The Dawson journal., 1886-03-25
THE ACAnIAN WILD NAN.
A Faithless Woman,s Work Thirty
Years of Silence.
From the New York Sun.

| CSnA IL oA1O AASi1 utAuf1d OSAto'
OF louisiana there winds to the
sea slow brown bayou called the
Terrebonne, from the fertility of
the black loamy land through
which it flows, Big sugar planta-
lions lie along its course, but near
the mouth are the homes of many
Acadians, for this was one of tho
streams along which they settled
in Louisiana.
| They cultivate little rice farms
tiand orange groves, apd live in
lsummer upon their ffsflTug and
the produce of their gardens in
winter-upon the game that
| abounds in the marshes. Since
their exile they, like the Bour-
bons, have forgotten nothing and
have learned nothing. Their Ian
guage, customs, and manners
are identically the same as tho
day when
With tAe turn of the tide the ships sailed
out of the harbor
And the coasts of their beloved land grew
misty with distance.
In among these thriving little
farms is q large tract of land, q
melancholy, weedy waste. Great
forest trees have grown up in the
midst of what were fair fields that
waved with golden rice. Fences
and boundaries long age rotted
away. The bitches are choked
with grass, and young willows
grow along their line. The
whole is matted with the tangled
growth Of the lavish vegetation
brought up from this fertile soil
by tho tropical suns and wild
rains. Sometimes at dusk yoh
will catch a glimpse of a bent fig
ure skulking away from the door
Of a ruined cottage whose Chin
neys have fallen in, whose roof is
a green pulpy mass of lichen, and
whose walls totter forward to u
fall. The neighbors will explain
that it is only old Allandin, the
wild man.
If you will lie in wait about
this hour Of the day, concealed in
the underbrush, you may catch
closer glimpse of him. He looks
70, but is not really so old. His
once tall form is bent, and he
walks with the quick 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 a wrinkled, pallid face
through the rough hair with q
glare like cat. His hands arc
like rough, knotted claws, and his
whole body has growth of course
hair upon it. His only covering
is a pair of brown blankets
through which n hole had been
torn to admit his head, and he
creeps silently away every night
into the forest swamps. This is
the story the neighbors tel:
Thirty years ago there was q
no more prosperous man in the
parish than that of Etienne AL
landin, and noimore respected man
than its rich young owner. He
was alone in the world, but his
friends were many, and he was
betrothed 60 q pretty young girl
who was to marry him in March.
His face was plain except for
his splendid dark eyes, but he
had q warm, gentle heart,
and was q fine parti, SO that he
would not have asked any parent
round for 90 miles for their daugh-
ter in vain. According to old
Acadian usage he built new
house that winter. spending low
ing care upon the nest that was
to hold his little mate.
The wedding day approached,
The happy bridegroom made
ready the marriage corbeille, as
usual, only his gifts were the
most splendid ever seen in that
noighhorhood. The wedding gown
was Of real white silk, the veil,
wreath Of wax orange flowers, with
the white shoes and gloves had
come all the way from New Or
| leans.
He rose early that lovely March
morning, and arrayed himself
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