The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-03-20

row morning, and by dark you Will
reach the little village OF II 7----, which
is nestled among the hillsof----Coun-
ty, fnll of trout streams, with plenty of
shooting and the best groves and ram
bles for pic mic parties in the whole
country. There is an old farmer living
there, whom have known for many
yeirs. Iwill give you a letter to him,
and you can make your home with him,
at triflng expense, during your abb
sence from the store"
George was too thankful for the un-
expected liberality granted to him to
tiiid any fault with MIR. HIS selection OF
aplace for spending his vacation, even
| if his rural tastes had not Inclined him
to just sucha spot; aud on the evening
bof the day following the conversation
With the old merchant" the H------- H--
stage sat him down in front of an old
but comfortable looking farm house, at
the base of n majestic hill, with broad
lawns and meadows lying in front Of It.,
trayersed by many a winding stream.
| lie was received with q cordial well
-come from the stalwart farmer, antl'a
grasp from a brawny hand, which
showed that the heart went with it,
'sConic IN, stranger" said he, come in
we aint exactly prepared for visitors,
though Mr.. Hayes did talk some about
sending up some young folks to keep us
old ones company. Come in-mother
win fixup some place for you to sleep. y
a supper of new-laid eggs, home-
made bread aad freshly picked straw
berries, was spread upon snowy ta-
blc.cioth, and the party Of four sat
down to the table. There wcro the old
man, his wife, George and a fourth per-
son, whose position in the family
George was at a, loss to divine. She
was clad in plain glngham dress, had
evidently been heipingto prepare the
supper, and addressed the old farmer
| and his wife as uncle and aunt, but
surely George thought that delicate
tinge of rosy red upon her check was
never acquired upon country hillside,
those hands could never have been pre-
| served SO soft and slender in milking
cows and washing dishes, that aristo-
cratic polse of the head, that dainty
curve of the neck and that perfect self
possession was the result of something
else besides country training. 4 ii,al
lie went to sleep between sheets of
Snowy whitcness, pillowed upon a
yielding he'd of softcst s'liyc geese feath-
ers," and dreamed of the farmers niece
until he was awakened by the sound Of
an opera arr sung beneath his window,
and executed as none but carefully
trained voice ofunusual sweetness could
execute 1t. lie sprang to the window,
aud through the half-drawn curtains
saw only the young girl in her cotton
gown and sunbonnet in the kitchen
garden cutting lettuce for his break
fast. ei s..a ,it,i ifeq % i'iq.
He dressed and descended with an ap-
petite sharpcned by mountain air, and
did ample justice to the hearty and
wholesome viands set before him.
George had come to the country with
tie intention of enjoying himself, and
be set about forming the acquaintance
of Julia, or July, as she was called by
sthe farmer at once, and so successful
that In half an hour they were chatting
like old friends. Spite of her aristo-
cratic air, he could not draw from her
any admission that she had ever known
the pleasures of a city life, and George
was puzzled to know how she had be-
come possessed of 50 much information
relative Co music, the fashions, and the
small talk Of fashionable circles, which
s,supposed to be the sole property Of
the favored few. Soon rambie was
proposed, and with the grace of fairy
and the light step Of a mountain sylph,
she led him s'threugh brush and through
hriar," to gszc entranced upon the
beauty Of the sylvan scenery. George
began to wonder how he had ever been
attracted by the stereotypcd smiles and
empty talk of city bellies, while listen
ing to her glorious descriptions of Ma
lures beauties, almost as it seemed, in
the presence of Natures God. This
was but prelude to other walks, drives,
fishing parties, pic-nics, and rural ,ex-
eursians, In all of which she seemed the
queen. i.,Y ",55i .....,..l5l. l4,' ~ +, 81
One day when, the time allatted for
his stay was drawing to a close, they
were in boat upon a neighboring pond
gathering water-lilics.. Julia had made
for herself a wreath, with which she
had adorned her beautiful head, and was
fashioning another for George, when, ia,
reaching too far for particularly fine
lilly, she lost her balance, and with a
scream, fell into the water. George
plunged after her, and the boat floated
away. Her rescue seemed easy at first,
for the shore was not far distant, and
he was an excellent swimmer; but soon,
to his horror, he found that she was en-
tangled in the stems OF the lilies, which
had formed a thick network beneath
the surface, Vigorously he struggled
to extricatc her, but in vain. Then, in
that moment Of deadly peril, flashed up
on him the truth that he loved the girl
who rested, half unconscious with ter
ror, upon his left arm, while he support
ed her and himself upon the surface. with
his right. D" - @
"Save yourself" cried Julia; "if both
cannot live, at leas do not let two lives