Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-02-10


A sick mind breeds fever fast in sick
body, and by night was in high fever, and
for day or two knew but little of what went
on about me. One of the first things |
heard. when | grew easier, was, that my
neighbor, the sportsman, was waiting below
to hear how l was. Il was the younger one
whose gun had wounded me and he had
shown great soictude, they said, coming
several times each day to inquire for me. He
brought some birds to be cooked for me, too,
and came again to bring some lilies he had
gone a mile to fetch, he told the girl Every
day he came to inquire, or to bring some del
icacy, or a few flowers, or a new magazine for
me, until the report of his visit came to be
an expected excitement, and varied the dull
days wonderfully. Sickness and seclusion
are a new birth to our senses, oftentimes.-
Not only do we get real glimpse Of our
selves, unlocked and unclothed, but the com
monest habits of life. and the things that have
helped to shape them day by day, put on a
sort Of strangeness, and come to shake hands
with US again, and make us wonder that they
should be just exactly what they are. We get
at the primitive meaning of them. as if we
rubbed off the nap Of life, and looked to sec
how the threads were woven; ; and they come
and 60 before us with a sort Of old newncss
that affects us much as If we should meet our
own ghost some time, and wonder if we are
really our own or some other persons house
keeper.
went through all this, and came out with
stock Of small facts beside.--as, that the
paper hanger had patched the hangings in my
chamber very badly in certain dark spots, 1
had got several headaches making it out, y
Io 81
side, certain boards in the entry floor
cracked OF their own accord in the night
that Neighbor Brown had tucked a few new
shingles into the roof his barn, so that it
seemed to have broken out with them, and
any number of other things equally important.
At length got down stairs, and was allowed
TO see few friends OF course there was an
inundation Of them and each one expected
20 haar my story and 70 tell a companion
one, something like nine only little more
So Il was astonishing, tho immense number
of people that had been hurt with guns. No
wonder | was sick for day or two aiterward.
| was more prudent next time, however. and,
as the gossips had got all they wanted, | saw
only my particular friends. Among these my
neighbor, the sportsman, insisted on being
reckoned and after little hesitation we were
obliged to admit him. | say we,-for, on
hearing Of my injury, my good cousin, Mary
Mead had come to nurse and amuse me. She
was one of those safe, serviceable, amiabe
people, made of Just the stuff for satellite,
and she proved invaluable to me. She was
immensely taken with Mr.. Ames too. II
speak Of the younger, for, after the first call
of coincidence, the elder sportsman never
came and so to her / left the task of enter
tanning him, or rather of doing the honors Of
the house,-for the gentleman contrived to
entertain himself and us.
Now don't imagine the man hero, for he
was no such thing He was a very good-look-
ing, soIne might say handsome we'll l-bred
well-educated, with plenty Of common infor-
nation picked up in promiscuous intercourse
with town and country people, rather fine
tastes, and a great, strong, magnanimous ply
sical nature, modest, but perfectly self-oon-
scious. That was his only charm for me.
despise a mere animal; but, other things be-
ing equal, | admire man who is big and
strong, and aware Of his advantages and
think most women, and very refined ones, too,
love physical beauty and strength much more
than they are willing to acknowledge. So
had the same admiration for Mr.. Ames that
should have had for any other finely proper
toned thing, and enjoyed him very much sit
ting quietly in my corner while he chatted
with Mary, or told me stories of travel OF
hunting. or read aloud, which be soon fell in
to the way of doing.
We did try, much as hospitality permit
ted TO contne his visits to few ceremonious
calls bnt he persisted in coming almost ev-
cry day, and walked in past the girl with that
quiet sort of authority which it is so difficult
to resist. In the same way he took possess
sion Of Mary and me. He was sure it must
be very dull for both of u.s. therefore he was
going, if we would pardon the liberty, to Of
fer his services as reader, while my nurse
went out for ride or walk Couldn't sit
out under the shadow of the beech trees, as
well as in that hot room; He could lift the
chair and me perfectly we'll, and arrange all
that should be comfortable He would
like to superintend the cooking of some birds
he brought one day. He noticed that the
girl didn't do them quite as nicely as he had
learned to do them in the woods. And so in
thousand things he quietly made us do as
he chose, without seeming to outrage any
rule Of propriety. When | was able to sit
in a carriage, he persuaded me to drive with
him and had to lean on his arm, when
first went round the place to see how matters
went on.
Once protested against his making him
self so necessary to MS, and told him that
didn't care to furnish the gossips so much
food we were doing.
When | turned him out Of doors, he would
certainly stay away, he said but he thought,
that, long as was an invalid, | needed
some one to think and act for me and save
me the trouble, and, as no one else seemed
disposed to take the office, he thought it was
rather his duty and privilege, especially he
added with a slight smile, as he was quite
sure that it was not very disagreeable to us.
As for the gossips, he didn't think they would
make much out of it, with such an excellent
duenna as Cousin Maryland, indeed, he
heard the other day that he was paying at
tention TO her.
| thought it all over by myself, when he
had gone, and came to the conclusion that it
was unnecessary for me to resign so great a
pleasure as his society had become, merely
lor the lear OF what few people might say.
Even Mary, cautious as she was, protested
against banishing him for such reason
and, after little talking over of the matter
among ourselves, we decided to lot Mr.. Ames
come as often as he chose, for the remaining
month of his stay
That month went rapidly enough, for / was
well enough to ride and walk out, and half
the time had Mr. Ames Ia accomnany me-