The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-05-21
THE ACADIAN WILD MAN.
A FaitIlless W0man's Work
Thirty Years of Silence.

bonne, from the fertility of the black
Iloamy land through which it flows.
Big sugar plantations lie along its
course, but near the mouth are the
homes of many Acadians, for this
was one of the streams along which
they settled in Louisiana.
They cultivate little rice farms
and orange groves, and live in the
summer upon their fishing, and pro-
duce of their gardens in winter-up-
on the game that abounds in the
marshes. Since their exile they,
like the Bourbons, have forgotten
nothing and learned nothing. Their
language, customs and manners are
|identically the same as the day
when
With turn ofthe tide theships sailed
out of the Harbor, -st !.
And the coasrs of their beloved land grew
misty with distance. ~
In among these thriving little
farms is large tract ofland, mel>
ancholy, weedy waste. Great forest
trees have grown up in the midst of
what were fair fields that waved
with golden rice. Fences and boun-
daries long ago rotted away. The
bitches were choked with grass and
young willows grew along their line.
The whole is matted with the tan
gled growth of the lavish vegetation
brought up from this fertile soil by
the topical suns and wild rains.
Sometimes a bent figure skulking
away from the door of ruined cot.
tage whose chimneys have fallen in.
whose roof is green pulpy mass of
lichen, and whose wallis tetter fors
ward to a fall: The neigbors will
explain that it is only Allandin, the
wild man.
If you will lie and wait about
this hour Of the day, concealed in
the underbrush, you may catch
closer glimpse of him. He looks
seventy, but is not really so old.
His once tall form is bent, and he
walks with the creeping movements
of an animal. Long gray hair
hangs in filthy matted locks to his
waist and mingles with his great
sweeping beard. Two large dark
eyes gaze out from wrinkled, pallid
face through the rough hair, with a
glare like a cat. His hands are like
rough knotted claws, and his whole
body has a growth of coarse hair
upon it. His only covering is o
pair of brown blankets, through
which hole has been torn to ad-
NIT his head, and he creeps silently
away every night into the forest
lsWamps. This is the story the neigh
/ bors tell: @ ;.-------.
/ Thirty years ago there was no
more prosperous farm in the parish
! than that of Etienne Allandin, and
no more respectedthan its rich young
owner. He was alone in the world
with the exception of some distant
cousins, but his friends were many,
and he was betrothed to a pretty
young girl who was to marry him
in the next March.
His face was plain, except for his
] splendid dark eyes, but he had a
warm; gentle heart, and was a fine
parti, so that he would not have
asked any parent around for twenty
miles for their daughter in vain. Ac>
cording to old Acadian usage he
built new house that winter, spen-
| ding loving care upon the nest that
was to hold his little mate.
! The wedding day approached
The happy bridegroom made ready
the marriage corbeille as was usual.
} only his gifts were the most splen
did ever seen in that simple neigh
borhood. The wedding gown was
of real white silk, the veil, wreath o.
wax orange flowers, with the white
shoes and gloves had come all the
way from New Orleans.
He rose early that March morning
land arrayed himself carefully in hii
black, shiny clothes, casting tender
amused glances at the little feminine
garments lying on that pride of ev.
cry Acadian woman's heart, a plump
strong bed with rufded pillows. He
was making up parcel of these
garments ready to be carried to tht
bride when an embarrassed ane
sympathetic delegation came to In
form him that the bride had disap
|, peared.
She had eloped with a handsom,
young good-for-naught who hac
been refused by her parents, ano
4 had left not word for her betroth
lied. Allandin stood like a MAJ
stunned; then he turned every on,
!, ,,Iout, shut himself in with his ruined
happiness.
Soon the neighbors Whispered
that the new home was empty ant
Allandin had gone away to th'
tsWamp. From that day he neye
1sEoke to any human being. Al
day the man hid in his house, ant
with nightfall went to the forest ant
like wild beast sought his food
{ Crawfsh, lizards, field mice ant
birds, eaten raw. we're his susie
nance. His hair and beard grew
long and tangled, his clothes fell t
pieces, and a blanket became hi
: IonIy garb. In all these thirty year
he has never spoken and now b.
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