Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-03
Gales aud Sketehes.
MR.. ELIAS STORY.

NM. ELAN NIUR1s
Three or four years ago, my husband and
lwere making winter voyage up the Ore
gon coast. The weather was not peculiar
ly bad; it was the ordinary winter wealth
er. with quartering wind, giving the
ship an wkward motion over an oblique-
ly rolling sea. Cold, sick, thoroughly un-
comfortable, with no refuge but the mar
row and dimly-lighted stateroom was re-
dnced in the first twenty -four hours to con-
dition Of ignominious helplessness, hardly
willing to live, and not yet fully wishing
or intending to die.
In this unhappy frame of mind the
close of the second weary day found me-
when my husband opened our state-room
door to say that Mr. Ella, Of, Oregon,
was on board, and proposed to come and
talk to me, in the hope of amusing me and
making me forget my wretehedness. Sub
mitting rather than agreeing to the proposal
chairs were brought and placed inside the
doorway, where the light of the saloon
lamps shone athwart the countenance of
my self-constituted physician. He was d
young man, and looked younger than his
years; slightly built, though possessing a
supple, well-knit frame, with hands of an
elegant shape, fine texture, and great ex-
preston. You saw at glance that he
had poets head, and poets sensitive
ness of face but it was only after observa-
ton that you saw how much the face was
capable of which il did not convey, for
faces are apt to Indicate not so much indi-
yidual culture of those with whom we are
habitually associated. MIR Elias face
clearly indicated to me the intellectual
poverty, the want ofrsthetic cultivation in
his accustomed circle of society, at the
same time that it suggested possible phas-
es of great beauty, should it ever become
possible for certain emotions to be habitl-
ally called to the surface by sympathy
Evidently drain of drollery,in his nature
had been better appreciated, and oftener
exhibited to admring audiences, than any
of the finer qualities of thought or senti-
ment of which you instinctively knew him
to be capable and yet the face protested
against it. too, by a gentle irony with
hint of selfscorn in it, as OF its owner, in his
own estimation, wrote himself buffoon
for his condescension. Altogether it was
a good face, but one to make you wish it
were better, since by not being SO it was
untrue to itself. | remember thinking all
this, looking out wath sluggish interest
from my berth. while the two gentlemen
did little preliminary talking.
Mr.. Elias voice, observed, like his
face was susceptible of great change and
infinite modulations. Deep chest tones
were followed by finely attenuated sounds ;
droning nasal tones, by quick and clear
ones. The quality of the voice was soft
and musical; the enunciation slow, often
emphatic, and keenly watchful of effects
''Y You never heard the story of my ad-
venture in the mountains?" Ella began,
turning to me with the air of man who
had made up his mind to tell his story"
No; please tell it,"
well running his tapering fingers
through his hair and pulling it over his
forehead" started out in life with a
theory, and it was this that no young man
should ask Ia woman to marry him until
he had prepared home for her. Correct,
wasn't it? l was about nineteen years old
when l took up some land down in the
Rogue River Valley, and worked away at
it with this object"
"Had you really wife selected at that
age?"
No; but it was the fashion in early
times in that country to marry early, and
| was getting ready, according to my the
ory; don't you seep | was pretty success
ful, too; had considerable stock, built me
a house, made Il flower garden for my
wife-even put up the pegs or nails she
was to hang her dresses on. / intended
that fall to get on my horse, ride through
the Wallamet Valley, and find me my
girl"
AT the notion ofcourting in that off-hand
general style, both my husband and |
laughed, too, but as if the recollection
pleased him.
50 You think that is strange, do you
'Twasn't SO very strange in those days,
because girls were scarce, don't you see.
There wasn't girl within forty miles of
me; and Just the thought of one, now, as
was fixing those nails to hang her gar
ments on-why. it Just ran through me
like shock of electricity'
"Well as said, l had about two hun
dred and fifty head of cattle, house with
garden, a young orchard, and vegeta-
bles growing-everything in readiness for
the wife | had counted on getting to help
me take care of it. And what do YOU
think happened? There came such a
plague OF grashoppers upon the valley
that they destroyed every green thing;
crops, orchard, flowers, grass, every
thing! My stock died-the greatest por-
ton of them-and, l was rnined." deep
bass) Il considered myself disappoinl-
ed in love, too, because, though | hadn't
yet found my girl, | knew she was some
where in the valley waiting for me; and |
felt somehow, when the grasshoppers ate
up every thing, as if had been Tilted.
Actually, it pierces me with pang now
to think of those useless pegs on which so
often my imagination hung apink calico
dress and girls sun-bonnet.'
Knitting his brows, and signing as he
shifted his position, Ella once more pulled
the hair over his forehead, in his peculiar
fashion, and went on:
81 became misaathropic-felt myself
hardly used. Packing My books and
few other traps, l started for the noun
tains with what stock had leflt, butt my
self a fort, and played hermit
" A regular fortpn
" A stockade eighteen feet high, with
an embankment four feet high::around it.
strong gate, tent in the middle of the
enclosure all nv nrODartv sucb nc booLS