Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-12-28
A Lingual Mystery
tOriginal.1

Tracy Swain, the youngest professor
of Greek In America, huntsman, fish
ernman, canoeist, was spending his sum-
mer vacation In canoe and tent.
He was lying one afternoon on his
back smoking his pipe on the bank of
a stream, his canoe moored to a tree
on the margin, enjoying the delightful
rustic of the leaves and the occasional
lowing Of distant COW or the twitter
of bird, when he was startled at hear
ing near by woman's voice repeating
one of the odes Of Horace. At first he
thought 1t must come from some stu
dent from a neighborlng college. but
he remembered that there was no col
lege, except the one he hailed from,
within many miles. He had no time
to wonder further, for young girl not
more than sixteen years old suddenly
came into view. She was strolling
aimlessly. plucking a low hanging leaf
or STOPPING to pluck wild flower, evil
IDENTIFY unconscious of his presence till
within few yards of him. Then she
started and stared at him. He rose
and took off his hat.
II confess" he said, that am sur
prlsed to find girl in these woods SO
far from any habitation."
The girl stood looking, dazed, at the
rencontre, but said nothing.
perhaps you are studying botany"
the professor added, land have wan
dered away from your class"
Il don't know what that is" replied
the girl.
Singular" he said, partly to him
self, partly to her, that you should
know Latin and not know the meaning
of the word botany"
Il don't know what that is either"
The professor looked at her incredu-
lousy. Not know Latin? Why, you
have been repeating my favorlte ode
of the poet Horace"
Il never heard of him."
Here was a puzzle. The girl spoke
with evident sincerity, and there was
no apparent reason why she should
speak an untruth.
We'll" he said presently. 'be that
as it may, you are certainly far from
any house. Where do you belong"
The girl knit her brows and seemed
to try to recall something. Then she
said plaintively. II don't rem ember."
Something was wrong with her men
tai equipment, and she must be taken
TO her friends II they could be found,
and, If not, somewhere where she would
be cared for. Swain catechised her
he IN fu Ind fha Ia
tell him nothing, then put her into his
canoe, pointed 1t down stream and be-
gan to paddle for home. Had he not
been curious to discover how a girl
who did not know the meaning Of the
word Latin could repeat poetry in that
language he might have. left her with
some farmer on his way. AS 1t was
he designed taking her to the univer-
sity town where he lived and call a
conference of his colleagues to sit ON
the case with view of learning II
she We're lingual prodigy.
He padded forty miles and at sun.
set, tying his canoe to Its accustomed
landing, took the girl home and put
her in charge of his mother.
During the night he heard a voice
and. going to his door, listened. The
girl was repeating In the original
Greek passages which, he recognized
were from Anabasis of Xenephon
Great was the young professors as.
tonishment, but 1t was greater when
she suddenly turned to repeating
words which he knew to be Hebrew.
"Well," he said to himself, with a
gasp, Il had better resign my chair In
her favor"
The next morning he sent for several
Of the professors who were at home
to meet him at his house. He intro
duced the girl and asked her to repeat
what he had heard the night before
but she was apparently not conscious
that she had repeated anything The
men who had been summoned went
away, but during the afternoon Swain
hearing the girl repeating lines in San.
skirt, called one Of them. who happened
to be passing, and proved what he had
claimed. There was meeting Of lin.
gusts at SWANS home that evening
to talk the matter over, but with nc
satisfactory result.
An advertisement was inserted In
soyoral local nanorc doe fho