Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-04

Tny y'ncome Nor it would argue health
ana ip untroNbled mind"
AM youth besides" said the lady,
Healtt sind quiet age does not sleep
thus. O'r slumber is no more like this
than our wskefulness.
4 Thus dNdNhis elderly couple became
n Interested III the unknown youth, to
Nwhom the Wayside and the maple were
as secret chamber, and the rich gloom
,2t oamask curtains Arooding over them.
Perceiylng thata stAy sunbeam glim-
lmered down upon hisIace, the lady con.
trived to twist brapch aside. so as to
intercept it. And having done this act
pf kindness she began, to feel like 9
mother to him.
| providence seems to have laid .klm
hSre," whispered she to her husband
"aNd to have brought US lither to IND
hinS after our disappointm ment i2our
Cousins son. Methink ks can see ke-
ness 70 departed Henry. Shall AXE
MN no ~ 49,, ss,;4 per
chant, hesitatihg. "W know nothing
of the youths character
"That open countenan Gel" replied t1e
wife, in the same hushe 4 voice, earneF-
ly. "fhls innocent slee p"
While these whispers were passing
the sleeper's heart did no t tbrob, nor hls
breath become agitated, tor his features
betray the least token Of interest. Yes,
fortune was lending O. FER him, just
ready to let fall burden Of gold. The
old merchant lad lost his only son, and
had no heir to his wealth except a dis
tant relative, with whose conduct he
was dissatisfied. In such cases, people
sometimes to stranger thi ng than TO act
the magician, and awaken young man
in splendor who fell in poverty.
"Shall we not wake him ?" repeated
the lady. persuasively.
The coach is ready, sir" said the ser
want, behind.
The old couple started, Redeemed, ant:
hurried away, mutually wondering that
they had ever dreamed of doing any
thing so ridiculous. The merchant threw
| himself back in his carriage aud Occu-
pied his mind with the plan Of a magni-
ficent asylum for men of business. Mean
while David Swan enjoyed his nap.
The carriage could not have gone a.
bove mile or two, wh en- loretty young
girl came along with ripping pace,
which showed precisely how her little
heart was dancing in her bosom. Per
haps it was the merry king of motion
that caused--is there harm in saying 1t
her garter to slip its knot. Conscious
that the siIken girtll, if silk it was, was
relaxing its hold, she turned aside into
the shelter OF the maple trees and there
found a young man asleep!
Blushing as red as any rose, that she
should have intruded in a gentleman S
| bed chamber, and for such a pu rpOse,
| too, she was about to make her esca pc on
| tip-tOe. But there was peril nea the
sleeper. A monster of bee had been
| wandering overhead buzz, buzz, buzz
now among the leaves, now flash ing
through the stripes of sunshine, and u oW
lost in the dark shade, till finally he
happened to settle on the cyclic of David
Swan. The sting of bee is sometime
deadly. AS freehearted as she was in
nocent, the girl attacked the intruder
with her handkerchief, brushed him
soundly, and drove him from beneath
the maple shade. How sweet picture
This good deed accomplished, with
quickened breath and deeper flush, she
stole q glance at the youthful stra niger
| for whonFSae Eaa seen battling with 9
dragoon in the air.
He is handsome" thought she, and
blushed redder yet
How could it be that nc dream of iss
grew so strong within him, that, shat
tered by its very strength. it should pa ri
asunGer, and allow him to perceive the
girl among its phantoms? Why, at leas
did no smile of welcome brighten up his
face? She has come, the maid whose
soul, according to the old and beautiful
idea, but had been severed from his own,
and whom, in all his vague but passion
Lott Haci hn nod To Inr
only could he love with a 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 never g leam 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, this girls father was thriving
country merchant in the neighborhOod,
happened at hat identical time to be
looking Tor such young man as David
Swan. Had David formed a wayside
acquaintance with the daughter, he
would have become the fathers clerk
and all else in natural succession. Sc
here again had good fortune-the best
of fortunes-stolen so near that her gar
ments brushed against him; and he
knew nothing of the matter.
The girl was hardly out of sight when
two men turned aside beneath the maple
shade. Both had dark faces, set off by
dark caps, which were drawn down
aslant over their brows. Their dresses
were shabby. yet had a certain smart
ness. These were couple of rascals
who got their living by whatever Satan
; sent them, and now, in the interim ot
other business, had staked the joint
profits of their next place of villainy on
a game of cards, which was to have beer
decided here under the trees.
But finding David asleep by the
spring, one of the rogues whispered tc
the fellow:
"Hi,t! Do you see the bundle under
his head?'
}. The other villain nodded, wicked and
!, leered.
"I'il bet you horn of brandy,n said
the first, "thaJ the chap has either s
pocket-book or else he has snug little
hoard of small change slowed away a,
shall find it in his pantaloon pocket.n
"But how if he wakes ?" said the 9th
, er.
His companion thrust aside his waist,
coat, pointed to the handle of a dirk AMI
nodded.
| $50 be it !" muttered the second VIII
| lain.
They approached the unconsciou;
: David, and while one pointed the dag
, ger toward the heart the other began tc
' search the bundle beneath his head
) their two faces grim, wrinkled and
r CHASTITY with guilt and fear, bent ovel
their victim, looking terrible enough tt
Y be mistaken for fiends should he sud
e denly awake. Nay, had the Wilkins
, glanced aside into the spring even they
= might not know themselves as reflected
t there but David Swan had never worn {
= more tranquil aspect, even when asleel
# on his mothers breast.
t Ell must take away the bundle" whis
d pered one.
i "But if he stirs I'll strike" mutteret
the other.
J, But at this moment dog, scehtinG
: along the ground, came in beneath th,
d maple trees, and gazed alternately a
n each of those wicked men, and then a
/ the quiet sleeper. He then tapped gu
# of the fountain.
;. "Pshaw ~ said one villain, I'VE ca.