Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-10-23
CIIApTER |.


~ 1873, there stood. in what is
now the beautiful little city
of Nincennes on the Wabash, the de-
caying remnant of an old and curiously
gnarled cherry tree known as the
Roussillon tree, le cerisier de Monsieur
Roussillon. as the French inhabitants
sais~ it. which as long as it lived bore
fruit remarkable for richness of flavor
and peculiar dark ruby depth of color.
The exact spot where this noble old
Seeding from la belle France flourishcd,
declined and died cannot be certainly
pointed out. for in the rapid ana happy
growth of NinccnncS many landmarks
once notable. among them ie ccrisier
de Monsieur Nau~Sillon. have been de-
stroycd and the spots where they stood,
once familiar to every eye in old Vim
cenncs. are now lost in the pleasant
confusion of the now town.
The old, twisted. sum embossed
cherry tree survived every othcr dis
tinguishing feature of what was once
the most picturesque and romantic
place in Ninccnnes. Just north of il
rambling cabin surrounded by rude
verandas ovcrgrown with grapcvincs.
This was the ROuSsillon place, the most
prctcntious home in all the Wabash
country Its owner was Gaspard Rous-
sillon, Il successful trader with the In
dams. He was rich, for the time and
the place, influential TO degree. Il
of cd hn nj
brought with him TO the wilderness Il
bundle of books and a taste for read
ing.
1t is not known just when Nincennei
was first founded, but most historians
make the probable date very early in
the eighteenth century, somewhere be-
tween 1710 and 1880 In 1910 the
Roussllon cherry tree was thought by
a distinguished botanical letter writer
to be at least fifty years old, which
would make the date of its planting
about 1850. Certainly, as shown by the
time stained family records upon which
this story of ours is based. it was Il
flourishng and wide topped tree in
the early summer of 177S, its branches
So low did the dark red clusters hang
at one point that tall young girl
standing on the ground easily reached
the best ones and made her lips purple
with their juice while she ate thew.
That was long ago. measured by
what has come to pass on the gentle
swell of rich country from which Vim
ln AF.t1. Ii hn
new town tlourishes notably and its
appearance marks the latest limit of
progress Electric cars in its streets,
electric lights in It's beautiful homes.
the roar OF railway trains coming and
going in all directions. bicycles whirl-
ing hither and thithcr. the most fash
ionable styles of eQuipages from
brougham TO pony phaeton. make the
days of hintlock Guns and buckskin
trousers seem ages down the past and
yet we are looking back over but a
little more than 12O years 10 see Alice
RouSsillcn standing under "A CHEEKY
tree and holding high tempting clus-
ter OF fruit. while Il short hunlphacked
youth looks up with longing eyes and
vainly reaches for if. The tableau is
not merely rustic; it is primitive.
Jump. the girl is saving in French.
Jump. Jean; jump high-'
YES. that was very long ago. in the
DAYS when women lightly brayed what
the strongest men would shrink from
now.
Alice Roussillon was tall. 1.-the.
strongly knit. with an almost perfect
figure Judging bv what the master
sculptors carved for the form of Venus.
and her face was caloly and winning.
If not absolutely hrautirul. hut the
time and place were vicorouslv indi.
Gated by her dress. which was Of
course stuff and simply designed.
Plainly she Was a child of the Amer
lean wilderness. a daughtor of old Vim
cennes on tie Wabash in the time that
tried mems souls.
"Jump. Ioanw she cried. her face
laughing with a show of chpck dim