Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-03-25

PIE R D ID A.
CHAPTER L.

years were passed. My father never
knew, for 1 was yet an infant when he
died but in the fondest, kindest, best of
mothers, l found everything that a pa
rents love and attention could supply.
Being the only son of widow, was,
perhaps, little spoiled; but whatever
others may say, that is an operation to
which the spoiHee himself is not very
likely to object We had little farm,
which my mother managed admirably,
and which yielded enough for our support
and my education. l was fond of study,
and having received a good elementary
training, trusted to self-teaching for the
rest.
1t was my intention originally to ac-
quire a professional education, but when
my mother began to grow feeble and in
firm. l abandoned the idea and devoted
myself to the business of bringing our
little farm to a condition as nearly ap-
preaching perfection as the nature of the
case would admit. In this l succeeded
beyond my most sanguine expectations.
I soon had the land in such state as to
Weld as much as many farms of twice It's
size.
In the meantime, my studies were not
neglected. made the most of the rainy
DAYS and the long winter nights, and ev-
en- in the fields my book was with me.
One evening, in the fall of the year,
when 1 was about seventeen years of age,
l took a long ramble, with my gun on
shoulder. My object was to shoot birds,
but (no pun intended) not to make game
of them. Ornithology was then one OF
nv hobbies, and l wanted the birds skins
TO stuff and make preparations of for my
little museum.
The Spanish language was another ia
vorite study at that time, and l was ma
king the woods resound with Castilian
gutturals, when happened to stumble
upon specimen such as 1 had never
dreamed Of.
l was walking along an untrequented
road, in deep forest dell, when my at
tention was attracted by rustling noise.
little to the left. AS l turned quickly
in that direction, saw the bushes shake.
and caught a glimpse of some animal mo-
wing among them. raised my fowling-
piece. and was about to fire, but 1 sud
denly began to reflect upon the inpropri-
ETY. of firing at an unknown object, and
lowered nay gun again.
By that time the noise had ceased, no.
could l now see the creature that haC
caused it. Cautiously advancing, witt
my piece in readiness, l soon reached {
thick clump Of sweet briar,and saw plain
ly there were some living thing in tht
centre of it, but what it was could no
tell. 'Shooh shoohp l cried, expect
ing the thing would start up and run
But was mistaken. 1t did not move
single inch.
There was nothing TO be done, there
fore, but TO force my way into the tangle
mass of briars. l did so. not withou
some difficulty, and there found th
prettiest thing, certainly, my eyes ha
ever beheld. 1t was a female chill
crouched down upon the ground, and a
most entirely enveloped in long, glossy
let black hair. And through this wilder
ness of flowing locks there shone a pa
of eyes-such eyes-bahl what is th
use of talking, or writing either. / migf
90 on till doomsday, and then you woul
not know what they were like, unless yo
could see them
The poor child was meanly clad, an
both her dress and her skin were sadl
torn by thorns and briars, but no or
would be likely to pass her by unnotice
under any circumstances. and few pc
sons of quick sensibilities could ha'
gazed into those marvellous eyes witho
being moved almost to tears. The lor
and short of it is. | don't believe the
ever were such eyes, before or since
Though brilliant as sunbeams, they wei
nevertheless, soft as summer moonligh
though wild as glancing meteors al
sharp and piercing as needles, they we
yet mid and sorrowful, and so mour
fully-oh! so mournfully beseeching-
that heart of adamant must have melt
before them!
My heart is net of the adamanti
order. by any manner of means; on t
contrary, it is inconveniently soft-ev
verging upon the confines Of the 'spoo
ey.' At first, the poor little creatu
crouched down so fearfully and so elC
TO The earth, that l could hardly see wi
She was ike but when she at last su