The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-26

Il
been wrecked at the mouth of the Um
paqua, and been wandering about ovel
the mountains ever since, feeding on
roots and berries"
"He was"
"N0, l assure you," interrupted Joseph,
with an amused look at my wife, "the
boy was not a young woman in disguise,
if that what you are thinking. He was
just a poor, weak, half-starvedlad named
Edwards | fed and nursed him until
he was able to work for himself, and then
! got Sam Chong Sung to let him take
up a claim alongside Chinese camp,
promising to favor the Chinaman in a
beef contract if he would be good to the
boy. Istill continued to see a great deal
of him"
And did Edwards succeedT'
eyes, he got on. One day two China
men stole some of Sam Chong Sung's
horses, and he offered $400 to Edwards if
he would go after the thieves and track
them. Edwards asked my advice, and |
encouraged him to go, telling him where
| fancied he would find the men. So he
started in pursuit, and | confess | missed
him"
Again Joseph paused. We did not in
terrupt him.
"a man came to my fort one day who
was naked and starving. He was a bad
looking fellow, very, but you will say a
man naturally does look bad when his
clothes are nowhere and his bones pro-
trudc through his skin. | clothed him,
fed him, cared for him kindly until he
was able to travel, and then he went
away. The next Sunday | was sitting
outside my fort, as customary on that
leisure day, reading some translations
from the Greek poets-for | dare say
you remember | was never much of a
hand at the original--when, CHANGING to
look off my book, | beheld vision"
"a what?"
"a vision. A vision of lovely wo-
man. She was riding up the approach
to my fort on fine horse-riding grace
fully and slowly, as if to give me time to
get over my surprise; and | believe |
needed it, The picture she made is in
my mind now. Isee the very flicker of
the shadow and the sunlight across the
road, and the glitter of some steel that
fastened her horses trappings as he
arched his neck in impatience of her re-
straining hand, Are you tired, old
friendW
"Never less so in my life"
"That vision, breaking in suddenly as
it did upon my solitude, gave me the
queerest sensation. / was just spell
bound. Not 50 she. Refining in her horse
at my gate, she squared round on her
saddle and looked at me, silently asking
my assistance to dismOunt. | helped her
down--what else could / do?-and then
at her request, gently preferred, went to
put up and feed her horse. Had she
dropped from the clouds? did not
| know?
"Well?'
"If you believe me, when I turned in
doors my guest had got her habit off.
Evidently She meant tomake herself at
home. A tall, young, beautiful, we'll
dressed womanl Her eyes were large,
black and melting. Her hair was superb,
her manner easy. She was hungry, she
said; would | give her something to cat?
And while | was making preparations to
give her of my best, she read aloud one
Of the Greek translations-an ode to
Diana - commenting upon it herself.
That she was a woman of culture and
education, whatever might have brought
her present strange condition, was
obvious. "Well, now," continued Joseph,
"you can guess whether young man,
isolated on the mountains, ruined by the
grasshoppers, and Tilted by the girl of
the Willamette Valley, was bewiIdered
or not. Entertaining goddesses was not
in my line"
GLOW long did she stay?"
"Wait bit. What with reading and
eating our acquaintance improved fast
She offered to sing song, and gave me
Kate Kearney' | might have lost my
head to her, perhaps-to say nothing Of
the heart-but for a certain inward
latent doubt. | did not care that my CIR
should ride about, elegantly attired, OIL
prancing horses, and drop down unex
pectedly on hermits Still it was {
pleasant feeling to find ones self neal
| her, and certainly a novel one. | askec
her her history, and she told it me. She
was uf good New England family
reared in affluence, well educated and ac
complished, but by freak of fortune, sht
had become reduced to poverty and exit
from home"
"What was it, Joseph?"
"Ah! what, indeed? The old story I sup
pose; but | did not ask her. She hat
made her way to California, resolved t.
, get on and make money; and she had go
{ it. She went about from camp to CAM
with stationery and various article
, needed by the miners and others-solC
them these things, wrote letters for them
sang to them, nursed them when sick
4 and carried their letters express to Sa
E Francisco to be posted. For all thes
D services she received large payments, an
t she also had a good deal of rough gol
n given her as specimens. Did she lik
o that kind Of life? asked her, 50 contrar
t to her early habits, and she answered m
. quickly: 1t is not what we choose thu
: we do in this world, but what Fat
: chooses for us. have made comp
y tcncy and gained rich and varied e.
perience. Life is not what | once pi
- tured it to be; but am content ST
sighed as she said it; and didn't belieN
o in the content"
d But what had brought her to you th'
Y day"
''Shc had not told me herself then, bl
e presently | asked her. shall never TO
IS get the smile with which she turned
$ answer. 1t pretty nigh disarmed m
t We were sitting somewhat close, too; hi
is flowing silk gown touched my knee