Year: 1860

In mountain valley, snugly sheltered
from northern winds, stood the little cot.
tage Of Gabriel Heath. Its occupsnt-an
old boar hunter-had been q vanderer a.
mong the O1owas. Without society, ex.
cept their occasional companionship, and
wholly welded to wild life. Yet, as age
came on him, he pined to return to his
kind and wear social letters.


Helena Heath inherited from her moth.
er-,he daughter Of Canadian hunter
both her name and the roaming spirit Of
her race From the days of earliest recoI- :
lection she had been at her fathers side
on the wild prairie, or ranging over the
mountains.


The old hunter delighted in nothing
more than predatory shirmishes with the
Indians, who were wont to acknowleds re
the debt with interest. Once, with only
Two comrades, he was surrounded in his
trapping lodge. and forced to stand a
weeks siege. Then the fearless conduct
Of his daughter, child as she was, won
from him q hunters praise aud fatherly
pride.


1t was singular training that she re-
ceived wandering over an uninhabi,ed
country with rude hunter, shut out from
education, and only taught to read and
write by an a ;cidental visit for few weeks
at missionary station, without means of
refinement, and having for the language
of her mind only what could be learned
from the voice of nature in her deepest
seclusion. She loved the green woods,
the mighty forests, for there her soul could
live beyond the rough influence of the on
ly life she had ever known.


Such was the character of our heroine.
when old Gabriel Heath exchanged his
wandering life for residence in the little
cottage on the hill Here a few acres
supplied him with many of The necessities 5
of life, and he had an opportunity to fol.
low at his pleasure, the business Of his
youth and comfort seemed to circle round
his cottage home. whose exterior was rem.
dered somewhat picturesque by the natural
taste Of the daughter.


In fine days old Heath titled his ground
or hunted among the nelghboring hills and
by the side Of the stream and in unplsas
ant weather he sat by the fre.ide smoked
his pipe, and told huge stories of old ad-
ventures.


A thriving village lay just behind the
range Of hills among which the cottage
was nestled, though the cottagers formed
but littla sociablity with its inhabitants.


Long exposure to the sun had yeiled
bu: not hidden Helena Heath fair com.
plexion with rich olive, and added to
her charms. Constant exercise had given
firmness and elasticity to her limbs. No
wonder. then, that though but seldom seen
and still more rarely addressed, she was
deemed the belle Of the surrounding coun
try. Ramblers among the hills had notic-
ed the fair cottage, and become infatuated
with her beauty and naivete, and eve n
become suitors for her hand but they had
all been repulsed The bold and adven.
'urous she instinciiveIy disliked for the
coarseness which generally characterized
them. The few Of different character
who occasionally visited her, she did not
trouble herself to notice. OF this latter
number the most prominent was Thomas
Clifford, young lawyer, who had opened
his Office in the village. Educated in an
Eastern university, and naturally OF re
tired cast Of mind, Clifford had always
avoided the world, and lived only with his
books; and, consequently, but part of
his character had yet been developed. In
his eyes, the beautiful young cot,ager was
the type Of what philosophers had long
sought to find and he determined to Oh.
tain the reality Of the child's freshness,
while they could only conceive the ideal
He therefore resolved to amend his def
ciencies in her eyes, and his sanguine ma
ture hoped the rest.


Old Heath looked upon marriage as
necessary evil. which all ought to endure
sometime. and be was determined that
none but man after his own heart sho'd
possess his daughter and the only quail.
hcation necessary, in his views, were
strength and agility in manly sports. He
took no pains to conceal his determine.
ton, and it was surprising how suddenly
such games rose in favor with the young
villagers.


Time passed, and among those who had
gained the applause Of The old hunter,
was : sturdy pioneer named Alexander
Wilson, though as ye. he had never shown
any preference for the young forester
And time had also brought the heart Of
the young lawyer to the feet OF the beau,i.
ful young cottage girl, while to her his
breathings Of heart attachment had be-
come an episode we'll cherished.


We have forgotten to mention that over
the range Of hills that formed the pictur.
esqus landscape about the mountain home
"a noble river spread its liquid waters.-
Clifford had always apinysd all thu snorta