The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-02-25
scrllallcnus.
DAVID SWAN.



Could we indeed know all the vicissitudes
of our fortunes, life would be too full of hope
and cXaltation, of disappointment, 70 fear, to
afford an hour oftrue serenity. The idea may
illustrated from Il single page from the secret
history of David Swan.
We have nothing TO do with David until
we find him at the age oftwcnty on the high
road from his native place to the city of Bos-
ton, where his uncle, Il small dealer in the
grocery line, was to take him behind the
counter. BE it enough TO say that he was Il
native of New Hampshire, born of respectable
parents, and had received an ordinary school
education, with a classic finish of n year at
Gilmanton Academy. After iourneying on
foot from sunrise to near noon OIL a summers
day, his WEAKNESS and the increasing heat
determined him to sit down and await the
coming of the stage coach
As ifplantcd on purpose for him, there
soon appeared little cIump ofmaplcs, with
Il most delightful recess in the midst and such
n fresh bubbling spring that it seemed never
TO have sparkled for any Wayiarcr but David
Swan. Virgin or not, he kissed it with his
thirsty lips, ard then flung himself along
the brink, pillowlcss, his head upon some shirts
and pair OF panlaloOns, tied in a striped cot
ton handkerchief The sun beams could not
reach him u; the dust did not rise from the road
aneYthn ,beaY.. rain of yesterday, and his gras
sy lair slsicd the young man better than
bed of down. The spring murmured drow-
silly beside him, the birds iloatcd across
the blue sky overhead, and n deep sleep per
chance hiding 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 OH horseback, and in all sorts of
vehicles, along the sunny road By his bed
chamber. Some looked neither to the right
nor to the left, and knew not that he was
there some merely glanced that way, with
out admitting the slumDerer among their
busy thoughts, some laughed to see how
sOundly he slept; several whose hearts were
trimming full of scorn elected their vcnomous
supcriluity on David Swan. A middle aged
widow, when nobody else was near, thrust her
head into the recess and vowed that the young
man looked charming in his sleep. A tenn
perance lecturer saw him, and wrought poor
David into the texture of his evening dis
course ms an awful instance ofdead drunken
ness by the roadside. But ccnsurc, merri-
ment, praise scorn and Indifference were all
one, or rather all nothing to David Swan.
He had slept only a few moments
when brown carriage drawn by n hand
some pair of horses bowlcd along, and was
brought to standstill nearly in front of
David's resting place A lnchpin had fallen
out, and permitting one of the wheels to slide
off The danger occnsioncd merely n momcn-
tary alarm TO an elderly gentleman and wife
who were returning TO Boston in n carriage
While the coachman and Il servant were re-
placing the wheel the lady and gentleman
sheltered themselves beneath the maple trees
and there espied the bubbling fountain, and
David Swan asleep bcsideit Impressed with
the awe which the humblest sleeper casts
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 Il sudden.
"How sound he sleepsw whispered the old
gentleman. "From what depth he draws
that easy breath Such sleep MS that brought
on without an opiatc, would be worth more
to me than half my income; for it would ar
que health and an untroublCd mind"
And youth besides, said the lady, Health
and quiet age does not sleep thus. Our slum-
Der is no more like this than our wakeful-
ness"
Thus did this elderly couple become inter
estcd in the unknown youth, to whom the
wayside and the maple grove are as secret
chamber, and the rich gloom of damask cur
tains brooding over them Perceiving that u
stray sunbeam glimmered down upon his face,
lut lUIN CDHlIlNCN 10 bWISI IL Ulpuu DIuntn
aside, so us 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 dis
appointment in our cousins son. Methinks
| can SEGA likeness to departed Henry. Shall
we wake him?"
ITO what purpose f'.said the merchant,
hesitating 1--WE knownotling of the youths
character"
"That open countenanccw replied the
wife, in the same hushed voice, earnestly
"This innocent sleepW
| While these whispers We're passing the
! slcepers heart did not throb, nor his breath
become agtated, nor his tcaturnes hetray tho
| least token of interest Yes fortune was
bending over him, Just ready to let fall bur
den of gold. The old merchant had lost hi.
only son, and had no heir to his wealth ex
cept distant relative, with whose conduct he
was dissatisfied In such cases, people some
times do stranger things than to act the ma
giclan, and awaken young man in splendol
who fell asleep in poverty
"Shall we not wake him ?" repeated the Ia
dy, persuasively
"The coach il ready, sir said the servant
behind
The old couple started, REDEEMED, and hur
ried away, mutually wondering that they hat
ever dreamed ofdoing anything so ridiculous
The merchant threw himself back in his car
riage and occupied his mind with the con
sideration of II plan for II magnificent asylum
for men ofbusincs'. Meanwhile David Swar
enjoyed his nap
The carriage could not have gone above ;
mile or two, whom pretty young girl cam,
along witha tripping pace, which showed