Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-03-08
The Sleeping Beauty.

er find our way out Of the wilderness"
"That isn't like you, Hail." 1 said.
"You are famished, weak, low in spirit.
and half sick, l believe. Otherwise,
you would not despond SO easily. Cheer
up!"
"I'm to nearly starved for that. be-
lieve | am half sick, as you say. My
head aches as if it would split" He
sat half up, as he spoke, putting his
hand to his brow, and looked disconso-
lately around.
I was nearly as discouraged as Hal;
but | was careful not to betray my feel
ings, in word or look. Hal and | were
very dear friends. He was twenty, and
I ten years older. He was the son of
rich parents, in New York, and I was
sort of a guardian to him, at least dur
ing our summer recreations, having been
appointed to act in that capacity by his
doting father, who reposed perfect con-
fdence in my friendship.
Becoming tired of the seashore, Hal,
with a restlessness common to persons
of his age, had got into his head that it
would be fine thing to make pedes-
trian tour, northward, through the
woods to Canada. He had heard of a
party of students who had started on
this excursion a year before, and he
longed to imitatate their example. But
his plans met with no sympathy from
me. 1 had settled at Old Orchard for
at least month; and l did not want
to hear anything of adventure. But
Hal was enthusiastic on the subject.
"We would hunt, fish, and camp" he
said, and everything would be glorious.
But was an old campaigner, and l
knew that camping out meant every
thing that was disagreeable, especially
at that time of the year. 1 reluctantly
consented at last, however.
Well our journey up the Kennebec
was very pleasant; but when we had
left the boat and the stages behind us,
and when we saw the last house, and
began to camp out beneath the trees,
Hal grew homesick. The realities were
not what we had anticipated. Instead
of sound slumbers, we had to fight mos
quitoes through the night; and when
morning came. the mosquitoes were re-
enforced by swarms of stinging flies.
On the third day, after entering the
woods, we had rain storm. At night,
we tried to find nook that would shell
ter US, and in so doing we lost our way,
nor could we discover it again the next
morning. We wandered about till we
were completely bewildered, and when
night came were thoroughly exhausted
We hunted and fished now, not for pleas
ure, but from necessity. Our provisions
were all gone, and we were in danger Of
literal starvation. That day, Hal had
been vainly trying to secure some game
for our dinner. He looked already ter
years older than when we had started
on this journey. Exposure and unac
customed exertion had told on him fear
fully. There was hectic tint on biz
cheeks, and an unnatural look about hi.
eyes. What if he should die here? AnC
what should hinder him from dying, i
his strength should fail, if he should fal
sick?
These thoughts were passing through
my mind, when 1 caught the sound o
something stirring in the forest. / sta
toned myself behind clump Of shrub
berry. Was it deer? Nervously
raised my rife, and my finger was OIL
the trigger, when Hal sprang to his feet
knocked up the weapon and cried, ex
citedly, "Hist, look there
| A light breeze at that moment ha,
partly blown aside the bushes in front
disclosing young girl, perfect in bot
form and feature. lying on the fores
grass, under some overshadowing birches
sound asleep. She was dressed in sim
pie white muslin. Her arms, half seer
hung listlessly at her sides; her broa
brlmmed hat lay by her knee her Ion
hair, unbound, flowed over her shoul
ders; her lips, which were literally lik
ripe rose-buds, were half parted, lik
those of an infant, smiling in its sleeE
As looked, she moved slightly, and
recognized the same sound which ha
heard before, and supposed to be th
stealthy tread Of fawn. A picture {
more bewildering loveliness had nevt
seen. My rife fell to the ground. Hal
noise in rising and his exclamatio
awoke her. She raised her head, lool
around startled, and then, seeing u
sprang to her feet, and turned as if /
run.
: [ stepped forward, lifting my ca
pardon us, | said, ''for alarming yo
, but you have nothing to fear. We a
lost in this forest. Can you guide !
out 2"
: She stopped at this, glanced from n
: to Hal, and blushed rosily over face al
neck. Lost" she said. "Why, it
only half mile to the road and n
fathers house is not half that distanc