Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-05-25
David Swans Sleep.


a single hour of true serenity. This
idea may be illustrated by a single
page from the secret history of Da-
vid Swan.
We have nothing to do with David
until we find him at the age of twen-
ty, on the high-road from his native
place to Boston where his uncle,
small dealer in the grocery line, was
to take him behind the counter. Be
it enough to say that it was from
New Hampshire, born of respectable
parents, and had received an ordinary
common school education with
classic finish of year at Gilmanton
academy. After journeying on from
sunrise till noon Of a summers day,
his WEAKNESS and the increasing heat
determined him to sit down and wait
for the stage coach. AS if planted
on purpose for him, there soon ap-
peared a little clump of naples, with
delightful recess in the midst, and
such fresh bubbling spring that it
seemed never to have sparkled for
any wayfarer but David Swan. Vir-
gin or not he kissed it with his thirs-
ty lips, and then flung himself along
the brink, pillowing his head upon
some shirts and pair of pantaloons
tied up in striped pocket handker-
chief. The sunbeams could not
reach him; the dust did not reach
him from the road, after the rain of
Yesterday and his grassy lair suited
the young man better than bed of
down. The spring murmured drows-
ily beside him: the birds foated
across the blue sky overhead, and a
deep sleep, perchance hiding dreams
within its depths, fell upon David
Swan.
He had slept only few minutes
when brown carriage drawn by a
handsome pair of horses, bowling
easily along, was brought to stand
still nearly in front of David S rest
ing place. A linch-pin had fallen
out and permitted one of the wheels
to slide off. The damage was slight
and occasioned merely momentary
alarm to an elderly gentleman and
wife, returning to Boston in the car
rage. While the coachman and SER
want were replacing the wheel, the la
dy and gentleman sheltered them
selves beneath the maple trees, and
there espied the bubbling fountain
and David Swan asleep beside it
Impressed with the awe which the
humblest sleeper sheds around him,
the gentleman trod as lightly as the
gout would allow, and his spouse
took good care not to rustic her silk
dress, lest David should start up all
of sudden. # fs
''How soundly he sleeps!'' whis.
pered the old gentleman ''from
what a depth he draws that easy
breath Such sleep as that, brought
on without an opiate, would be worth
more than half my income; for il
would argue health and an untrouble6
mind"
"And youth beside, said the lady
"Health and quiet age does not SLEEP
thus. Our slumber is no more like
this than our wakefulness."
Thus did this elderly couple fee
interested in the unknown youth, to
whom the wayside and the NAPLES
were a secret chamber, with a ricl
gloom of damask curtains broodine
over him. Perceiving that a stray
sunbeam glimmered upon his face.
the lady contrived to twist branch
aside, so as to intercept it. And
having done this act of kindness, she
began to act like mother to him.
"Providence seems to have laid
him here, whispered she to her hus.
band, "and to have brought us hith-
er to find him, after our disappoint-
ment in our cousins son. Methinks
| can see likeness to departed Hen
ry. Shall l awake him ?"
''To what purpose said the mer-
chant, hesitatlng. tWe know not
of the youths character"
''That open countenance p replied
the wife, in the same hushed voice
earnestly. ''This innocent sleep!''
While these whispers were passing
the sleepers heart didn't throb, mol
his breath become agitated, nor his
features betray the least token of in
terest. Yes, fortune was bending
over him, just ready to let fall bur-
den of gold. The old merchant had
lost his only son and had no heir to
his wealth except a distant relative.
with whose conduct he was not pleas
ed. In such cases, people sometimes
do stranger things than to act the
magician, and awaken young man
in splendor who fell asleep in power
ty.
''Shall we not awaken him?" re.
peated the lady, persuasively.
''The carriage is ready, sir" said
the servant.
The old couple started, reddene6
and hurried away, mutually wonder
ing that they should ever dream OF
doing anything so ridiculous. The
merchant threw himself back in his
carriage and occupied his mind with
the plan of magnificent asylum fol-
unfortunate men of business. Mean.
while David Swan enjoyed his nap.
The carriage could not have gone