Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-08

Tho mass sWCllH more and more
OF volumes yet to read,
OF secrets yet to explore.
Our hair grows gray, eyes dimmed, our heart
Is tanned. -Mdthcw arnold.
THE FRENCH GIRL ON MOCC1STN
Though tho Wabash is a river of islands, -
fiat or rocky, wooded or shell covered, some
of them splitting the mid d.current like huge
wedges, and others hugging the shore as if
against their will detached from it,-there
are none lovelier than that called Moccssn,
% miles above the rivers junction with the
Ohio. To-day the pecan-troes stand even
thicker than they used to stand threads of
spring water find their way down the rivers
precipitous banks the Shawnee council ring
is more overgrown by oak woods, and the
slate grave-stones Of ancient settlers now in.
torcopt the daily paths Of COWS. But the is
land is always the same, except that not
rotting timber and scarcely u fragment Of
stone remains of the house which stood there
when Robert Dale Owen planted his colony
at New Harmony. According to the season,
it glitters in frost or has all its outlines ten
derly softened by verdure. Shaped some.
what like an Indians shoe, depressed to a
sandy beach at the too and rising to a mass
of rocks at the ancle, it points down river,
its heel. Plenty of crinoids and arrow-heads
are buried there in the sand, limiting at a day
more remote than that of tho French girl who
lived ON Moccasin and it seems unfair that
no vestige of her life should be left except
the breath of neighborhood gossip. Blown
here and there like the mist above the river,
she thus survives, however, appearing at long
intervals in the clouds of old womens pipes
when talk turns on pioneer days.
The French house stood on the instep of
Moccasin, where there was a thick cluster of
sycamore.trees, and was an irregular struc.
ture, built partly of stone and cement and
partly Of wood. The upper story overhung
the lower in the style of those huge Ohio and
Pennsylvania barns OF 20 years ago. And
though the front door was divided 80 that the
top half could swing open while the bottom
half remained shut this was the best house
to be found between New Harmony and the
Ohio river-nest OF foreigners and pagans as
the settlers regarded it, Twice year the
Catholic bishop Of Nincennes, which had
even then long been called Post st. Vincent,
sent his representative down the Wabash to
confess and confirm scattered sheep of his
flock, and the priest had been seen on Moe.
casin in his long black gown.
Moreover, this French family, who came
from the settlement at Vevay, and lived in
md-Wabash year after year without troub-
ling their neighbors for neighborly offices,
were never known to attend Methodist reyi-
walls The household numbered three-an el-
derly maiden lady, her young niece, and a
serving man who eyermore wore q red wooden
night-cap, and was known TO do the work of
the house while his ladies' sat with white
hands enviously condemned by tho commu.
nifty. Yet they were poor for Auguste made
seines and wooden bowls and wove baskets
for sale in New Harmony. When he had a
boatful he took the long pull up-river, shoot
ing neat track through the rapids, and came
back the third day, having provisions for his
freight. Auguste often sat IN his boat fish.
ing near the ferry, where a rude hat-boat was
poled across according to neighborhood re-
quromcnts.
The young men, curious with the sympa.
thy of pioneer communities, learned Mecca.
sin French history from him, and received in
purity the name of Lesueur, 10 corrupt it by
their Hoosler pronunciation into Lasher.
They had all seen the French girl, and while
their mothers believed she never spun hank
of yarn in her life, but spent her whole time
bowing before images or adorning her per
ishablo body, the majority of them secretly
adored her as something high and mysteri-
GUS. She was like a strain of music, or
sublime sunset, or the whispering of the
woods, or the noble tracks of the mound
builders. Often as they saw her, scarce any
one dared speak to her except Bud Posey,
who would daro anything. His father was
justice Of the peace, the richest man in what
Is now Posey county, and hospitable Vir-
ginian. He built the first double log cabin
in his settlement and added to it year after
year until he was regarded as having more
room than he knew what to do with. Con
sequently the preachers lodged with him, and
meeting met there until the society could af.
ford church. Every year he made great
party, at which much pie and cake and tur-
key meat were eaten, and Money Musk"
and Virginia Reel were danced by the
young people. The whole settlement came
to this party and drank whisky, as the Gus
tom was. Every year Squire Posey's wife, in
proclaiming her festival, invited the French
family on Moccasin. though she said she new
or neighbored with them. Aud every year
Auguste sent back word by way of the ferry
that Mamzelle regretted it was impossib'
Why it was impossib' nobody could conjec-
ture.
The French woman might be afraid of the
Poseys, and she might feel herself above
them, though that would make the whole
neigh hborhood smile. But the fact was she
seldom went off the island Once she took
her niece in the boat, and Auguste rowed
them down river. They were gone a fort
night. Five other unbroken years she spent
upon Moccasin. The girl changed from a
child padding in the sand, or fitting past
the shores in Auguste's boat, TO a vision that
tarnished by comparison all the settlers
daughters, and there were pretty girls along
the lower Wabash. However sickly the season
was, no call for help came from Mocsasin,
though the Mamzelle often sent Auguste to
offer his services where they might be need
ed. She was living her appointed time in
misty exile. Then, Auguste proclaimed, a
gentleman was to come from France to take
aunt and niece home with him and as for
himself, he expected thereafter to be his la
dy's chief man about the chateau for the rest
of his days.
Ignorant as the people were of foreign GUS
toms they saw that the French girl was be-
ing brought up in conventual secusion on
Moecasin. Yet her aunt educated her She
sang like a siren to some kind of a stringed
instrument, sending her music far out over
the water. She talked broken English when
she was child, and read English books.
Auguste told Bud Posey she knew as much as
priest, and the young man then sighed for
more knowledge himself and limited to his
father the advantage of having a scholar in
the family. He loved to hunt and fish, to
ride wild horses, and undertake difficult
things. Had the Indians still been trouble
some, BUD must have thrown his scalp into
the balance. He had keen and fearless eyes,
and for want of better employ ment they
| spied a great deal around Mooeasin, once
seeing Rose Marie take dancing lesson on
the ground in front of the divided door. She
sprang around like a spirit, while Mamzslle
tinkled the stringed instrument, and often
| stopped her to receive corrections. He never
before saw anybody dance a whirling dance,
and was foolish enough to try it himself in
the woods, aud made it his excuse for talk.
ing to the French girl when she strayed to
the top Of Moecasin's ankle, behind which he
was fishing Although she knew him we'll
she ran away the first time. But he fshed
there faithfully and watched for her head
above the rock until she gave him few re-
plies, sitting high over his head
He said he wished he could foot it like she
did, and confessed to having watched her
afar off. Rose Marie told him how to place
his feet to spring, and to whirl. Bud feared
he couldn't do it without a good partner to
show him and asked if it was always danced
alone. Oh no, Rose Marie exclaimed it was
| for two, but she had no sister