The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-25

In these retreats the two families often sat at evening while Paul and Virginia danced together, or sang songs which Mme de la Tour taught them, or listened while she told them tales of shpwreck and of travellers beset by wolves at night in the parts of Europe which were yet wilderness. Below the cliff they could hear that ocean of which she spoke; and beyond it, they knew, lay the Europe where the wolves lived, and their own happy state and beautiful valley seemed all the more earthly paradise by con- trast wl... d stormy sea that they had no desire to cross and land that they had no desire to ever behold-storms, ship wrecks and wolves were all outside their lives.
 Perhaps the most delightful retreat was that called Virginias Resting Place. At the foot of rock was a small crevice whence issued d fountain forming near it's source a pool and a little spot of marshy ground in the middle of d field Of rich grass. At the time of Pauls birth Margaret planted a cocoanut on the bor- der of this fenny ground in order that the resulting tree might one day serve to mark the epoch of her sons birth After the ..rtn of Virginia Mme. de la Tour planted another cocoanut beside that planted by Margaret. These nuts pro- duced two trees, which formed the only records of the two families. One was called Paurs tree and the other Virginia s tree.
 At the end of twelve years the two trees rose above ..le roofs of the cottages their tender stalks were interwoven and clusters of cocoanuts hung from them over the basin of the fountain With the exception of these two trees this spot left as nature had arranged 1t, gor- geous with tropical flowers and shaded by tropical shrubs.
 Virginia regularly distributed among the birds which abounded there the seeds of rice and milet. and as soon as she ap- peared the whisting blackbrd, the anna david bird whose note is so soft; the cardinal, with it's hame-colored puma ge, all forsook the bushes; the paroquet, green as an emerald, descended from the neighboring fan palms. the partridge ran along the grass, all hurried promiscuous- ly toward her like brood of chickens and she and Paul found an exhaustless source of amusement in observing them.
 Those whose minds are imbued from infancy with prejudices at variance with happiness cannot imagine all the instruc- ton and pleasure to be derived from na- ture. Souls confined to d small sphere of intelligence soon reach the limits of it's artificial enjoyment; but nature and the heart are inexhaustble.
 Thus grew these children of nature and surely thus in the Garden of Eden ap- peared our first parents when coming from the hands of God they first saw and approached each other. But at the end of childhood. a subtle change came over Virginia Sometimes at the sight of Paul she would advance gayly to meet him, but when about to accost him, overcome by a sudden confusion. her cheek covered with bushes, she would turn and flee from those embraces and caresses to which formerly she had submitted with the loving innocence of childhood. Paul, unused to the secret windings of the fe- male heart. vexed himself in vain in en- deavoring to comprehend the meaning - these new and strange caprices.
 Margaret said to Mme. de la Tour: Why do we not unite our children by marriage? They have strong attachment for each other and though my son harcIy understands the real nature of his feel ings, yet great care and watchfulness will be necessary"
 Mime. de Ia Tour replied They are too young and too poor. What grief would 1t occasion us to see Virginia bring into the