Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-30
HOW TOLD MY LOVE.

an winter! The SKY clear and exhil- /
eratirgNksehy bright, but with diff
ferent degree q, lucidily from that of a
bright summers day. Broad, expand.
ing plains-the city receding behind
us, as the horses, leaping onward to the
music of the, Ginning bells, make for
the broad boundlsssu country. The tr
forests dssped, in . shadewy, ghostly
slumber. Far away on our ri ght are
those painless funeral groves where the
wolves aggregate in hundreds: 10 the
left lies a rid &c of hills slipping down
to the river, which is looking up in the
iron manac.es of the Winter King.
Ahead, and right before us-whither
We are bound-ever waste, and plain,
and clesring-ies . snugly- sheltered
village, the headquarters of the ''lum-
berer' and the voyageur. Our desti-
nation is not quite SO far.
This said destination is broadly
spread, low ying farmstead, with its
almost numberless out houses, consist
ing of cattle sheds and diaries, corn
stores, roo6ngs for winter fodder, wood
stacks, and other concomitants, sur
rounding the dwelling, all palasaded by
zigzag fences, as SO many ut-works
to protect the comfortable citadel.
Within ii, warm fires blaze and sparkle
from the huge and odorous logs crack
ling on the broad bounteous hearth.
In the great common chamber, raft
cred and picturesque as an antique
Gothic hall, are warm hearts and flash
ing eyes. Bearded men and fair wo-
men are there-laus ching maidens and
strapping young hunters, who had just
shaken the snow off their furs at the
portals. Despite the stern yet musical
baritone Of the singing wind, as it goes
by, singing cheeks, biting noses INC
purple, and making the blood Jingle,
shouts Of ninth and laughter rise above
the boreal blasts and our leaping
sleigh, gliding-aying along, rather
to the music of the soft musical bells.
is fast approaching its terminus.
s'In the meantime," asks the reader
who occupy this sleigh?" l hasten te
answer. ........
First, there was your humble servant
the narrator, Dick Harding, by name
Diet few months back from the bank:
of Isis, with the "bar'' in prospect.
add few Of my personal stems
Rather good looking; a fair shot; cal
hit with wonderful vlgor straight GU
from the shoulder am FIVE feet ter ant
growing; can play the fiddle, a gam'
Of pool, and have the temper Of an an
gel. | have been one Of party Of ad
ven:urous sportsmen, ''going in'' fo'
something worthy of an Alexander, ant
with fishing tackle, spears and "shoot
irons,'' had done no inconsiderable ex
ecution among the denizens of the Can
adam woods and sounding "rapids,
and hunted the bear in his own bolt
and picturesque Businesses.
Enough & Of myself. Now for m!
companions. ..-.-..
Place aur DANES, therefore-fol
nesting by my side, wrapped up in rugs
and warm furs, is Lota d'Arvill-;
bright eyed, rosy Tipped Canadian, al
lovely a girl-woman Of seventeen al
glance Of man ever rested complacent'
" upon. The Canadian mother an(
French father were expressed in hel
name. Her playful, lambert eyes ha(
exercised their sorcery upon me ere
this !; and the modulations Of voice
unequaled for it's low, soft sweetness
completed the young syren's triumph
This by the way; for we had exchang.
ed no confidence as yet on subjects very
near my heart.
We were bound't to merry sleighing
party at Windy-gap farm-ostensibly
to hunt upon vast scale, which &C
counts for my two rifles and ammunition
lying in the sleigh, and for the noble
deer-hound, the third ''individual, D
who had curled up his great body at
our feet, and aided to keep them warm.
I had known her brother in the Canadi-
an Rifles - had killed -"bar" at the
"Salt- ticks" with him /; had met Lota
and her family on board a Lawrence
steamer, and was now guest at their
house, enjoying their frank and boun-
teous hospitality.
"Hurrah J" Through the keen, SON.
orous air, sleigh and horses bound
along "Cling-clang!" 90 the Chin
ing bells. "Crick-crack ~ goes the
long thonged whip, with sharp, CHEEKY
significance. My ''Madawaska carole, y
sleigh which is the perfection Of lc-
comotion, is not less perfection than
the fiery Steeds, with sinews Of elastic
steel, which / drive. ~
Driving sleigh tandem is the easiest
thing in the worid-a0hen you are
used to al. I was a member Of the
"Tandem Club" and reckoned crack
hand, Of course. I exulted in my skill
now, as I bore my rosy companion
through the air, and the whip went
''crick-c crack !' like double barrel
gun going off, and as the sweet bells
sang and chimed, ooh! sweet echoes
Of far distant wedding bells!" l thought;
and the crisp snow was splintered and
shattered into diamonds under the
grinding of the hoofs and the action of
the "runners - and with an exhilara-
ton I could not repress, l gave vig-
orous "hurrah!'' which conveyed itself
to Lota, wrapped up in moose and deer
skins, and warm as toast. A sweet,
girlish laugh echoed my exultins shout,
! "You appear to enjoy this, MIR.
Harding,"' she said. 60, Il ..,..