Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-01-21
aNietClt ltlntous.
BROUGHT TO LIGHT.

CHAPTER :. JOHNS >ECONi LETTER
CONTINUED.
am writing thi- long letter 1T Ill
t.Iy yai> when have an hour 10 spare.
ani feel in the mood You know that
| was always fond of pedestrian rxcur-
,ion--iay lungs NEVER seem to play
freely unless get through consider
ablc quantity of walking exercise each
Has and | have found tim.,. -ine..
took up my quarters at Normanforl, to
visit some of the most lovely nOuk~ ~
iH,- lovely couuiry had been out for
q long excursion one uaN Iast rvsA.
and wa. returning homeward 10y q diff
icrcni route. when. just beyond TINY
hamlet of 4 score Of houses. came
upon some interesting ruins. which !
at once stopped - sketch without
knowing ANYTHING whatever respecting
them. While | Was thus occupied. an
old gentleman came amblIng up on hi~
con. whom. from hi- garb and general
appearance Judged to be the village
doctor. In these quiet country places.
strangers DO not stand ON ceremony /.
and the doctor. as shall call him.
rcined up hi- cob close behind me, and
pccrcd over my shoulder for minute
or two before speaking. a tolcrable
sketch Of the ruins. young gentleman.
he said AT last ; almost as good a one
a could do myself. Not quite.
though-not quite.
There WAS 30 much self-complacency
both in his words and his manner Of
saving them. that | Was on my stills il
moment. Really. sir. | replied, Il
cannot help feeling fattercd 10 think
that my poor sketch approNimates.
even in the slightest degree. to so su-
perior standard. "
There now. you are losing your
temper. and talking nonsense, said
the stranger with a laugh very bad
things To do, both of them. am old
enough to be your father, and you have
no business 10 get into huff with what
| said just now. You do not sketch a.
well as l do-there and l very much
question whether you even Know the
name Of the ruin which you are so vic
iously trying 10 draw. That arch. by
the by, is quite out Of the perpeDdicu-
lar.
broke into laugh. and tore my
sketch in two. and then turned and
confronted my tormentor. Perhaps
YOU will be kind enough TO act as nv
cicerone, said. You seem quite
competent for the post. and | must
confess that am an entire stranger
in this uncivililed part Of the coun-
try"
AN impertinence yelled under an
appearance of good-humour. answer
ed the doctor. However. / have no
objection, i'll the present instance. TO
act the part of alocal guide-book for
your behoof. The ruin before you.
young man, is that OF the Abbey Of
I Seven Saints. founded in the eleventh
century,; and with that he went on to
give me a long description Of the old
| place. which, as it would in nowise in
terest you. ] pretermit.
Then. the village over the hill
there, | said when he came to an end.
is. suppose. named after the old alb
bey:"
| lit is. and it il not, said the stran-
ger. Originally. no doubt, it was
called the village of Seven Saints but
centuries ago the name got. strangely
corrupted. or rather, the two words got
reversed. and for a longer period than
| can tell you, it has been known as
the village of Saint Sevens.
Saint Sevens, Long after l and my
new acquaintance had shaken hands
and parted-after got home. and while
| smoked my evening pipe, and even
after / got TO bed, those two words
haunted my memory strangely. Twas
| firmly impressed with the conviction
that | had heard them before. But
when. and where! Guided By previous
experience, my mind went cropping
back among the dim recollections Of
my early life, in my first home across