Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-09-15


to the exhortatiun of her father.
was not thus with Felix. He We
always the saddest of the group
and even to my Impractical sense:
he appeared TO have suffered NOR
deeply than his friends. But If hi
countenance was more sorroWfu
his voice was more cheerful thai
that OF his sister, especially whe
he addressed the old man.
az could mention innumerabl
instances, which although slight
marked the dispositions of thes
| amiable cottagers. In the midst @
poverty and want, Felix carried
with pleasure to his sister the frs
little white flower that peeped on
from beneath the snowy ground
Early in the morning, before sh,
had risen, he cleared away th'
snow that obstructed her path t.
the milk-house, drew water from
the we'll, and brought the WOOD
from the outhouse, where, to his
perpetual establishment. he founc
his store replenished by an invisible
hand. In the day, / believed he
worked sometimes for Il neighbor
ing farmer, because he often went
forth, and did not return until din.
ner, yet brought no wood with him.
AT other times he worked in the
garden, but, as there was little to
do in the frosty season, he read to
the old man and Agatha.
"This reading had puzzled me
extremely at first, but by degrees, l
discovered that he uttered many
of the same sounds when he read as
when he talked. | conjectured,
therefore, that he found on the pa
per signs Tor speech which he un-
derstood, and / ardently longed to
comprehend these also; but how
was that possible, when l did not
even understand the sounds for
which they stood as signs? | inn
proved, however, sensibly in this
science, but not sufficiently to fol-
low up any kind of conversation,
although applied my whole mind
to the endeavor, for easily percelv-
ed, that, although eagerly longed
to discover myself to the cottagers,
| ought not to make the attempt
until had first become master of
their language, which knowledge
might enable me to make them
overlook the deformity of my fig
IRE, for with this also the contrast
perpetually presented to my eyes
had made me acquainted.
81 had admired the perfect form
of my cOttagers-their grace, beauty
and delicate compilations, but how
was | terrified when / viewed N.Y.
self in transparent pool !! AT first
| started back, unable tC believe
that it was indeed / who was re-
fiected in the mirror and when L
became fully convinced that l was
i'm reality the monster that am, /
was filled with the bitterest sensa-
tions of dependence and mlOrtifica-
ton. Alas l did not yet entirely
know the fatal effects of this miser-
able deformity.
GAS the sun became warmer, and
the light of day longer, the snow
vanished, and L beheld the bare
trees and black earth. From this
time Felix was more employed,
and the heart moving indications of
impending famine disappeared.
Their food, as afterward learned,
was coarse, but it was wholesome,
and they procured sutticiency of it.
Several new kinds Of plants sprung
up in the garden, which they dress
ed and these signs of comfort in
creased daily as the season advanc-
ed.
"rhe old man, leaning on his son
walked each day at noon, when it
did not rain, as found it was call
ed when the heavens poured forth
its waters. This frequently took
place, but high wind quickly
dried the earth, and the season be-
came more pleasant than it had
been.
"My mode of life i'm my hovel
was uniform. During the morning
l attended the motions of the Gotta
gers, and when they were dispersed
in various occupations, | slept; the
the remainder of the day was spent
in observing my friends. When
they had retired to rest, if there
was any moon, or the night WAS
starlight, went into the woods and
collected my own food and fuel for
the cottage. When | returned, as
often as it was necessary, L cleared
their path from the snow, and per-
formed those offices that | had seen
done by Felix. | afterward found
that these lahOrs, performed by an
hand, greatly astonished
them, and once or twice l heard
them, on these occasions, utter the
words good spirit, aOOndertut;; but l
did not understand the significance
of these terms.
"My thoughts now became more
active, and longed to discover the
motives and feelings of these lovely
creatures; | was inquisitive to know
why Felix appeared SO miserable,
and Agatha SO sad. l though,
foolish wretch y that it might be
in my power to restore happiness to
these deserving people. When
slept, or was absent, the forms OF
the venerable blind father, the gen.
tie Agatha and the excellent Felix,
fitted before me. looked upon
them as superior beings, who would
be the arbilers of my future destiny.
L formed in my imagination thous-
and pictures of presenting myself
to them, and their reception of me.
l imagined that they would be dis
gusted, until by my gentle demeanor
and cOnciliating words, | should |
first win their favor, and alterward
their love.
'These thoughts eXhilarated me,
and led me to apply with fresh ar
dor to the acquiring art OF language. I,
NJ q OrUanS Upra ipdppl harsh hut |
supple; and, although my voice
was very unlike the soft music of
their tones, yet | pronounced such
words as understood with tolera-
BILE ease. 1t was as the ass and the |
lap dog, yet surely the gentle ass, |
whose intentions were affectiOnate,
although his manners were rude,
deserved better treatment than |
blows and execration.
"rhe pleasant showers and genial |
of spring greatly altered
the aspect of the earth. Men who
before this change seemed to have
been hid in caves, dispersed them
selves. and were employed in vari-
Ous arts of cultivation. The birds |
sang i'm more cheerful notes, and |
the leaves began to bud forth on the |
trees. Happy, happy earth fit |
for gods, which, so short |
a time before, was bleak, damp,
and unwholesome. My spirits were
elevated by the enchanting appear
ance of nature the past was blot
ted from my memory, the present |
was tranquil, and the future gil1ed
sx.s.. a: &c