St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-08-16
MISCELLANY.
DAVID swAN--A FANTASY.

| l0uuence our course through lie, a1U
our final destiny. There are innumer-
able other events-if such they may be
called-which come close upon us, yet
pass away without actual results, or
even betraying their near approach by
the reflection of any light or shadow
across our minds. Could we know all
the vicissitudes of our fortunes life
would be too full of hope and fear, ex-
ultatiOn or disappointment, to afford
us a single hour of true serenity. This
idea may be illustrated by a page from
the secret history of David Swan.
We have nothing to do with David
until we find him, at the age of twenty,
on the high-road from his native place
to the city of Boston, where his uncle,
small dealer in the grocery line, was
to take him behind the counter. Be
it enough to say that he was a native
of New Hampshire, born of respecta-
BILE parents, and had received an Ordi-
nary school education, with classic
finish by year at Gilmanton Acade-
my. After journeying on foot, from
sunrise till nearly noon of a summers
day, his WEAKNESS, and the increasing
heat determined him to sit down in the
first convenient shade, and await the
planted on purpose for him there soon
appeared little tuft of naples, with a
delightful recess in the midst, and
such fresh bubbling spring, that it
seemed never to have sparkled for any
wayfarer but David Swan. Virgin or
not, he kissed it with his thirsty lips,
and then flung himself along the
brink, pillowing his head upon some
ond Of ponfaIonpS tod nm
in cotton handkerchief. The sun
beams could not reach him, the dust
did not yet rise from the road, after
the heavy rain of the day before; and
his grassy lair suited the young man
better than a bed of down. The spring
murmured drowsily beside him. The
branches waved dreamily across the
blue sky overhead and a deep sleep,
perchance hiding dreams within its
depth, fell upon David Swan. But we
are to relate events which he did not
dream of.
While he lay sound asleep in the
shade, other people we're wide awake,
back, and in all sorts of vehicles, along
the sunny road by his bedchamber.
Some looked neither to the right hand
u
there some merely glanced that way
without admitting the slumberer
among their thoughts some laughed
to see how soundly he slept and sew
eral, whose hearts were brimming full
of scOrn, elected their venomous SUI
perhuity on David Swan. A middle
aged widow, when nobody else was
near, thrust her head little way into
Oh no hn n
fellow looked charming in his sleep.
A temperance lecturer saw him, and
wrought poor David into the texture
instance of dead drunkenness by the
roadside. But censure, praise, merri-
ment, scorn and Indifference were all
one, or rather all nothing, to David
Swan.
He had slept only few moments
when a brown carriage, drawn by a
handsome pair of horses, bowled easily
along, and was brought to stand-still
nearly in front of David's resting
place. A linchpin had fallen out, and
off. The damage was slight, and oc
casiOned merely a momentary alarm to
an elderly merchant and his wife, who
riage. While the coachman and a
servant were replacing the wheel, the
lady and gentleman sheltered them
selves beneath the maple trees, and
there espied the bubbling fountain and
David Swan asleep beside it. Impress
ed with the awe which the humblest
sleeper usually sheds around him, the
merchant trod as lightly as the govt
would allow and his spouse took good
heed not to rustic her silk gown, lest
David should start up all of a sudden.
allow soundly he sleepsi" whispered
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 to me
than half my income for it would sup
pose health and an untrOubled mind"
"And youth besides," said the lady.
Healthy and quiet age does not sleep
thus. Our slumber is no more like his
than our wakefulness."
The longer they looked the more did
this elderly couple feel interested in
the unknown youth, to whom the way
| side and the maple shade were a Sc
cret chamber, with the rich gloom of
damask curtains brooding over him.
Preceiving that stray sunbeam glim-
mered down upon his face, the lady
contrived to twist a branch aside, SO
as to intercept it. And having done
this little act of kindness she began to
feel like a mother to him. "PrOvi-
dence seems to have laid him here"
whispered she to her husband, "and
to have brought us hither to find him
after our disappointment in our cOus
in's son. Methinks l can see a like
ness to our departed Henry. Shall we
waken him2"
'To what purpose 2" said the mer
chant, hesitating. eve know nothing
of the youths character"
"That open countenance Z" replied
his wife, in the same hushed voice, yet
earnestly "this innocent sleep"
While these whispers were passing,
the sleeper's heart did not throb, nor
his breath become agitated, nor his
features betray the least token of in
terest; yet fortune was bending over
him, justlready to let fall burden of
gold. The old merchant had lost his
only son, and had no heir to his wealth,
except distant relative, with whose
conduct he was dissatisfied. In such
cases people sometimes do stranger
things than to act the magician, and
awaken a young man to splendor who
fell asleep in poverty. "Shall we not
waken him 2" repeated the lady per-
suasively.
"The coach is ready, sir" said the
servant, behind.
The old couple started, Redeemed,
and hurried away, mutually wonder
ing that they should ever have dream
ed of doing anything so ridiculous.
The merchant threw himself back in
the carriage, and occupied his mind