Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-02-10

and enjoy the splendor of that forest
home. There were, indeed, many rare
and priceless things in it that came
out of her chateau in France. She had
some curious old clocks, tokens of
ancestral taste and friendship. There
was one her grandfather had got from
the land of Louis KYLE Grand Mon
argue, of whom my mother had begun
to tell me as soon as | could hear with
understanding. Another came from the
bedchamber of Philip H. of Spain--a
grand high clock that tolled the hours
in that great hall beyond my door.
A little thing, in a case of carved
ivory, that licked on a table near my
bed, Molierc had given to one of her
ancestors, and there were many others
of equal interest.
Her walls were adorned with art
treasures of the value of which | had
little appreciation those days. But |
remember there were canvasses of
Correggio and Rembrandt and Sir
Joshua Reynolds. She was, indeed,
woman of fine taste, who had brought
her best to America for no one had a
doubt, in the time of which | am writ
ing, that the settlement of the Com
pagnie de New York would grow into
a great colony, with towns and cities
and fine roadways, and the full COM
plement of high living She had built
the Hermitage-that was the name of
the mansion-tine and splendid as it
was, for mere temporary shelter
pending the arrival of those better
days.
She had a curious fad, this hermit
baroness of the big woods. She loved
nature and was a naturalist of nc
poor attainments. Wasps and hornets
were the special study of this remark
able woman. There We're at least
score of their nests on her front por-
ticO-big and little and some of them
oddly shaped She hunted them in
wood and field. When she found
nest she had it moved carefully after
nightfall, under a bin of ncttinn. and
fastened somewhere about The gables
Around the Hermitage were many
withefcd hou-hs and bricis holding
cones OF wrought fiber each a citadel
Of these uniformed soldiers of the air
and the poisoned arrow. They were
assembled i'm colonies of yellow, white,
blue. and black wasps. and white
faced hornets. She had no fear of
them. and, indeed, no one of the house,
hold was ever stung to my knowledge.
I have seen her stand in front of her
door and feed them out of a saucer.
There were special favorites that
would light upon her palm, oyerrun-
ming its pink hollow and gorging at
the honey-drop.
"They will never sting" she would
say, IF one does not declare war. To
strike, to make any quick motion, it
gives them anger. Then, mon cher
ami! it is terrible. They cause you
to burn, to ache. to make a great noise,
and even 10 lie down upon the ground.
If people come TO see me, if | get a
new servant, say: Make to them no
attention, and they will not harm
you"
In the house I have seen her catch
one by the wings on a window and,
holding it carefully ask me to watch
her captive-sometimes a great dare
devil hornet, lion-maned-as he lay
stabbng with his poison-dagger.
Now" said she, The is angry; he
will remember If I release him he
will sting me when l come near him
again. So I do not permit him to
live-I kill him"
Then she would impale him and in
vite me to look at him with the mi
croscope.
One day the baroness went away to
town with the young ladies. I was
quite alone with the servants. Father
Joulin of the chateau came over and sat
awhile with me, and told me how he
had escaped the Partisan mob, a night
in the Reign of Terror. Late in the
afternoon walked awhile in the grove
with him. When he left went slow
ly down the trail over which | had
ridden. My strength was coming fast.
] felt like an idle man, Sinking the
saddle, when | should be serving my
country. must to my horse and make
an end to dallying. With thoughts
like these for company, went farther
than l intended. Returning over the
bushy trail I suddenly came upon
Louison, She was neatly gowned in
pink and white.
lie diable," said she. you sur
prise me. | thought you went another
way"
COR you would have not have taken
this one" said.
"Of course not" said she. "One does
not wish to find men if she is hunting
/ for-for-" she hesitated moment,
tlushing-"mon Dieu! for bears she
added.
thought then, as her beautiful eyes
looked up at me smiling, that she was
/ incompatible, that l loved her above
all others-I felt sure of it.
And why do you hunt bears?" | in
ouired