The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-11-01

brown carriage, drawn by handsome pal
OF horses, bowled easily along, and wa
brought 10 stand still nearly in front o
David's resting place. A linchpin had fall
en- out, and permitted one of the wheels I,
slide off. The damage was slight, and oc
casloned merely momentary alarm to al
elderly gentleman and wife, who were re-
turning to Boston in the carriage. While
the coachman and a servant were replacing
the wheel, the lady and gentleman shelter.
ed themselves beneath the maple trees, and
there espied the bubbling fountain and
David Swan asleep beside it. Impressed
with the awe which the humblest sleeper
sheds around him, the merchant trod as
lightly as the gout 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 sleepsl" whispered the
old gentleman. "From what a depth he
draws that easy breath Such sleep as that,
brought on without an opiate, would be
worth more to me than half my income
for it would argue health and an untroubled
mind"
"And youth besides" said the lady.
Health and quiet age does not sleep thus.
Cur slumber is no more like his than our
wakefullness."
Thus did this elderly couple feel interest
ed in the unknown youth, to whom the
wayside and the maple were as secret
chamber, with the rich gloom of damask
curtains broodng over him. Perceiving
that stray sunbeam Clmmered down upon
his face, the lady contrived to twist branch
aside, so as to intercept it. And having
done this act of kindness, she began to feel
like mother to him.
providence seems to have laid him here"
whispered she TO her husband, "and to have
brought us hither to find him, after our
disappointment in our cousins son. Me-
thinks can see a likeness to departed Hen
ry. Shall we wakcn him?"
"To what purpose ?" said the merchant,
hesitating. "We know nothing ofthe Youths
character"
"That open countenance |" replied the
wife, in the same hushed voice, earnestly.
"This innocent sleep"
While these whispers were passing the
sleeper's heart did not throb, nor his breath
become agitated, nor his features 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 ex-
cept distant relative, with whose conduct
he was dissatisfied. In such cases, people
sometimes do stranger things than to act
the magician, and awaken young man in
spendor who fell asleep in poverty.
"shall we not awaken him ?" repeated the
lady, persuasively.
"The coach is ready, sir" said the servant
behind.
The old couple started, redeemed, and
hurried away, mutually wondering that
they should ever dream of doing anything
so ridiculous. The merchant threw himself
back on his back in his carriage and occu-
pied his mind with the plan of a magnif-
cent asylum for unfortunate men of business.
Meanwhile, David Swan enjoyed his nap.
The carriage could not have gone above
a mile or two, when a pretty young girl
came along, with tripping pace, which
showed precisely how her little heart was
dancing in her bosom. Perhaps it was the
merry kind of motion that caused-is there
harm in saying it!-her garter to slip its
knot. Conscious that the silken girth-if
silk it was-was relaxing its hold, she turn
ed aside into the shelter of the maple trees,
and there found a young man asleep by the
spring Blushing as red us any rose, that
she should have intruded into gentleman's
bed-chamber, and for such purpose, too,
she was about to make her escape on tip
toe. But there was peril near the sleeper.
A monster Of bee had been wandering
overhead buzz, buzz, buzz-now among the
leaves, now flashing through the stripes of
sunshine, and now lost in the dark shade,
till finally he appeared to be settling on the
eyelid of David Swan. The sting of a bee
is sometimes deadly. AS free-h hearted as
she was innocent, the girl attacked the in
truder with her handkerchief, brushed him
and drove him from beneath the
maple shade. How sweet a picture! This
good deed accomplished, with quickened
breath and deeper blush, she stole glance |
at the youthful stranger for whom she had
been battling dragon in the air.
"IIe is handsome" though, said she, and
blushed redder yet.
How could it be that no dream of bliss |
grew so strong within him, that, shattered |
by its very strength, it should part asunder,
and allow him to preceive the girl among
its. phantoms ? Why at least, did no smile
of welcome brighten upon his face She was
come, the maid whose soul, according to the
old and beautiful idea, had been severed |
from his own, and whom, in all his vague
but passionate desires, he yearned to meet.
Her, only could he love with perfect love
him, only, could she receive into the
depths OF her heart-and now her image
was family blushing in the fountain by his
side; should it pass away, its luster would
would never CLEAN upon his life again.
"How sound he sleeps !" murmured the
girl.
She departed, but did not trip along the
road so lightly as when she came.
Now,t the girls father was a thriving coun-
.ry merchant in the neighborhood, and hap
lened, at that identical time, To be looking
or just such young man as David Swan.
Had David formed a waysde acquaintance
with the daughter,he would have become the
sthers clerk, and all else in natural succe'-
ion. So here again had good fortune--the
)est Of fortunes-stolen So near that her gar
nents brushed against him. and he knew
nothing Of the matter.
The girl was hardly out ofsight when two
men turned aside beneath the maple shade.
Both had dark faces set off by cloth caps, /
which were drawn down aslant over their {
rows. Their dresses were shabby, yet had {
certain slnartness. These were a couple Of :
ascals who cot their living by whatever Sa