Year: 1873

Sa WIN. ~ "'o II OtVy l'"SC, VI,
rather, it had been a pretty place,
a beautiful spot, when the original
Captain John Smith, of Virginia,
was living. | don't suppose the
redskins could have imagined a
nicer hunting ground, even in spirit
land, when the weather was agreea-
bic. But at the time l am speak
ing of, Captain John had long since
been gathered to his fathers, and
the redskins had pretty much all
been gathered to their fathers, the
only difference being that Captain
John had left numerous progeny
behind him, q few Of which had
setteled at Smithville.


We had surveyed the site of a
Smithsonian Academy, and had got
through with the Hotel Smith: all
that remained was the Smith Water
Cure, and our business would be
completed. But unfortunately-or
fortunately for me-the site for the
Water Cure was troublesome one
to get through with. 1t was upon
the top of high, rocky hill that
jutted up hundreds of feet over
the valley beneath, and from which
magnificent view kept distract
ing my attention from the work in
hand. 1t was fine breezy spring
weather, every morning bringing
with it somc new freshness Of beau
ty. The little flowers that pceped
from under the shelter of the rocks
were so soft and delicate that ole
hated to root them up, and the
rocks themselves were handsome
enough to command ones admira.
ton and respect. All sorts of fool,
ish romanic ideas took possession
of me, and | squandered o good
deal of precious time with my head
in the clouds.


The result Of all this was that
one day Nature overpowered me-
She brought to bear upon me SO
much that was beautiful, animate
and inanimate, that l succumbed.
The animate came up to worship
the inanimate, and l fell PROSTATE
before them both. So would you
if you had been there. She came
in one of those nice little wicker
wagons with curve at the side
purposc!y 20 display artistically the
pretty rcluminous folds Of should
say ten dozen yards Of somo kind
Of stuff of Heavenly melting blue
She wore q large round inverted
straw saucer on her head, from
which strcamed gracefully u lot OF
ribbon. ! haven't attempted to
describe the landscape that charm
cd me, because l never attempt the
impossible and as she was hand
somer than the landscape, no words
Of mine could do her justice. She
drove little shaggy pony with a
mischievous blink in his eye. There
was q companion with her always
"a very nice looking lady indeed ;
little thin, perhaps, and tlille
stiff and prim, but very nice look
ing indeed.


These two ladies came every
morning after that in the little
wicker wagon to enjoy the view
from the top of the rock, and the
surveying of the Smith Water
Cure suffered q little in conse-
quence. | fell over head and ears
in love with her the first day l saw
her, and it got worse and worse
with me every time the mischievous
nose of that shaggy pony came
pointing up the hill. don't think
/ was TO blame. / did struggle
against it manfully for time. l
told myself over and over again
that it was a ridiculous piece of fol-
ly, and the consequence of that ro-
mantle view from the Water Cure ;
that it was merely a temporary
thing, and would wear away when
| had completed my work and gone
back to town. But the moment l
thought of going away Twas seized
with a pang Of absolute suffering,
and i found it was all up with me.
The beautiful little girl in the wick
er wagon had decided my destiny.
| loved her. l was not fellow to
do things by halves. Whatever l
did | put my whole soul into it.
That's the reason the firm sent me
up there to the Smiths. "It'll be a
capital thing, Hodge they said, ''if
you work it right. They own all
the land about there, and one thing
IL work on to another, you know if
you're on the q,ti rice.


They were pretty well contented
when / got as far as the Water
Cure. So You can imagine how
deeply o fellow like me would
plunge into love. / thought of her
night and day; mixed her up in
my romantic dreams and with my
every day work.


After she'd got into the habit of
driving up there l used to see her
so often that we began to nod and
smile at one another in the pleasant
fashion of the country. 1t took
me a good while to get used to her
smile. / used to have to go away
by myself and choke down kind
of spasmodic joy. One morning,
after having watched for them in
vain, / saw the pony's nose appear
over the summit of the hill. j
feared there was something wrong,
for his nostrils were dilated and his
head was bobing up and down and
no sooner had ho roache1 level