Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-09-08

4 ~
= brook, and then, lying down, wa
It overcome by sleep.
o "It was dark when | awuAe,
). felt cold also, and half frightened
e as it were instinctively, finding my
|, self so desolate. Before / had quit
k ted your apartment, on a sensation
: of cold, had covered myself will
l some clothes, but these were insuf
e ficient to secure me from the dew,
2 OF night. Was Il poor, helpless
miserable wretch [ knew and
= could distinguish nothing; but
I feeling pain invade me on all sides
l | sat down and Wept.
''Soon gentle light stole over
} the heavens, and gave me 4 sens3-
tiOn of pleasure. | started up, and
beheld a radient form rise from
among the trees. | gazed with q
kind of wonder. 1t moved slowly,
but it enlightened my path, ami
again went out in search of berries.
| was still cold, when under one of
the trees l found a huge cloak, with
which | covered myself, and sat
down upon the ground. No dis.
tinct ideas occupied my mind; all
WAS confused / felt light and hum
ger and thirst and darkness in
numerable sounds rung in my ears,
and on all sides various scents sa-
luted me; the only object that
could distinguish was the bright
moon, and / fixed my eyes on that
with pleasure.
"Several changes of day and night
passed, and the orb of night had
greatly leSseued, when / began to
distinguish my sensations, from
each other. | gradually saw plain
ly the clear stream that supplied
me with drink, and the trees that
shaded me with their foliage. / was
delighted when [ first discovered
that a pleasant sound, which often
saluted my ears, proceeded from the
threats of the little winged animals
who had often intercepted the light
from my eyes. | began also to OBJ
serve with greater accuracy, the
forms that surrounded me, and to
perceive the boundaries of the ra-
diant roof of light which canopied
me. Sometimes / tried to initiate
the pleasant songs of the birds, but
WAS unable. Sometimes | wished
to express my sensations in my own
mode, but the uncOuth and inartic-
ulate sounds which broke from me
frightened me into silence again.
"Phe moon has disappeared from
the night, and again, with. Il lessen
ed form, showed itself, while /
remained in the forest. My sensa-
tiOns had, by this time, become dis
tinct, and my mind received every
day additional ideas. My eyes had
became accustomed to the light,
and to perceive objects in their
right forms; | distinguished the in
sect from the herb, and by degrees,
one herb from another. [ found
that the sparrow uttered none but
harsh notes, while those of the
blackbird and thrush were sweet
and enticing.
zone day when was oppressed
by COLI, | found a fire which had
been left by some wandering beg
gars, and was overcome with de
light at the warmth [ experienced
from it. In my joy I thrust my
hand into the live embers, but
quickly drew it out again with a
cry of pain. How strange thought,
that the same cause ahould produce
such opposite effects! | examined
the materials of the fire, and to my
Joy found it to be composed of wood. |
Iquickly collected some branches,
hut they were wet, and would not
burn. | was pained at this, and
sat still watching the operation of
the fire. The wet wood which l
had placed near the heat dried, and
n i.NV I
ON this, and by touching the vari- |
Gus branches, | discovered the
cause, and busted myself collecting
a great quantity Of wood, that / /
might dry it, ana have plentiful /
supply of fire. When night came |
on, and brought sleep with it, l was
in the greatest fear lest my fire |
should be extinguished. l covered I
it carefully with dry wood and
leaves, and placed wet branches |
upon il; and then spreading my
cloak, l lay on the ground and'sunk
into sleep. ...
''It WAS morning when l awoke,
ANA my first care was to visit the
fire. | uncovered it, and gentle
breeze quickly famed ii into
flame l observed this also, and
contrived a fan of branches, which
reused the embers when they were
nearly extinguished. When night
came again, | found with pleasure
that the fire gave light as well as
heat, and that the discovery
Of this element was useful TO me in
my food for | found some of the
OffaIS that the travellers had left had
been roasted, and tasted much more
saVOry than the berries | gathered
from the trees. | tried, therefore,
to dress my food in the same man
ner, placing it an the live embers.
| found that the berries were spoil
ed by this operation, and the nuts
and roots much improved.
Good, however, became scarce,
and often spent the whole day
searching in vain for a few acorns
to assuage the pangs of hunger.
When found this, ! resolved to
quit the place that | had hitherto
inhabited, to seek for one where the
few wants experienced would be
more easily satisfied. In this emil
grafton, | exceedingly lamented the
loss OF the fire which | had obtained
through accident, and knew not
how to reproduce it. gave several
hours to the serious consideration of
this difficulty, but | was obliged to
relinguish all attempts to supply it (;
and wrapping myself up in my
cloak, struck across the wood to.
ward the setting sun. | passed
three days in these ranbles, and at
length discovered the open country.
A great fall of snow had taken
place the night before, and the fields
were of one uniform white; the
was disconsolate, and |
found my feet chilled by the cold
damp substance that covered the
ground.
at was about seven in the morn
ing, and longed TO obtain food and
shelter; at length / perceived a
small hut, on a rising ground,
which had doubtless been built for
the convenience of some shepherd.
This was a new sight to me, and |
examined the structure with great
Finding the door open,
entered. An old man sat in it,
near a fire, over which he was pre-
pairing his breakfast lie turned on
hearing noise, ami parceiving me,
shrieked loudly, and quitting the
hut, ran across the fields with {
speed of which his debjlitated form
hardly aI1Dparpd Gamble TIiS an 1