Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-08-03
A Prairie Belle.

AS L was returning from the HlalnS, a1ter
having explored the Brazos River to its
sources in 1854 l met, near the most remote
frontier house, three girls, who were accom-
panied by young man, who were picking
wild grapes beside the road. We learned
from them that they lived but short dis
tance in advance, and that there was a very
fine spring, with good camping-ground near
their house, and we resolved to halt there
for the night.
AS we had vacant seat in our wagon,
and as the party were on foot inquired if
one Of the young ladies would not like to
ride with us to the house. One of them as
sentng, my companion, New York gen.
tleman, very politely extended his hand to
assist her but, instead of accepting it, she
made a sudden leap from the ground over
the side of the vehicle, and landed directly
by his side. This extraordinary feat of ac-
robatic agility, which would have done cred
it to the Ravel family, or any other profess
sional artistes, took us by surprise, and as
we proceeded toward the house, we entered
into conversation with her, and were great
ly diverted by the originality of her ideas,
and the perfect freedom and abandon with
which she gave expression to them. She
appeared to be about eighteen years of age,
with rather masculine physique, her fig
ure tall, erect and 1.-THE, but well rounded,
and exceedingly graceful and feminine in
outline, the incarnation of perfect health and
| vigor. Her face was thoroughly Drowned
| by exposure and exercise in the open air
she had probably never seen or heard of
| such a hot-house appendage as a sun-shade
and was constantly lighted up with hap
| py cheerful expression, indicating an over
| flowing eXuberance of spirits, which dissem-
| mated an atmosphere around her, the fas-
| cination of which was irresistible to those
who came within its Influence and her
| laughing, dancing blue eyes seemed ever on
| the q,a Uire for fun and frolic. She wore a
closely fitting bloomer costume. with a
jaunty little straw hat upon one side of her
head, fastened under the chin with pretty
pink ribbon, and her luxurious natural hair
curled in ringlets all over her shoulders.
She was evidently the reigning belle of
the neighborhood, as well as the favorite
spoiled child of her family and she was
just as wild, untamed, and Tree from the alb
surb, tyrannical conventionalities of society
as the mustangs that roamed over the ada
cent prairies.
| My companion related to her some of the
most remarkable incidents ofour expedition,
which seemed to interest her vastly ; but,
at the same time, her credulity appeared to
be somewhat taxed, and would occasionally
| find utterance in such CALCULATIONS as "Oh,
|
him ~ &C., which seemed the spontaneous
ont-bursts of her impnlsive nature, and
rather in the character of a soliloquy than
seriously intended to express doubt as to
| the truth OF the narrative.
| In one instance she became intensely alb
sorbed in my friends account of visit we
received from the Comanches, and some of
the peculiar habits of these people, and gave
vent to her feelings by administering vio-
lent slap upon his knee, and at the same
time eXclaiming, "Ihe he-e-e-U you sag,
stranger" giving particular emphasis to and
dwelling upon the most Objectionable word
| in the sentence.
She inquired very particularly about our
! camping arrangements, and manifested a
good deal of curiosity concerning the shape,
| capacity, and material of our tent. She had
never seen one, it appeared, and remarked
| to her after ours was pitched il she would
honor us with call she would have a good
opportunity of seeing how very comfortable
we could make ourselves in camp. AT this
she turned around, facing me, applied her
! thumb to her nose with her fingers extended
closed one eye and with her countenance
| assuming most ndicrously severe express
sion, observed, "I'm afraid of wolves, ole
hoss."
AS / was quite unconscious of having in
tended any disrespect to the young lady, /
was a good deal surprised at this exhibition
of indignation. What signiflcation her re-
mark was intended to convey l have never
yet learned l certainly never for a mo-
ment imagined that any resemblance could
be detected between the carnivorous quad
ruped so pointedly alluded to and ourselves,
even had we been attired in "sheep's cloth
ing From the savage expression her
countenance assumed, however, | did not
| 10, han
and changed the subject as soon as possible.
l-MnrcliS Al1nm Life on the BOrder