Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-29
From Appleton's Journal for Aprill
THE WONDERFUL FANTL
BY JOHN EsTEN COOKE.

the Wonderful Family disappeared from
W. 1t followed the road running east
ward toward the Blue Ridge, crossed the
Shenandoah passed through Ashby's Gap,
and entered the county of Fauquer As this
journey had begun at daylight, the van,
drawn by vigorous horses, had passed over a
considerable distance by noon. The Sehor
Hernandez then halted to rest and feed his
horses according to his custom.
The spot at which he stopped was wild
and picturesque. 1t was glade in the woods,
hemmed in on every hand by deep foliage,
tinted with the brilliant gold and crimson of
autumn From grassy slope on the left of
the road rose ledge of mossy rock, and the
merry hrawling of rvulet was heard beyond.
This riyulct had probably been swollen by a
heavy rain-storm which had taken place a day
or two before. Evidences of this storm had
been seen in the roads. which were deep
and muddy, and the leaves of the trees We're
still moist Here and there drops hanging
from the leaves flashed like diamonds in the
sunlight Over all dropped the blue sky,
making the little glade an exquisite picture
Hernandez got down from. his seat, and as
sisted his wife and children to the ground
This was done without difficulty The oil
cloth covering of the van with the supports
had been lowered, and the vehicle had thus be-
come an open spring-wagon with four seats.
The children occupied those in the renr; be-
hind was the baggage in two stout trunks.
The mother and children went to the ledge Of
rock mentioned. sat down and applied them
selves to n basket taken from the van Mean
while Sehor Hernandez unhtched the horses.
secured them to oyerhangng boughs. and
placed box of oats before them, after which
he reioned his family.
He did not seem to be hungry. He was. in
e. 4 / -. ! f
ing. Something, also. plainly occupied his
thoughts. He looked round him with a
dreamy expression. His lips moved, but the
clatter Of the children drowned the low words
which he uttered. He had sad. half aloud
half to himself:
Yes, this is the very spot
When, few moments aftcrward, the chill
dren looked up, he was seen disappearing be-
hind the foliage in the direction of the noise
made by the rivulet. He had followed u little
path-probably that of cattle going to the
water-and found himself on the banks of
the stream, which brawlod over mossy rocks.
and was lost beyond under the dropping foil
age of some swamp-willows. \ ledge of rock
with a sort of shelf rose just on the border of
the stream. and on this shelf Hernandez sat
down. leaning his back against the ledge.
All his movements since getting out of the
van had indicated lassitude. The huge mus
cles of the athlete were Us obvious beneath his
plain citizens dress rs they had been during
the public performance on the night before /;
but something seemed to have pnrayzed
them He sank, rather than sat, down on
the shelf of rock. As he did so. he placed
one hand upon his back in rear of the waist,
and uttered low sound indicating pain.
Then his head dropped, his chin rested upon
his breast and he fell into reverie.
His reverie lasted for about quarter of an
hour. when he felt an arm around his neck.
and raised his head quickly. 1t was little
Juanita who had come to look for him. fol
lowed 10y Alcofribus in n state of wild enthu-
sasm. The child wore neat. brown travel
ing dress, and her glossy curs, on which
little chip hat was perched, were tied with a
pink ribbon. The girls face wore an express
sion of exquisite tenderness and meekness.
Placing both her arms around the Sehor Her
nandez, she pressed her lips TO his cheek
Dear little Fanny - he murmured
Dear little papa. :" she replied with
laugh. But the smile upon her face all at
once disappeared. Papa she said, II stole
away to see you and ask you something"
What is that, little one :"
DO You know | was not asleep at W
last night, when you and mamma were talk
ing:'
You We're not asleep"
NO, / only pretended. You must forgive
me, papa-I thought perhaps you and mani
ina would not be pleased to think | heard
whnt you said
You heard what | said -
Yes, papa; and | want TO ask you some
thing. You told mamma she must not make
me and Charley aSLdm6d CfyoU. isLdmed IF
yoU! What couh you mean, papa :"
He raised his head and looked into the
eyes of the child whose arm was still around
his neck.
''Yoa will be fourteen next month" he
said dreamily; then another year will pass
quickly, and you will be fifteen then very
soon sixteen; and some one will But |
shall not see that
His head dropped. and he seemed TO reflect
deeply.
why not now: 7" he said, half to himself :
she will understand"
What did you say, little papa? 7"
He looked at the child with the deepest
tenderness, and said:
do you wish to know what meant last
night, dear? Why should | not tell you {?
Nou will soon be woman. You must not
think you were born the daughter ola common
mountebank, with mother no better than
himself You are II little lady-on your moth
ers side, at least. Her family is much better
lllull llilllf 1 Nlh IluNn uNllibltIs DNl lutTt
is nothing TO make you really ashamed Of me-
You viii not be ashamed of your little papa
as you have always called me will you, my
own Fanny -
"AshGiaed of you, little papa dAhnmed Of
you '' she cried, clinging close to him and
pressing her cheek to his.
II love you ueIy dearly" he said.
You do not love me more than | love yOu
papa The very idea Ashdmed of you!"
"Hou must not be ashamed of me-some-
thing will happen soon-but no, no. l must
not speak of that think | would die soon
er, if thought my children were ashamed of
me-
He stopped hesitating, apparently, and re-
yolying some thought in his mind.
''Nes," he muttered, II will tell her every
thing-who knows that shall have another
such opportunity? 1t is better"
He placed his right arm around the girl, and
drawing her head down to his breast, smooth
ed her hair with his left hand.
II am going to tell you a story, Fanny" he
said, and you must listen and remember
what l say. There was a poor boy once-he
was an English boy-who came to America
with his parents. They, also, were humble
people, but honest and good, and hoped to
do better in this New World than in the Old !;
but both father and mother died of fever, and
the BOY was LETT alone, without bread, IN n
strange land His name was Henry Arden
he was my father. Well, the boy was honest
like his father and mother. He left the great
city where they had landed and hired him
self out as II farm-boy. This gave him food
and little money, and, as he saved up his
money, he found that he was able, when he
was twenty years of age, to buy a small piece
Of land. This he did-thc land was near this
spot where we now are as the boy, in the
course of his wanderings had come to Nir-
ginia."
With her head resting on her fathers
breast, little Fanny listened with deep atten-
ton.
"Well, in course of time" Hernandez went
on, "the boy, now a young man, married
His wife wasas humblcas himself the daughter
of poor countryman who lived near. Asthere
was'a small house ON his tract of land, and he
was honest and industrious, he prospered, and
soon purchased more land and became we'll
to-do. The house was called The Cottage
You can almost see it from here"
From here Then you are going home,
papa Z" said Fanny.
lsIl l.. ...,t1 -,