Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-02-27
ANDRE THE MINSTREL.

OF cataclySmal cnanBe, the gOOu Old uayS
when plantation life in the low country
was in its age of gold. Morning was bloom
ing out full and rosy, and the dew hung
heavy on the hedges of yapon and Cherokee
rose, as the minstrel Andre Duval awoke
and assumed sitting posture.
He rubbed his eyes vigorously for mo-
ment, with the unconscious grace of
young animal, looked about to collect his
faculties: then. letting fall his small, sun
burnt hands on his knees, smiled forlornly.
Overhead the leaves of the magnolia
were thick, the hedge behind him stood up
tangled thorny, full of flowers the air.
stirring gently, bore tlsa smell of marsh
plants and the fragrance of orange blooms,
a not unpleasing mixture. Everywhere
the hooking birds were singing, the gross
beaks whistling, the starlings fluting.
Andre Duval looked himself over half
contemptuously, half quizzically, his gray
eyes lingering with every patch on his coat
and trousers, and concentrating themselves
at last on a somewhat rusty great toe pro-
truding from sadly worn shoe Beside
him, in frayed green case lay his guitar.
All night he had slept there very sweetly,
and now he felt rested If not refreshed;
hungry too, as only a young, strong fell
low can be after prolonged fast
ing he scarcely knew how, getting on fairly
well in low way while his clothes had re-
manned decent; but the time came for him
to try the country, and if that failed him
well, what2 He was not of a temperament
that reckons accurately. The future fur
pished him no particular field for specula-
ton. the past had no data that he could
use He had come from the southern hill
country of France to Louisiana with some
sort of dream in his brain, had landed
without money, and, of course, had found
nothing that he had expected to find. The
real was the reverse of his ideal
Those were the days when New Orleans
and the plantations of lower Louisiana
were at the zenith of prosperity. Men
scarcely knew how rich they were nor did
they seem to care how they spent their
money; still a good for naught, shabbily
dressed, with nothing but guitar and a
few songs to recommend him, might, if a
trine reserved and in way proud, starve
even there.
For sennight Andre had tramped
through the country, taking no note of
directions, turning this way to evade a
swamp, that way to find a place where a
stream could be waded, and now and again
lingering for IA day or two at a plantation.
sometimes at the mansions; but usually
his bed was mother earth, with only "A tree
for shelter Luckily, the weather was fine.
After fashion, Andre had enjoyed his
ieisurely pilgrimage, especially when he
was not hungry. Never had he dreamed
of such luxuriance of trees, shrubs, grasses,
weeds, flowers; nor had his Imagination
ever suggested such fruitfulness as the
plantatiOns the orange groves and the gar
dens presented to his eyes. And then the
man.ionsl Those great, rambling, vine
covered. tree shaded, gallery circled struct-
ures impressed him as the abOdes of princes
ia exile He poetzed concerning them,
and constructed romances, in which the
medieval spirit was revived with all its
ancient splendor.
on this particular morning. so rosy, 50
dewy, 80 fragrant, Andre awoke with sur
prise that he had slept so late; much more
was he surprised to find that he was on the
confines of "A plantation, and near the
Erandrst mansion that he had yet seen.
Through rift in the hedge he could de
scry, Just beyond the little field a great
roof, n heavy stack of chimneys, broad
verand - and SINAI! paued windows all
half hidden in foliage and long moss, with
great, gray tree boles showing through and
Enarlcd branches reaching across. Still
beyond all this a bayou cleaned like silver
siuddc with diamonds As the breeze played
over it, He rubbed his eyes again and got
upon his knees, the better to gaze at the
beautiful picture. \ dream had suifuseG
his sleep during the night just gone, anC
its spell had not yet departed from his i'm
agnation Surely yOnder house was the
holt9e of which he had dreamed Why
yes, there was the great gate with the
monstrous posts to uphold it, and there
was the boat house by the bayou. Again
he rubbed his eyes.
BENZ thus occupied, Andre Duval wa.
ill prepared for the shock that just theI
came upon him in the form of huge an
imal. tnat rushed against him from behind
with loud "bow Jow-wow- wowl" Over h
tumbled. and was held down by the weigh
of thi great, black, shaggy assailant
"Wow wow-bowW
Andres nose and mouth were buried il
the soft ground so that he could scarcel
breathe, much less cry out and "a muzzl
with atrocious teeth was mumbling at tn
back oil his neck while heavy paws presse,
hard upon his outstretched arms.
"AhaI What have you there, Achille, oil,
fellow Hold, you wolff Come off. say
BE doLe BE done!''
Andre heard these EXPLANATIONS give
in soft French voice-a very soft Frenc
voice-but a firm and manly one as well
The big teeth that had been ready to sin
into his neck were removed in an instant
though the animal kept its place on hi
back
lon with youl Here, you rascaln'
A rcaounding kick followed by whn
brought Andre relief. He squrmed owe
and sat upright rubbing the earth fror
his face and feeling of his neck to lind on
If il were whole
A handsome young man with gun o
his shoulder stood before him, and a
enormous dog was sinking along besid
the hedge.
"WhO upon earth are your What al
you up to here5" inquired the young MAJ
as he set his feet far apart, as if to secure
wide base for his establishment , and gaze
hard at Andre. His eyes softened as
spoke.
81 awOke n moment ago." said Andr
land was preparing to make my toil'
when your dog interfered Seems to n
that this is pretty rude way of enterin
ones chamber"