The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1857-02-05
81 Bruntiflll 5torll.
From the Lady's Book, for February.
May: The squatter's Daughter.
BY META VICTORIA VICTOR.
(Continued.)
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER ".
The childred were off on nutting ey-
pedition. They had discovered chest
nut standing with group of hickories /;
and, as chestnuts ere rare in that vi
cinity, they regarded it as quite prize.
The children, we say, because they were
whilom little folks but Amos and Dan
iel would have laughed at the term.-
They were, in truth, young men of
eighteen and nineteen years of age; great
strapping youths, their forms fully devel-
oped by plenty of labor in the open air,
the down of manhood gathering upon
their brown faces, the faxen curls, which
were their mothers pride in their child
hood, deepened-to a dark hue, and crop
ped closer to their temples.
But May was still a child She could
boast ten summers of health and happi-
ness. AS she bounded along by the side
of her older friends, it was easy to see
that her out-of- door exercise and country
life had developed the gayest Of spirits
and lightest of FORMS Absolutely igno
rant OF the rivalry, and envy, and vanity
of schoolgirl life, she was beautiful em
bodiment of the innocence and JOY of un-
corrupted nature. There was that in
her natural refinement and constant ex-
ample Of her mother which prevented
her from catching any of the uncoutb
manners by which she was so much SUR
rounded. Just as rose is still all rose,
lovely, uncontaminated, though growing
in wilderness of mullens and holly hooks,
so was she her exquisite self.
Wild and playful as the fawns which
she sometimes chased through the forest,
she was as graceful and as gentle as they
To the boys she was the embodiment Of
all good earthly and heavenly qualities
I. and it must be con fessed that, having hel
for their ideal of girlish perfection, they
were somewhat too critical in their iudg-
ment of the buxom lassies with whom
they associated at school and merry ma
kings. They felt for her the same pro-
tecting care that they would for little
sister, and were never better pleased
than when they could have her will
them.
It being Saturday of a pleasant weel
in the autumn, just after the first fros:s
they were making holiday of it. They
had basket well stored with lunch, ant
Daniel had his gun along to bring dowl
any game they might chance to meet
, Amos always left his gun behind whel
May accompanied him in his excursion
it was too rude a companion for s.
fairy creature. Although the daugh
ter Of an Englishwoman, he knew it shock
ed her to see the gay-plumaged birds an
innocent deer falling victims to the cur
ming of man.
AS they wandered over the prairie te
wards the wood which contained the nu
trees. Amos stole Mays hat, leaving he
long curls ofburnished gold to float an
glitter in the wind, while he wove ever
lingering flower which he could find, viii
an artistic hand, into the ribbon whic
banded it. He was always doing sue
pretty things as these for her, her pre-
ence seeming to call forth the poetry
. his uncultivated nature, as the sunshil
calls the blossoms from the rough ,rour
in; of the wilderness.
p Daniels gifts were as heartily besto'
ed, but were usually OF different kin
The horns of an elk as the trophies of
in the hunt, or bear-Skin TO wr
!" up her feet when he took her S eig
riding, or some toy cut curiously out
walnut.wood, would be bis offerings.