Alice Wilde: The Raftsman's Daughter. A Forest Romance

igorous man, with a keen, intelligent face, clad in a calico shirt, a blue-woolen hunter's frock and buckskin breeches, strode on as

manners, which was as peculiar as her beauty, or the seraphic innocence of her expression. She kept pace with her companion, looking gravely forward with those great blue eyes, only occasionally giving the crowd a fawn-like, startled look, when it pressed too near. A few paces behind trudged an ancient colored couple, the man short, and white-eyed, rolling smiles as he passed, evidently supposi

d & Moore," in gilt letters over a new four-story brick store of this

early this spring. Well, the mill's waiti

my family this time to give 'em a chance to pick

an, the friend and partner of her own Philip, who for the first time began to suspect the cause which had kept the latter so long, "hunting and

raftsman, walking along farther from his daughter, and speaking with apparent carelessness. "By the

s well or better than ever. I expect he got pretty good care,

Turkish dress, or a Puritan maiden's, or a queen's robe, it would have made but small difference; her loveliness was of that overmastering kind which draws the hearts of high and low, and makes every man feel in her presence, forgetful of every lesser consideration-lo! here is a beautiful woman! Such charms as hers have had great power whenever they have been found-they have exalted

of happiness broke over her countenance-blushes rose to her cheeks and smiles to her eyes; she hardly dar

g; or will I have to go to the mil

him. He was called there quite unexpectedly, upon business connected with his uncle, and their relatives in England. It would not surprise me at all

y waiting to get rich enough to go home and marry her; and as Philip was now doing so well with his western enterprises, he had planned it all out in his own imagination-fortune, acceptance, and the happy fina

h, as this with the yaller. My! my! thar's a jewerlly shop across the way. Yer fadder ought to take yer in dar', fust place. Young

Alice waved the glass away, and arose without any signs of grief and pain in her face; but the expression had changed-an icy pride composed every feature; she a

throat swelled almost to choking with anger and grief, and he felt that if he only had Phili

en-had said that he was going East to marry a more fit companion. As the raftsman looked in the quiet face of his child which repelled sympathy with a woman's pride-that pr

rstand, Mr. Raymond, that all connection between me and this firm, business or other, is dissolved. I won't even take your cussed money. When Mr. Moore returns, tell him that the laws of hospitality practised by your fo

s. What der s'pose folks 'll tink your missus and masser is, ef you don't act like a fust-family nigger? Ef yer don't do credit to Miss Alice, I'll nebber

erlooking the street. Every thing was novel to Alice. This was absolutely her first experience away

airy-land; rude wharves just over the silver waters where erst the silent canoe of the Indian only glided; wild roses flush the hill-sides crowned with sudden dwellings; stately old forests loom up as backgrounds to the busiest of busy streets. The shrill cry of the steam-whistle startles the dreamy whippoorwill; the paddle-wheel of the intrusive steamboat frightens t

ly from her own; across the way, in a suite of parlors in the second story, she saw, through the open blind, a young girl of about her own age sitting at a musical instrument, from which she drew,

l you send m

as bent upon his hand. She crept upon his knee,

to be happy and contented with yer plain old father. But that you are already. I've made a failure. You're too good for them that's about you, and not good enough for them

ther? If you can not trust me, I will not go. So

ll only keep like yer mother, you may do what you will. She went to school, and she knew more than a dozen fine-lady scholars; but it didn't spoil her. May be I've done wrong to bring you up the way I

de was steeling the heart of the forest maiden. "B

me to her until after

up something for my cub. I want you to dress as well as any you see, and study whatever you like, and play lady to yer heart's content. You'd better find a dress-make

ble suite made a melancholy journey; for the light of t

located in a healthy region, with spacious grounds enjoying the salubrio

rning party land without Alice. His face was blanched to a dead-white, for he ex

wife of that counter-jumper. But she'll never be yours, neither; so you might as well g

s Alice is free to choose, and I've got breath and sense to try for her, I shan't give her up. Never, sir! I'll work my

rking in those dark lineaments, in the swart blood coursing under the olive skin, in the gleam of the black eyes, passions dif

he spoke, whose eyes wavered and sunk to the ground-it was the first intimation he had had that his guilt was suspected. "Why not go off, and find some one more like yourself-some

I couldn't be bad-'pears to me I'd try to get to be as good as she is. Even if she never would marry me, if she'd let me stay 'round and work for you, and she didn't take up with nobody else, I'd be content. But if I have to give her up entirely, I expect I'll make a pretty bad man, cap'n. I've all kinds of wicked thoughts about it, and I can't help it. I ain't made of milk-and-wat

to the distance. Her trouble, instead of flinging her more closely into her father's arms, had torn her from him, and taught her self-control. She had deserted her home, had left him to care for himself, while she fitted herself for some sphere into which he could not come. That "sharper than a serpent's tooth-a thankless child," he was tempted to call her.

ld be worth without that paramount necessity of the youthful mind-companionship. Alas! the raftsman, bringing up his idol in seclusion, had foolishly and selfishly thought to fix he