Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-07-05


ing. He sprang up from the ground,
much refreshed stretched himself, and
yawned, saying: f
Heavens! If it were only true! but,
at all events, it was pleasant to know how
it would all feel ~
Then the shepherd came up and asked
him whence he came, and whittier he was
going, and whether he had ever heard of
the wonderful Beech?
Having learnt he was as innocent about
it as newborn babe, he exclaimed:
swell, you're lucky dOgi For any
one could read in your face you were
dreaming something pleasant. I was
looking at you for long time, as you lay
there" And he told him the peculiar vir-
tue of the tree. 6 It's sure to come true"
he added, "as certain as that this is a
sheep and that lamb. Ask the people in
the village if it is not so. Now just tell
me what you dreamt."
sold fellow,' answered the young
man, grinning, "that's the way, is it,
you question strangers in these parts? i
mean to keep my beautiful dream to my
self, and you can't be surprised at that.
But for all that nothing will come of it :"
and he really believed what he was say
ing, for as he walked toward the village,
sense! old wives tales! should like to
know how a tree could come by such
pOwer!"
As he came to the village he saw stuck
out from the roof of the third house a
long pole with golden crown dangling
from it, and below, at the door, stood the
landlord of the Crown Inn. He happened
just then to be in good humor, for he had
had a very good supper, and was feeling, in
consequence, quite happy and genial. So
the young labOrer pulled off his cap, and
asked for nights shelter. The landlord
OF the Crown looked at the smart lad, in
his dusty, ragged clothes, from top to toe,
and then kindly nodding, said to him:
"Sit down here in this arbor; dare say
there's bit of bread and cheese and jug
of beer to spare for We, and a truss OF
straw I'M the loft at night"
Whereupon he went into the house, and
sent out his daughter with the bread and
cheese and beer, and she sat down beside
the young man and asked him to tell her
of the foreign lands, and in return told
him all the village gossip, and how the
corn stood, and when the next dance at
the Crown would be.
Suddenly she rose, leaned toward the
stranger and said:
spray tell me what those three leaves
are, sticking out of your waistcoat?''
The young man looked down and found
the twig, with the three leaves which had
caught in the flap of his waistcOat.
"It must have fallen from the great
beech tree Just outside the village" he
replied. "I had nap under it."
The girl listened attentively waiting to
hear what he would say next? When he
had ceased speaking she began to eues-
ton him narrowly, till she had ascer-
tanned beyond doubt that he had really
fallen asleep under the great beech tree,
and that, moreover, he knew nothing of
the wonderful power and properties at
ia ,hed to the tree. For he was sly dog,
and pretended to know nothing.
AS soon as she had done questioning,
she went and drew him another jug OF
beer, and pressed him to drink, telling
him all the lovely things she had herself
dreamt, and what pity it was they had
never come true. self
just then the shepherd came from the
field, driving his sheep through the vii
lage.
AS he passed the Crown Inn, he saw the
two sitting in the arbor i'm earnest con-
verse, and he stood still moment, and
said:
"Ah, yes, he'll be sure to tell you the
beautiful dream. though can get nothing
out of him." And then he drove on his
sheep.
When the girl found, do what she
would, she could not learn anything
about the dream, her curiosity knew no
bounds, and at last she could control herself
no longer, and asked him outright what
he had dreamed whilst sleeping under the
beech. s...... ..-.
Then the young man who was mis-
chievous rogue, and In very high spirits
about his pleasant dream, with sly look
and wink, said:
"Ahl had a most glorious dream,
which must come true; but dare not tell
you what it was.''
But she worried and teased him so that
at last he drew his chair towards her, and
told her quite gravely:
| "Idreamed should marry the daugh-
ter of the landlord of the Crown Inn, and
after bit should become a landlord my
self"
On hearing this the girl grew as white
as q lily and then as red as a rose, and got
up and walked back into the house. Then
after some little time she came again, and
asked If he had really dreamt it, and was
II
quite in earnest.
"To be sure, to be sure" said he; ''she
who appeared to me In the dream was
most certainly just like youw
| Then the girl again into the house,
and did not return. She walked straight
to her own room; and thoughts flowed
through her brain like water that runneth
apace. First one idea, then another
chased it away till back came the first
thoughts. There was no end to the confu.
sion! He knows nothing about the
tree" she said to herself, she dreamt it
and whether 1 wish It or not, it will surely
come to pass there's no possibility o.
changing that" And with this she went
to bed, and dreamt the whole night of the
young man. When she awoke the nex'
morning, she knew his face by heart, sc
often had she seen it in her dreams during
the night. And he was q very good look
ing fellow too. M
| The young man had slept soundly or
his bed Of straw. Dreaming Beech, dream
and all he had said to the landlords
daughter were alike forgotten. He stood
| at the door of the tap-room, and was jus
1 shaking the landlords hand. and wishint