Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist (A Fragment)

ich he was destined. His wishes never led him astray from the hay-stack and the furrow. His ideas never ranged beyond the sphere of his vision, or suggested the poss

eased with the cessation of this motive. The limits of his acquirements

tion. The more I heard or read, the more restless and unconquerable my curiosity became. My senses were perpetually alive

most vigilant and jealous scrutiny was exerted in vain: Reproaches and blows, painful privations and ignominious penances had no power to slacken my zeal and abate my perseverance. He might enjoin upon me the most laborious tasks, set the envy of my brother to watch me during the performance, make the most diligent search after my books, and dest

hardships to which it subjected me; yet, perhaps, the claims which were made upon

cretly eluded or obstinately repelled, was a source of the bitterest regret. He has often lamented, with tears, what he called my incorrigible depravity, and encouraged himself to perseverance by the notion o

to bring cows from a meadow, some miles distant from my father's mansion. My time was limited, and I w

use and manner of this escape. The field was bounded by cedar railing. Five of these rails were laid horizontally from post to post. The upper one had been broken in the middle, but the rest had merely been drawn out of the holes on one side, and rested with their e

as rendered circuitous by a precipice that projected into a neighbouring stream, and closed up a passage by which the length of the way would have been diminished one half: at the foot of the cliff the water was of considerable depth, and agitated by an eddy. I could not estimate the danger which I sh

ed. I had frequently skirted and penetrated this tract, but had never been so completely entangled in the maze as now: hence I had remained unacquainted with a

h was narrow, steep, and overshadowed by rocks. The sun was nearly set, and the shadow of the cliff above, obscured the passage almost as much as midnight would have done: I was accustomed to despise danger when it presented itself in a sensible form,

s loud as organs of unusual compass and vigour would enable me. I uttered the words which chanced to occur to me, and repeated in the shrill tones of a Mohock savage.

inishing the strain, I paused. In a few seconds a voice as I then imagined, uttered the same cry from the point of a rock some hundred feet behind me; the same words, with equal distinctness and deliberation, and in the same tone, appeared to be spoken. I was s

apsed, when my ditty was again rehearsed, with a no less perfect imitation, in a different quarter..... To this quarter I eagerly tur

ame calls were a third time repeated, and coming still in a new direction. Five times was this ditty successively resounde

were quickly supplanted by delight. The motives to dispatch were forgotten, and I amused myself for an hour, with

my father I escaped merely with a few reproaches. I seized the first opportunity of again visiting this recess, and repeating my amus

ng of the sun. When the moonlight was strong enough to permit me to read, it was my custom to escape from bed, and hie with my book to some neighbouring eminence, where I would remain stretched on the mossy rock, till the sinking or beclouded moon, forbade me to continue my employ

disposed him to thwart me in the least of my gratifications. My purpose was surely laudable, and yet on

ce scrambling up a neighbouring steep, which overlooked a wide extent of this rom

s. To hear too, that voice, not uttered by another, by whom it might easily be mimicked, but by myself! I cannot now recollect the transition which led me to th

with something like a persuasion that I should succeed. I started with surprise, for it seemed as if success had crowned my attempts. I repeated the effort, but failed. A

hese efforts. By perpetual exertion I gained it a second time, and now was a diligent observer of the circumstances attending it. Gradually I subjected these finer and more subtle mot

ons of muscular motion, how few of these are usually exerted, how imperfectly they are subjected to the w

accurate inspection that a living subject could admit, has affirmed the organ to be wanting, but t

et men have spoken distinctly though wanting a tongue, and to whom, therefore, teeth and palate were superfluo

wer which I possess may not, with suitable directions and by steady efforts, be obtained by others, but I will do nothing to fac

on. There were few voices whether of men or birds or beasts which I could not imitate with success. To add my ancient, to my newly acquired skill, to talk from a

to be silent to all others, on the subject of my discovery. But, added to this, was a confused belief, that it might be made, in some way instrumental to my re