Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-07-16

Then came her letter: "bear, my dear,
tomorrow you'll be sad" - ] ',7@
Few words! half mirth and half regret
The last her hand should ever write
sad words learned long ago, and yet
FRESH with new pain to ear and sight.
"ro-morrow you'll be sad" d.
DAVID SWANS SLEEP.
BY NATHANAN1E1 HAWTHORNE.
Could we indeed know all the vicissi
tudes of our fortunes, life would be too
full OF hope and fear, exultatlon or dis
appointment, to afford US a single hour
OF true serenity. This idea may be ill
ustrated by single page from the secret
history Of David Swan. II
We have nothing to do with David uu-
til we find him at the age of twenty, on
the highroad from his native place to
Boston where his uncle, small dealer in
the grocery line, was to take him behind
the counter. Be it enough to say that he
was from New Hampshire, born of re-
spectacle parents, and had received an
ordinary common school education with
a classic finish of year at Gilmanton
academy. After journeying on from
sunrise till noon of a summers day, his
WEAKNESS and the increasing heat deter
mined him to sit down and wait for the
stage-coach. AS if planted on purpose
tor him, there soon appeared little clulnp
Of naples, with delightful recess In the
midst, and such fresh bubbling spring
that it seemed never to have sparkled for
any waytarer but David Swan. Virgin
or not, he kissed it with his thirsty lips,
snd then flung himself along the brink,
pillowlng his head upon some shirts and
q pair of pantaloons tied up in striped
cotton handkerchief: The snnbeams
could not reach him ;tle dust did not reach
HIM from the road, after the rain of yes
terday; and his grassy lair suited the
young man better than bed Of down
The spring murmurcd drowsily beside
him; the birds tloated across the blue sky
overhead, and a deep sleep, perchance
hiding dreams within its depths, fell up.
on David Swan.
He had slept only few minutes when
a brown carriage drawn by handsome
pair of horses, bowling easily along, and
was brought to a stand-still nearly in
front ct David's resting place. A Inch.
pin had fallen out and permitted one OF
the wheels to slide off. The damage was
slight and occasioned merely momen-
tary alarm to an elderly gentleman and
wife, returning to Bosten in the carriage
While the coachman and servant were
replacing the wheel, the lady and gen.
tleman sheltered themselves beneath the
maple trees, and there espied the bub.
bling fountain and David Swan asleep
beside it. Impressed with the awe which
the humblest sleeper sheds around him
the gentleman trod as lightly as the gout
would allow, and his spouse took good
care not to rustic her silk dress, lest Da.
vid should start up all of sudden.
GLOW soundly he sleepsp' whispered
the old gentleman. ''from what depth
he draws that easy breath! Such sleer
as that, brought en- without an opiate
would be worth more than half nv in
come; for it would argue health and ar
untreubled mind.
"And youth Beside" said the lady
"Health and quiet age does not sleet
thus. Our slumber is no more like this
than our wakefulness."
Thus did this elderly couple feel inter
ested in the unknown youth, to whom
the wayside and the maple were secret
chamber, with Il rich gloom of damask
curtains brood1ng over him. Perceivine
that stray sunbeam glimmered down
upon his face, the lady contrived to twist
a branch aside, so as to intercept it. And
having d one this act of kindness, she be.
gan to act 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 orr disappointment in our
cousins son. Methinks I can see like
ness to departed Henry. Shall we
awaken him?'
"To what purpose?' said the merchant,
hesitating. owe know not of the youth 3
character"
"That open countenance!'' replied the
wife, in the same hnshed voice, earnestly.
"This innocent Sleep"
While these whispers were passing the
sleeper's heart didn't throb, nor his breath
become agitated, nor his features betray
the least token Of intereet. Yes, fortune
was bending over him, just read y to let
fall burden of gold. The old merchant
had lost his only son, and had no heir to
his wealth except a distant relative, with
whose conduct he was not pleased. In
such cases, people sometimes do stranger
things than to act the magician, and
awaken young man in splendor who
fell asleep in poverty.
"Shall we not awaken him." repeated
the lady, persuasively.
"The carriage 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
50 ridiculous. The merchant threw him
self back in his carriage and occupied
his mind with the plan of magnificent
asylum for unfortunate men of business.
Meanwhile David Swan enjoyed his nap.
The carriage could not have gone above
mile or two, when pretty young girl
came along with tripping pace, which
showed precisely how her little heart was
dancing in her bosom. Perhaps it was
the king 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-had relaxed its hold, she
turned aside into the shelter of the maple
trees, and there found young man
asleep by the springl Blushing as red as
any rose, that she should have intruded
into any gentleman's bed-chamber, and
for such purpose, too, she was about to
make her escape on tlptoe. But there
was a peril near the sleeper. A monster
of bee was wandering overhead buzz,
buzz, buzz-now among the leaves, now
flashing through the stripes of sunshine,
and now lost IN the dark shade, till final
ally he appeared to be setting on the eye
lid of David Swan. The sting of bee
Is sometimes deadly. As free hearted as
she was innocent, the girl attacked the
intruder with her handkerchief, brushed
him soundly, and drove him from beneath
the maple shade. How sweet pictured
This good accomplished, with Quicken
ed breath and a deeper blush, she stole
glance at the youthful stranger for whom
she had been battling with dragon in
the air. ~ .-4t.I r.-s a3so
II. she, is handsome thought she,
still blushing. .-.. -...s..7,
J" How could it be that no dream of bliss
grew within him, that shattered by his
very strength, it should part asunder,
and allow him to perceive the g1rl among
It's phantoms2 Why at least did no