Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-09-18
grtstUtt gontnal
Perfect Savage.
BY MARY L. CLARKE.

Like dutiful daughter she obeytd.
We'll, papa, the spare room is ready.
When will he come 2
Tonight. He will stay two or three
months. l don't suppose it will be very
pleasant, dear; but as he is my cousin
Toms only child, L can scarcely refuse to
receive him, as q visitor, for a short time.
Where is Scrimptown, father 2 said
Ella, referring to the date oc the letter
In Washington Territory. Poor Tom,
after his wife died, became perfect Ii
mon. and resolved to avoid any inter-
course with humanity. He took Lionel,
This boy. with him, and emigrated to the
far West. He gave no one his address;
wrote no word home; and this letter,
communicating tie news Of his death,
and his sons wish 10 see something of
r;tv life. is the first have heard of him
ca eighteen years
How old is my cousin !!
Let me see Lionel must be nearly
thirty
And has lived ali his life in Scrimp-
town y
Since he was ten or twelve years old.
I expect be is a perfect savage, my love:
Int we must be hospitable for poor Toms
sake He was my classmate. Dear,
4ear how time flies Is dinner ready,
Ella g
There's the bell, now,' said the little
bousekeeper LAYING aside her work; and
the father aud daughter left the room.
Aunt Lizzie, said Ella, as they met an
elderly lady in the hall, we expect a
visitor tonight. n young gentleman,
aante. Trim up your best cap, auntie,
to set at him.
Tom Boyd's son. said Mr.. Clarkson,
handing her the letter.
Tom dead! Poor Tom. Well, Lionel
was pretty boy
Dinner over, Mr. Clarkson was enjoy
iug his nap on the sofa, amt Lizzie was
knitting. and Ella reading, when the
pallor door opened, and tall, very tall
figure. filed the vacant space.
is Mr. Clarkson here 2 4 deep, not
uDmusical voice asking tits question
reused the sleeping man, who sat up and
looked at tie speaker.
i am Lionel Boyd, sir.
And heartily welcome here said
Mr.. ClaIkson, grasping his hands Ella,
ms dear, your cousin, Lizzie, you re-
member LioneI's father 2
Probably if the choice lad been of
f.reJ him. Lionel would rather have
faced loaded cannon than the two
yracetul, elegantly dressed ladies who
how erected him; bus he bowed silently,
and then turning his back on both, sat
down beside Mr.. Clarkson; aunt Lizzie
aryhed her elbows, Ella shrugged her
shoulders, and then with one exchanged
carcc they resumed their seats.
Elias thoughts ran something in this
styie:
IN, manners are scarce in Crmp-
town, so are tailoys, | guess. Light
g.eat-coat coming to his heels, twenty
years old If is day; and where did
lie animal oct that hat he keeps on to
show Its beauty presume What boots
Brown as an Indian. a perfect savage
III 90 make him talk. Cousin Lionel?
she said. aloud.
The Young man started rs if she had
fred pistol at lis ear, and turned his
hair to face her, with jerk that almost
upset the young Iady's gravity.
.Ma'am p
i hope you had pleasant journey.
Cod, na'am, awful ?
IAaye noticed that is apt to be so in
january
ii IS in our parts, ma'am ,
What sLaiI l say now 2 thought Ell
Ia. How the man stares ,
i sudden jerk of her cousins chair
back to its first position, made the mus
lies round her mouth so rebellious that
Sic was Q ad he did not see her. MIR.
ClarkSon succeeded rather better in draw
iDg forth the Young mans conversational
powers: but his awkward bashfulness,
Whenever Ella joined into the chat, made
the afternoon mixture Of ludicrous and
embarrassing attempts to entertain him.
Tea time was still worse. The useful
hat was removed only upon Mr.. Clark
sons giving a mild hint to that effect,
and, ike Dickens Captain Cutie, he
seemed lost without feeling it upon his
head. His dark hair was very long. and
curled almost like girls in his ueck 3; he
wore q heavy beard and moustache,
through which glimpses of white, even
teeth appeared; his eyes, which he new
err raised, were large and very dark, and
altogether he was fine specimen of a
handsome Western man; but his old
fashioned, ill-ftting clothes, his extreme
bashfulness and ludicrous terror of Ella
and her aunt made his emotions con-
strained; and he seemed TO Ella to fairly
swell his hands and feet,so much did they
appear TO be In the owners way. He
stirred his tea with all the energy neces
sary tC dig a well, and then swallowed it
scaldiug hot at one mouthful; be dried
the tears which followed this operation
with his napkin, and then put that arti-
Gle into his pocket. Elias inquiries and
offers to serve him with the food before
him were the occasion of such n deluge
of crimson over his face, and such ner
vous Jerking. movements, that finally, in
sheer pity, she left him to her father.
Days glided into weeks. At Mr..
Clarkson's suggestion, Lionel had his
outer man mt into civilized trim bv a