Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-25
DAVID SWAN.

like DaDY. In snort time the uliiltai =
discussion ceased, and things remained
where | had left them"
DAVID SWAN.
One of HawthOrne's Most EN-
quisite Sketches.
Could we indeed know all the viclsei'
tudes Of our fortunes, life would be toe
full of hope and fear, exultation or dis
appointment, to afford US a single hour
OF true serenity. This idea may be IL
Illustrated by a single page from the Sc
cret history OF David Swan.
We have nothing TO do with David,
until We find him at the age OF twenty
on the high road from his native place
10 the city Of Boston, where his uncle, q
small dealer in the grocery line, was to
take him behind the counter. Be II
enough to say that he was a. native Of
New Hampshire, born OF respectable
parents and had received an ordinary
school education with aclassic finish OF
year at Galmanton Academy. After
iourneying on foot, from sunrise TILL
UtdlTlN HOOl VI . 10 HAo
WEAKNESS and the increasing heat deter
mined him to sit down and wait the
coming Of the stage coach. AS il planted
on purpose for him, there soon appeared
a little clump of naples, with a delight
full recess in the midst, and such a fresh
bubbling spring, that il seemed never TO
have sparkled for any wayfarer but Da-
vid Swan. Virgin or not, he kissed 1t
with his thirsty lips, and then flung
himself along the brink, pillowing his
head upon some shirts and a pair OF
pantalOOns tied up in a striped handker-
chief. The sunbeams could not reach
him: the dust did not rise from the road,
after the heavy ram of yesterday, and
his grassy lair suited the young man bet
ter than a bed OF down. The spring
murmer,d drowsily beside him, the
birds floated across the blue sky over
head and a deep sleep, perchance hi
ding dreams within its depths, fell upon
David Swan.
While he lay sound asleep in the
shade, other people were wide awake,
and passed to and fro on horseback, and
in all sorts of vehicles, along the sunny
road by his bedchamber. Some looked
neither to the right nor to the left, and
knew not that he was there some mere
ly glanced that way, without admitting
the slumberer among their busy
thoughts; some laughed to see how
soundly he slept several whose hearts
were Drumming full OF scOrn, elected
their venOmOus superfluity on David
Swan. A middle-aged widow, when no
body else was near, thrust her head a
little way into the recess, and vowed
that the young fellow looked charming
in his sleep. A temperance lecturer
saw him, and wrought poor David into
the texture of his evenings discourse,
as an awful instance of dead-drunken-
ness by the roadside. But centure, mer-
riment, praise, scorn and Indifference
were all one, or rather all nothing to
David Swan.
He had slept only a few moments
when a brown carriage, drawn by
handsome pair of horses, bowled easily
along, and was brought to a stand-still
nearly in front OF David's resting place.
A hnch-pin had fallen out, and permit
ted one of the wheels 10 slide of. The
damage was eight, and occasioned mere
ly a momentary alarm to an elderly gen.
tleman and wife, who were returning to
Boston in the carriage. While the
cOachman and a servant were replacing
the wheel, the lady and gentleman shell
tered themselves beneath the maple
trees, and there espied the bubbling
fountain and David Swan asleep beside
il. Impressed with the awe which the
humblest sleeper sheds around him, the
merchant trod as lightly as the govt
would allow and his spouse took good
heed not to rustic her silk gown, lest
David should start up all of a sudden.
GLOW soundly he sleeps I" whispered
the old gentleman. From what depth
he draws that easy breath Such sleep
as that, brought on without an opiate,
would be worth more To me than half
nv income for il would argue health
and an untroubled mind"
"And youth besides, said the lady.
Healthy and quiet age does not sleep
thus. Our slumber is no more like his
than our wakefulness."
"Thus did this elderly couple feel in
terested in the unknown youth, to whom
the wayside and the maple were as a
secret chamber, with the rich gloom OF
damask curtains brOOding over him.
Perceiving that a stray sunbeam glim-
mered down upon his face, the lady con-
trived 10 twist branch aside. so as to
intercept il. And having done this act
Of kindness, she began to feel like a
mother 10 him.
providence seems to have laid him
here" whispered she to her husband,
"and 10 have brought us hither to find
him, after our disappointment in our
son. Methinks | can see like
ness to departed Henry. Shall we waken
him."
ITO what purpose ?" said the mer-
chant, hesitating. I'VE know nothing
Of the youths character
THAT open conntenance replied
his wife. in the same hushed voice,
earnestly. "That innocent sleep
While these whispers were passing,
the sleeper's heart did not throb, nor
his breath become agitated, nor his iea-
lures betray the least token of interest.
Yes, fortune was bending over him, Just
ready to let fall burden of gold. The
old merchant had lost his only son, and
had no heir to his wealth except dis
tant relative, with whose conduct he
was dissatisfied. In such cases, people
do stranger things than to act
the magician, and awaken young man
in splendor who fell asleep in poverty.
"Shall We not waken him - repeated
the lady, perSuaSively.
The coach is ready, sir" said the ser
want, behind.
The old couple started, REDEEMED, and
hurried away, mutually wondering that
they should ever have dreamed of any
thing so ridiculous. The merchant threw
himself back in his carriage and Occu-
pied his mind with the plan OF mag
nifcent asylum for fortunate men OF
business. Meanwhile, DAVID Swan en-
loved his nap.
The carriage could not have gone
above a mile or two, when pretty
Young girl come along, with a tripping
pace, which showed precisely how her
little heart was dancing in her bosom.
Perhaps it was the merry king OF mo-
ton that caused-is there harm in say
ing II her garter 10 snip ITS knot.
Conscious that the silken girth-it silk
il was-was relaxing its hold, she turned
aside into the shelter of the maple trees,
and there found a Young man asleep by
the spring, BIushing as red as rose,
that she should have intruded into a
bed-chamber, and for such
a purpose, too, she was about 10 make
her escape on tip-toe. But there was a
peril near the sleeper. \ monster OF a
bee had been wandering overhead
buzz, buzz. buzz now among the leaves,
now flashing through the stripes OF sun
shine, and now lost in the dark shade,
till finally he appeared TO be sitting on
the eyelid of David Swan. The sting OF
a bee is sometimes deadly. As free
hearted as she was innocent, the girl at
tackled the intruder with her handker-
chief, brushed him soundly, and drove
him from beneath the maple shade.
How sweet picture! This good deed ac-