then off she goes, and good resou-
tons are all forgotten. | confess my weak
ness | have not the heart to thwart the
child"
The next portrait was that of the second
daughter, Emily by name. Il was that of
one of the handSonest brunett=s ever saw
4 .-'.v, commanding style Of beauty, bat
tn- .tures wore an uumiSrakable expires
5. % masculine earnestness and decision.
| : God lost IN admiration before the beauti-
fGl countenance. The counsellor noted with
evident satisfaction, the effect it produced
upon me.
THAT is nv Dctfenhach," he said.
"Your Dcifenbach ~ repeated, wonder
ing what on earth the name Of the rcnowne
surgeon had to do there
The same replied Frager, smiling
Emily i the clevere>t surgeon in the whole
nejghborhood. She is just now down at the
hand of a gaInekeeper who has had an acc-
dent with his gun"
''A fine profession" ! remarked, not
knowing what to say; and | turned, with
somewhat atere feelings, from the portrait
of the fair Esculapius. Ihe third portrait
was not less char ming than the other two.
III a. l44ANnNN ~ 'aDh IL nan sit1hN| u ND''At-
nance whose features were more delicate and
is expression softer than in that Of either OF
the other sisters. LET US hope" ! thought
to myself THAT this one has no such extra
ordinary and unwomlaly tastes as Ni,nrod
and D!ciigD5ach. She looks miller and
more feminine.
THAT * my Oxen" said Fragcr
what The natura ist:'
The SANE. This, my youngest dtugh-
ter, was bapt zcd by the name Of ErncstIne,
but I always call her my Oxen. NJ professor
knows more of zoology, oruithology, ich-
yologr, eHtom blogv, aud q few other
hard named sciences. She is pass onately
fond OF the study OF nature, notSithstan!-
iag the occasional dIsaEreeaoles connected
with It.
"DsagreeaJles >"
Certainly. From her wanderiugs over
hill and dale, through ,hicket and forest,
the cir! brings home - much verru!n that |
have repeated y been quite angry with her.
Snakes and lizards, frogs and toads are con
,jnualiy crawling, writhing and jumping
about the house. She Is particularly at
,aohcI 70 spiders, of which she has spIen-
lid collection. If you could procure her an
American taraEtula, which Is the object of
her most ardent desires, you WONG at onre I
tain high place IN her esteem. You
should see Ukcn's bou loir," concluded the T.
happy father You would never think you
we're in lady apartment, but in Il museum
# natural history
"My dear ST. | exclaimed, now com
,letely astonshed, "how is It that your ami (
.bie daughters have become addicted TO such .
and unfeminine pursuits =
The cause is soon told, my dear Mr.
rank, replied trager they had the mis-
ortuue to lose their mother very young -
" occupation rendered it Impossible for Inc
Q attend TO iheir education, and thought
had done all that was necessary when
ntrustcd the girls 10 tutor highly recon- .
nendCd to me, III who brought them up /
Ike boys. Their only companion was their I
,rother Bernard, since unhapplly drowned /
yhen studying medicine at the university. |
rom him the sisters learned and inherited .
heir various pass ions-Louisa her riding
nd shooting, Emily her surgery, aud En-
cstine her natural history. | live in hopes |
hat when they are well married they viii be
reancd from their strange fancss house
eepng will not leave them much time for
hootiuc and operating, or for collecting
-oys and snakes. feel that | ought to
ave been stricter with tne giils, bat the
arm IS done now, and | can bus hope in
he futurc.'
was far from displeased at the counsel
2r's revelations. The pecu.iarites of the
hree beautiful sisters justified opposltoa TO
" uace's wishes. lie could not expect me
D take to wife Ninrod. Dictlenbach, or
I Obea. The thing was absurd. No
mount of gold and beauty could atone for
uch un. omanlv eccentricites. At the
4 ~ .ha fun
ounger sisters. They must be very beau
ful. was less anxious for another meet
10 with Miss Nimrod The whistle of her
ulets still resounded in my ears. The fe
lale Frieschutze was capable OF shooting
he gar from my month, or the rose from
Nv button-hole. | am not fond Of such
ractical jokes.
We had hardly returned into the break
,st.room when there was barking Of dogs
-ithout. and Louisa dashed into the court on
snow -white palfrey. Nothing could be
lore graceful and charming than this slen-
er daring amazon in her we'll fitting habit.
he sprung lightly from the saddle, and
urried into the house. From the window
he counsellor watched her with ill-conceal
d pride and satisfaction. The door flew
pen, Louisa darted in, and, without talk
ls the slightest notice Of me, threw her
rms round her fathers neck.
mad girl :" cried fraser. with most in
fectual attempt at severity of tone, "do
on not see there is a guest in the room, n
.orthy friend Of mine Z"
Rearing her elegant form to its full height,
he wayward beauty, glowing with recent
xercise, measured me with Il glance that
poke anything but friendly welcome.
arcastic smile played about her beautiful
Mouth, which Diana might have envied.
"If do not mistake" said she coldy, "l
ave already made the gentlemau's ac-
uaintance"
81 had the honor" replied I, with bow,
to serve you as target"
Il wish you had behaved better, Louisa,
.;d tho counsellor with some displeasure