Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-03-17

merry anu pleasant L0aE Jessie almost
forgot the new brace and the new pain
that came with II. 1 think she musl
have forgotten II quite, when, little
while after, they drew around the bright
wood-fire in the sitting nom to listen to
the doctors story Of little Syl.
I'm the first place" began the doctor
Il must tell you about the dryads. so
that you'll know why hkened little SyI
TO one. Hundreds Of years ago, when
what we now call ancient Greece was a
new country, there sprang up from old
Egyptian superstitons the lovely fancies
which we call myths. The Greeks were
a poetical people. and they supposed
that every tree, and rock, and river, and
mountain had a spirit of its own which
reigned over it in some mortal form.
They called the spirits of the woods and
forests dryads. Each tree was supposed
to have a beautiful fairy, dwelling some
where out of sight of mortal eyes, ex
cept on some occasions. when it would.
as Mr.. Tennyson. the great poet, says.
slip the bark, and come forth in won
derful beauty. Well, you see, my little
girls. people year after year have read
about these myths, until when they wanI
to express something that seems mex
pressible IN ordinary ways they are apt
to remember one of those pretty poetic
fancies, as did when l said that l used
to think little Syl was dryad that had
slipped from some rOse-tree's bark. Now
I'll tell you all about her, and you'll see
how my fancy fitted her. B
when l came home from Germany
and Paris six years ago, l went into my
uncle's office in New York for while,
before came here to take my fathers
patients. Everybody has. I suppose, in
his profession, or tastes, what physicians
call a specially that is, in our Yankee
language, a particular knack for some
one thing.-just as Jessie here can draw
the most wonderful paper dolls, all out
of her own head as you say, which
means all by that natural knack she has.
Well. my knack turned out to be putting
peoples legs and arms into the right
place, when they had got out of it. And
when came back from the German
and French hospitals. where had been
studying all about this, and went into
nay uncle's office. he always took me
with him when he had a case of a mis-
.shaPen limb; and by and by. when
became better known, l would 90 by
myself. So it happened that | was sent
one day to see little Sylvie Lamonte. 1t
was lovely day in the early part of
June, and / remember how l enjoyed
my ride through the wide streets, with
the light June wind blowing up to me
the sweet scents from the shrubs and
the dafodils in the little city grass-plats
in front of the fine houses. 1t was at
one of these houses that at last reined
up.
"a servant ushered me into the
drawing-roOm. and as supposed went
in search of Madame Lamonte. / wait
ed few minutes, and. no one appear
ing, / became rather impatient for
was very busy that day.-and in my
impatience 1 got up and walked across
the room to look at a picture on the
wall. As l did so saw more wonder
full picture than that. The apartment l
was in was very long, and opened into
another and smaller one. In this small
er one. at the far end, by a low open
window, | saw little girl about Jessie's
height. but year or two older. Sylvie
was in her eighth or ninth year, forget
which. This little girl presented the
most singular aspect as she stood there
IN long dressing gown of a faint blue.
with the palest fiaXen hair floating in a
waving mass halfway down her back,
hair so light in texture that the gentle
June breeze, that scarcely stirred the cur
tains, would blow it out until it looked
like film, or a thin veil of gold lace, if
you can imagine such thing. She
stood quite still, with one little thin hand
stretched forth as if in beckoning to
some one she saw in the garden beyond.
"As / knew that this must be Sylvie,
nv patient, / walked down the long
drawing room towards her. As enter
ed the smaller room where she was
standing, the fall of my foot upon the
Indian mating reached her ear. With
out moving her body, she turned her
head quickly over her shoulder, and,
without seeming in the least surprised at
seeing a stranger, motioned with one
hand, in most expressive gesture, for
me to remain where 1 was. The next
moment she resumed a succession OF
trills, and soft calls. and sweet dropping
notes. so like birds, that had thought
all the time the musician was a canary
4 that had noticed in little cage. But
/ / found the canary was only A stuffed
one and that the bird-voice belonged tO
/ Svlvie As she waved me hack, and as
l heard these various notes from her,
I remained silent where she had motioned
me. much as if she had been a small
/ fairy who had spelled me into a move,
less statue by the wait of her tiny hand
i She went on with her bird-notes anC
with the beckoning Of her little thin white
hand, which looked like the flutter of :
white wing. Presently / saw what it al
meant. In the garden beyond, on tree
and shrub. and bush were perched Z
lovely company of doves. Sylvie wa.
talking to them: she was entreatins
them to come to her"
"ODoctor Tom. you are telling fair,
storv!" Sue cried out here. as if she haC
detected the doctor in a piece of treach
cry.
''Iot a bit of fairy story. my dear
unless you choose to call Sylvie fairy
and YOU know told you in the begin
/ ming that l used to think she might b.
] one. No am telling you a true stor,
of a veritable little girl who had tha
peculiar sympathy with Nature that wa
like a gift. 1t is not by any means S,
strange thing as it seems to you, Sue
though it IS rare. know a lady il
Salem who has been in the habit O
walking over particular field every da'
tor years. and IN this walk she has al
wavs taken great notice of the birds. be
cause she has a great love for them
and great love is always born of grea
sympathy. | think. 1t is like the knac'
spoke ola gift of God that attract
+ one to a certain object. and give.
through that attraction. a power to bt
t or to do, a special thing. Well, thi
: lady of whom | speak was born wit
| this attraction and fondness for birds
t and so she got into such sympathy wit
! the little creatures. that when she wake
j through the field, if she looked up an
called them with a few soft notes
: imitation of birds voice, they woul
come futtering round her. Some woul
|, even alight upon her shoulder and e.
: of the seed or crumbs or sugar she W;
a very sure to have with her.
r Remembering this knew at ono
v when l saw the doves in the gardel
/ and heard Sylvie calling with such So
5. notes. that she had this gift of love f
o them, and that they had found it OUT
- lECa1"