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

of her before. What then was the cause
of her delight at seeing an ugly black
man, whom most northern children, at /
least in that country, would have fed from |
in terror?
After observing her attentIvely,I came
to the conclusion that she was not a nor
thern child. That she had been an in
mate of some southern home, where she
had been familiar with negroes, and prob
ably attached to them, and that the sight
of this man had renewed, in apleasura-
BILE manner, her recollections qs> this ear
ly home, and probably of parents, kin
dred and friends.
Poor, afflicted child, she was myste-
ry even to herself, and the key that might
unlock it was probably lost forever
The negro had been strolling about in
some of the adjoining counties for many
years, and he brought with him note of
recommendation from distant relative Of
ourswitha view of gettingemploymenfwith
US during the approaching harvest. We
took old Cato on trial and found him to
be faithful and trustworthy hand, though
slow and rather stupid. He had once
lived in Louisiana, but had been sci free
bv his master, who brought him 70 the
North and eventually died in Phihdel-
phia.
Uncle Cato's early years had been
passed among French creoles, and their
language was his mother tongue. The
consequence was that even then he was
in the habit of using French epithets and
CALCULATIONS very frequently Before he
had lived with US many days, | noticed
that whenever he would utter mon Dtem
or a parbieu' or .Saiate Viergel or any
similer expression there would be a cor
responding flash from Perdida's eyes, as
regularly and constantly as if each of
these exclamations was at one terminus
Of an electric telegraph and the eyes in
communication with it at the other, old
Cato being the operator.
This set me to thinking, and one day
) made the experiment of addressing my
little protege in French, after securing
her undivided attention.
H'aimes-tu, Perdida? asked I.
Oh, oasi-.jie taine-,je taime beau
eoapP was her instant reply.
For a moment I exulted in the idea
that had found key to unlock the
treasures of her intellect. / thought
that ignorance of our language might
alone be the cause of that which we at
tributed to mental imbecility. But lit
tie additional inquiry and reflection soon
dissipated the agreeable illusion. The
poor little creatures mind was hopeless
ly benighted.
She did seem to speak French better
than English, and made greater efforts to
converse in that language ; but her speech
was always ftful and disconnected, at the
best, and almost entirely confined to those
terms of endearment which were enough
for her,whose every thought whose whole
world, in fact, was love.
But, barren as was the waste where
her minds fair fields should have been
she grew deeper into our hearts every
day. We would not have exchanged
! our poor, dark-souled darling. for the
. most precociously brilliant child that eve
4 gratifed its parents and astonished th'
n world.
= More than two years had now passes
> since Perdida became one Of US, and witt
q all her deficiencies we were indebted f
her for many happy day in those tw
l. years. The fact is, so glorious was he
beauty, that it was a pleasure of no in
/ ferior grade merely to gaze upon her an
J. marvel at her rare perfections.
,e 1t was the morning of the 9Th of Sep
a tember-an ever memorable day to u:
.r 1t was cool enough to be quite pIeasan
a. and, after an early breakfast, Perdida an
/ started for long stroll through til
- woods, and farewell to the glories of d.
De parting summer. / took my gun wit
II me, for the bird-stuffing business had b.
come quite prominent one. Perdida
$ hands were exceedingly skillful in an
ne matter of that sort. She could not orr,
w mate, IT is true, but she could initiate a
Mt most anything.
1t As general y happened in such exeu
g sions We took the path leading along Il
r. edge of the forest where had found N
ch little companion. She had changed vel
ed much since then and had grown conside
en- ably. / supposed her, however, to |
ng very small Of her age. She vas prob