The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-07-22

Familiarity on the shoulder, and said,-
$50 you've been out to Ducan's, have
you? Pretty nest there at Pine Grove,
and they say he's got rare bird in it;
but he keeps her so close, that [ could
never catch sight of her. Perhaps you
got peep, eh Z"
81 saw a very beautiful child of Mr..
Ducan's," replied Alfred, but did not
see his wife"
"That's very likely" rejoined Gross
man; because he never had any wife"
"He said the little girl was his daugh-
ter, and [ naturally inferred that he had
wife" replied Alfred. "That don't fol-
low of course, ny gosIing," said the cot
ton-broker. You're green, young man
You're green I swear, I'd give a good
deal to get sight of Ducan' wench. She
must be davilish handsome, or he wouldn't
keep her so close.
Alfred Noble had always felt an in
stinctive antipathy to this man, who was
often letting fall some remark that Jared
harshly with his romantic ideas of women,
something that seemed to insult the
memories of beloved mother and sister
gone to the spirit-world But he had
never liked him less than at this moment;
for the shy wink of his eye, and the ex-
pressive leer that accompanied his coarse
words, were very disagreeable things to
be associated with chat charming vision
of the circling doves and the innocent
child.
SCENE II.
TIME passed away, and with it the av-
-erage share OF changing events. Alfred
Noble became Junior partner in the count
| ing-house he had entered as clerk, and
not long afterward the elder partner died.
Left thus to rely upon his own energy
and enterprise, the young man gradually
extended his business, and seemed in a
fair way to realize his favolite dream Of
making fortune aud returning to the
North to marry. The subject OF Slavery
was then seldom discussed North and
South seemed to have entered into tact
agreement to ignore the topic completely.
Alfred's experience was like that Of most
New Englanders in his situation. He
was at first ANNOYED and panied by many
Of the pecuiiarities OF Southern society,
and then became gradually accustomed to
them But his natural sense Of Justice
was very strong; and this, added to the
influence OF fearly education, and strength
ened by scenes Of petty despotism which
he was frequently compelled to witness,
led him to resolve that he would never
hold a slave. The colored people in his
employ considered him their friend, be-
cause he was always lind-and generous to
them. He supposed that comprised the
whole duty, and further than that he new
er reflected upon the sub biect.
The pretty little picture at Pine Grove,
which had made 50 lively an impression
on his Imagination, faded the more rapid
! ly, because unconnected with his affec-
tons. But a shadowy semblance Of it al
ways fitted through his memory, when
ever he saw a beautiful child or observed
any unusual combination OF trees and
vines.
Four years after his interview with Mr.
Ducan, business called him to the interior
OF the State, and Tor the sake Of healthy
exercise he chose to make the journey on
horseback. His route lay mostly through
a monotonous region Of sandy plain. COW
cred with pines, here and there varied by
patches of cleared land, in which enormous
dead trees were prOstrate, or standing leaf
less, waiting their time to fall. Most Of
the dwellings, were Lighthouses, but now
and then the white villa of some wealthy
planter might be seen cleaning through
the evergreens. Sometimes the sandy
soil was intersected by veins of swamp,
through which muddy water oozod slug
gishly, among bushes and dead logs. Ia
these damp places hourshed dark cypress
es and holIy-trees, draped with gray Span
ish moss, twisted around the boughs, and
hanging from them like gigantic cobwcbs.
Now aud then, the sombre scene was
lighted with bit Of brilliant color, when
scarlet grosbeak fitted from branch to
branch, or red-headed woodpecker ham
mered at the trunk of some old tree, to
find where the insects had intrenched
themselves. But nothing pleased the
eye of the traveller so much as the holly
trees, with their glossy evergreen foliage,
red-bcrrieS, and tufts Of yerdaut misletoe.
He had been riding all day, when, late in
: the afternoon, an uncommonly beautiful
) holly appeared to terminate the road at
the bend where it stood. Its boughs
we're woven in with a cypress on the 9th
er side, by long tangled fringes Of Span
ish moss. The setting sun shone bright,
; y aslant the mingled foliage, and lighted
: up the red berries which ghmmered thro
the thin drapery of moss, like the cora
: ornaments Of a handsome brunette seen
, through her veil OF embroidered lace II
was unlike the woodland picture he hat
seen at Pine Grove, but it recalled it t.
: his memory more freshly than he had seer
4, L..