The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-11-02
THE LITTLE STRAWBERRY GIRL.

! Therain came down in torrents. The
lightning blazed, the thunder crashed,
the wind blew a tornado Neither I
nor my horses had ever been out in
such storm.
| ! was at this time a young man of
tWenty-one, who had just been admit
ted to the bar, and was now at the
country seat / had inherited. Most of
my time was spent in the saddle, or
when it was too hot for riding, in dri-
wing my pair Of chestnut sorrels, whose
pedigree went back to the GodoIphin
| Arabian.
Suddenly / heard childish voice as
if in distress. | pulled up and looked
around. Under tree at the roadside,
whefe she had sought shelter from the
storm, was little girl about ten years
Old-the most beautiful child | had ev-
er seen. She had been out after wild
strawberries, to judge from a basket on
her arm.
| 1 threw the reins to my groom and
Jumped down.
"Please, sir, won't you take me
home?" piped the little voice, her big,
brown eyes looking at me, half shyly,
| yet courageously.
If there had been such a thing as fall
! ing in love with a child of that age. 1
should have lost my heart then and
there, she looked so arch and bewitch-
ing.
| soon had her in my ph@ton, prom
| ising to take her home. She was on a
visit with her aunt, she said, at the
| ''Crown Hotel, on the hill ;" favOrite
resort, as | knew, for citizens spending
their summers in my part Of the coun-
| try. Her shyness soon wore off, and
she chattered away as if shehad known
me for years. She was still rattling on
when we drew up at the hotel, and
her aunt, in a great fright, came out to
receive her. As the rain was pouring
down and there was no cover to my
phatOn, / did not stop to listen to the
profuse thanks, but drove swiftly down
the hill, and so homeWard. 1t was not
/ till the hotel was out of sight, that
remembered I had not asked the name
of my little strawberry girl; and,
when, the next day, | rode over to in
quire if she had caught cold, | found
she had left for the city, her aunt hav-
ing received an unexpected summons
/ home.
MRS. Burgoyne was so sorry you
couldn't stay yesterday" said the land
lord, cor that she couldn't wait to
thank you for taking care of her niece,
a poor little orphan, sir"
Often that summer, as passed the
thicket where had first seen the little
strawberry girl, wondered if Ishould
ever meet her in the great metropolis.
And after / had returned to town it
was months before / gave up the habit
of scrutinizing every childish face I
passed, in hopes of recognizing my f;t-
vorite; for, by constant thinking of
her, she had grown to be such. Many
time, in my lonely chambers, as | sat
| looking into the embers Of my fire,
late at night, INDUCED in a vague
dream of educating just such a child to
be my wife.
Seven years passed. Gradually the
memory Of the little strawberry girl
grew DINNER. WentabrOad, visiting
every capital of Europe, spending a
winter up the Nile, and dreaming a.
way month by the famed waters of
Damascus. On my return [ grew alb
sorbed in my profession. So | had but
small leisure for idle reveries. Yet the
/ face of my favorite would continually
come up to me. l had never seen it
since that day; but ! knew that if l
did | should recognize it among a thou
sand. Ipictured to myself the changes
which years had made in it. And
fancied a tall, willowy figure, with
wonderful chestnut hair, and great,
spiritual, brown eyes.
One winter, worn down by excessive
labor, / took a trip to Ireland. The
return voyage was very rough, and
there were few passengers on deck. |
was leaning over the rail, not far from
the stern, when l heard a splash, and
simultaneous the awful cry, GA man
| overheard ~
| / looked down. Alittle head was dis
appearingin the water about midships ;
whoever had fallen so close to the
wheel had probably been killed by the
paddles; but a Woman's wild scream,
my boy, my boy"' ringing out, sharp
and shrill, and oh, with such agony,
made me disregard all this, and plum
ged in.
/ reasoned that, by the time | coult
reach the water the lad would have
drifted near to where | struck it, 81
that, if alive, and to be saved at all, hi
must be saved by me. or my owl