St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-17

opJectS OF intense interest and delight
and soon chased away the brief sad
ness which had gathered round the
parting moment.
Various delays incident to the tedi
Gus navigation of that period, retard
ed their progress, so that autumn
was advancing when the little fee
cast anchor at Quebec, just below the
natural fortress which has since been
world renowned for fcats Of daring
and for dear bought victory. What
a scene of imagined grandeur burst
on the dazzled eye of the artist as he
gazed for the first time upon the vast
outlines of that new world !! Those
prlmeval forests, gorgeous with their
thousand tinted autumn trecs-thosc
awful solitudes that brcathcd no whis-
per OF the past-that mighty river roll
ing its flashing waves hundreds of
leagues from the great reservoir of
lakes-as yet known only by tradition
OF the rowing savages-and still rush
ing on hundred leagues to meet the
ocean llood-in this untrodden world.
where sublimity and beauty walked
hand in hand, like the first pair in the
bowers of Paradise here the artists
eye could revel in new forms of beau
ty, and the poets soul mount upward
in loftier inspiration! a=.r.
Months passed away, and st. Foy's
enthusiasm knew no abatement, and
the monotony of his life caused no
WEAKNESS. NJ dc Robcrval built a
fort at Quebec, large enough to con-
tain his little colony, and having
brought out ample stores for luxury
and comfort, the winter passed away
with much novel enjoyment. The
friendly Indians came frequently to
traffic at the fort, bartering their rich
iurs for the merest triflcs, and the mer-
curial Frcnchmen, amused by their
savage customs, delighted in follow
ing them to their wigwam homes, and
in travelling with them over dazzling
SHOWS on their hunting excursions.
Eugene St. Foy, whose life was more
dreamy and Imaginative than his com.
'panions, studied with deep interest
every phase of savage life, and the
vivid impressions, tinged by a poetic
fancy, where grouped in graceful com
binations and transferred with q
graphic pencil to the pages Of his port
folio.
Spring broke upon the little settle
.mcpt-tbe brief por,hern snrinm 500,
melting into golden summer, and tin
earth, as if discnchanted by magi
touch, threw off it's icy fettcrs tn
trees burst into leaf tender gree
appeared on hill and plain and tn
broad river, free and majestic, again
bounded on its course, sparkling il
the cheerful sunlight. Those only wh'
have witnessed the rapid transitions
of a northern climate, can realize tn,
thrill of delight which pcrvaded TIN
colony at Quebec when nature thus
suddenly resumed her crown of ver
dure, and arrayed herself as goddess
on the throne of her SYLVAN empire
Cheering sounds of life again runs
through the forest and foated on tn
wave the axe struck sturdily at oil
primeval trees, and busy hands wer
seen rclitting ships that had lain 70
, months encrustcd with ice, while say
/, ages in fantastic attire came swarm
q ing in their bark canoes, dimpling tn
, waters that were scarce parted b
!. their slender keels. ....
: Eugene st. Foy caught inspiratio
!, from the scene, and with untirinG a
: dor pursued his favoritc art, tracin
his lonely way through forest wild:
= and happy in the ambitious dreams {
= sanguinc youth, which marked n
). cloud arising to dim the brightness {
:. the future Following the river
course, he stood one day, awe struc
. aud with admiring wonder, before tt
n graceful cataract long since famed {
n the falls of Montmorency. Age aft
# age, the slender sir am had poured i
"a waters from that Giddy height, al
, chimed it's solemn anthem in the so
- tary wild =! Never before had the fo
IS s of civilized man approached the lea
# ing flood, or an artists eye gazed u
Il on it's wondrous beauty.
10 Eugene sketched with rapid hand
$. but hour after hour passed away, al
+. the setting sun was shImmerlr
H. through the forest leaves, and .crcstI
IL the fcathcry spray which ovcrhung 4
le stupcndous fall with thousand min
se rainbows, ere he threw aside his pc
of Gil and exclaimed with proud satisfa
he ton, "this will surely win for me
v, name!" A slight rustling as Of
I'd startled fawn, caught his ear, a
he quick as thought young Indian 81
n crouching behing sapling, sprang
re her feet and stood timidly before hi
y, her dark wandering eye bent ON h
of as if transfixcd by curiosity and 81
n prise. Her attitude was the perfect
,e, of unstudicd grace her tall, 1.-the I
a urc, was cxquisitcly rounded by hea
de and exercise, and her features, reg
,is lar and delicate, expressed the mai
.er simplicity of child, with the bash
Ter coyness of dawning womanhood. l
ss- gay, savage attire, relieved the da
lat hue OF her clear olive complexion, a
art its richness bespoke the daughter
nat warrior race. A tunic of fine clio
en- edged with rarcst furs, hung ligh
re- from her naked shoulders, and v
as gathered round the waist by a belt
quaint device, wrought with the
lid, ishcd quilts of the porcupine and
of cred beads; deer skin moccasi
fol- saily embroidered, displayed the s,
oss mctry of her slender feet and ank
vas while a tuft of scarlet feathers Il
.th- clcd with her jet black hair, which
MD in silken masses on her neck
ant shoulders.
the Eugene gazed on the sudden al
the rition with intense delight. "Snre
dis he soliloquiscd, "this is the crown
md, glory of the scene--the beautiful
him dess of this enchanted wilderness
ear and again seizing the pencil, he be
|ded to sketch her as she stood before
and her eyes following the motion OF