The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-09-27
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
The ladies / had assisted were
Mrs. Gilderson and her daughter
Ellen. They were of course terribly
alarmed, but not at all injured, and
their first thought was for my safety.
Then the frightened animals and
somewhat broken carriage were sent
away to livery stable, and coach
was obtained, into which / was care
fully assisted, and with my head sup
ported by Mrs Gilderson, we were
driven to her residence at Oakmount,
about two miles distant from
the Syracuse depot | had hardly
the ability to protest against this
movement, even if had desired to
do so. The ladies kindly spared their
thanks until | should be in better
condition to receive them; and after
sending for their family physician to
follow them at once devoted them
selves to my comfort. If all my ro-
nance and powers OF observation had
not been pounded out of me, sup
pose | should have noticed that
Oakmount was charming place-that
the porter's or rather the actual, gar
dener's lodge, was situated nearly half
a mile from the house, and that the
drive around the circular avenue was
.bordered by fine old forest trees and
sweet scented shrubs. (, | saw all these
things afterwards, however, and suffi-
GENTLY admired the house upon its
noble elevation-commanding afwide
view of the adjacent country, and sur
rounded by the majestic old oaks, that
gave the place its name.
By the gardeners assistance [ was
put to bed, and, on DIR. Jalap's arrival,
[ was carefully examined. No bones
were reported broken, and probably
there were no severe internal injuries;
but rest and quiet for a few days were
pronounced indispensable. | spare
the reader any description or the
nervous feYerlI had or my GONZALES
cence. | was most ,tenderly cared for
by Mrs Gilderson and her daughter
-and no mother Or sister could have
been kinder!Gi a7o1 oai ot ssy's~ 4d
IA [ don't know that / have stated,
what the reader has doubtless infer
red, VIZ. that Mrs. Gilderson was a
widow. She lived with her daughter
entirely alone at Oakmount, and no
male servants were kept in the house.
The coachman slept over the stables
at some distance-indeed, quite out of
call; the gardener, as we have already
mentioned, was near a half mile away,
and the entire family consisted of Mrs.
Gilderson, Ellen and the. female do
lmestics. r, .. q
| don't think | suffered much DUR
ing that Illness; indeed, / thought lit
rather pleasant than otherwise.
Such real motherly care on the part
of Mrs, Gilderson, and such delicate
attentions from her daughter were
neither the medicine nor disease that
men, and especially young men, die of.
j. Tits not at all surprising that / at
first liked, and then t0red, Ellen Gill
derson. Il The flowers she brought to
my sick room, and the hours in which
she read to me from our favorite poets,
her charming ways and sweet smiles,
would have been dangerous to a less
impressive youth than myself. Ellen
was not a sentimental blonde, with
blue eyes, and hair called " faxen" by
the polite and TOW" by the vulgar,
but a qblack-eyed brunette bright,
sparkling, and full of mischief. Your
real blonde, by the way, never falls I'M
love. She may aoalk in gradually,
taking good care not to wet her pre-
eious feet; or she may sail in slowly
with zephyr, taking all prudent care
to tack about if she is in danger of
making shipsreck of her heart on the
rocks; but your brunette has differ
ent fashion IF she falls in love, it is
with a plunge all or nothing. The
fire of love, or any other passion,
never. burns dimly or low in
her heart. There is either a
confagration or not a spark--and
we all know that the spark kindles
the fire. And here, word with you,
Mrs. Mamma. If an interesting
young stranger saves your marriage
able daughters. life, don't let the
aforesaid daughter dry nurse him and
bouquet him and poetize him unless
you wish to adopt him as son-in-law.
But | doubted whether Ellen did
look upon me with tender eyes. She
was kind, and yet as cool as sister,
as unruffled, and yet, | thought, as
distantly polite as the bird of. para
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