Lucy (Chapter_01)

Chapter 1st It was in the winter season one of my favorite diversions to take my dog & my gun, & wander over the adjacent country, with the ostensible object of shooting partridges or other game, but in fact to enjoy the silence, solitude & scenery of this apparently uninhabited country, for so it used to seem to me, accustomed as I had been to the compact settlements of Connecticut; its continuous villages & large towns. To me, nature in all her forms was beautiful, whether she smiled in summer's bright array or frowned through the dark storms of winter. Altho' my neighbours deemed me half crazy, I risked the confirmation of such a suspicion by often setting forth on my rambles, when the [. . .] showers of spring were gently falling, or when the snow storm was gathering in the sky. But, the soft sound of the rain drops, pattering on the leaves, as I walked through a wood, or the feeling of the snow-flakes as they fell round & melted on my cheek were soothing & delightful. The city no longer afforded, as for many years it had done, hunting grounds for the sportman, or solitary haunts for such ramblers as myself. The habitations of man, rose in every direction, & those numerous hares & squirrels & birds of of every description that had peopled the shady banks of the streams & rivers, the woods & plains of our Metropolis; were now driven, like the human dwellers of the western forests, to seek for new abodes. It was not now along the banks of the Tiber, that I loved to roam, but sought for more untrodden paths among the rugged & wooded banks of Rock-Creek; a wild romantic stream, which tho' smooth & shallow in the summer months, pours like a torrent over it rocky-bed when swoln by winter-snows or autumnal-rains.

One winter day, I, & my faithful Brutus (a large dog, that had long been my friend & companion), sallied forth, altho' the uniform, dull & heavy clouds that overspread the sky, announced the coming storm. I then lived in the West End of the City near the "seven buildings," & crossing the intervening ground, I bent my way to the range of hills which bound the city on the north & climbing by a winding path, & soon reached the top. Wide and undulating plains stretched on every side, where the sight was bounded only by the horizon, except where on some spots woods intercepted the view. The winds were hushed, & the leafless trees

seemed in their stillness { ?} more gloomy than when their naked branches { ?} { ?} when shaken by the blast. The high and yellow sedge grass, which of a sunny winter's day, when swayed by the wind, often seemed to me like a field of golden grain waving in the breeze, was now motionless; thousands of little snow-birds, ---------------------------------------------------------? were flying among the scattered trees and bushes, and sometimes almost covered the cedars where berries afforded them their favorite food. -while the clusters of persimon trees on whose naked braches the candied fruit still hung, were the { ?} of { ?} robins. From the thick tufts of the sedge-grass the whirring partridges would rise in clouds, when their covies were disturbed by the approach of my dog. But there was something at the moment so something to my then melancholy mood in the universal silence and quietude of the scene--in the soft, the heavy stillness of the air, that I felt unwilling to disturb this hushed solitude by the noise of my gun. A few large and scattered flakes of snow began to fall; by degrees they thickened, and soon fell in such { ?} that the ground was covered and the atmosphere { ?} -red to such a degree, that I could not discern the foot paths, or any distant object excepting the high, black woods that rose in the distance before me; and I persued my way, careless whither it should lead me. [On entering the woods, I followed the woodman's track, whose waggon which had left slightly indented furrows on the pebbly soil; but there roads diverged in every direction, and all looked so winding and romantic knew scarcely which to choose, and after pursuing one, until it led me in to the very heart of the forest, where corded wood, strewn branches and heaps of chips, were the only vestiges of man's proximity, then would turn to another, but with no other result. How long I thus wandered, I know not. for to speak the truth I was as much bewildered in the mazes of my fancy, as of my solitary way and Brutus was so well amused in earthing ground squirrels and treeing birds, that he forgot he was often wont to do, to bark, pull my coat, look up in my

steps homewards invite me to follow him. And I know not when I should have thought of it myself, had I not been stopped in my heedless wasy by a rapid stream, which crossd the path. The waters were dark and muddy and rising above their banks, spread a surface before me. {Unwilling, cold and weary as I then was to wade the stream, I wandered for some time in search of some stepping stones, or rail, or tree thrown across, by which to pass over; and not finding any, I turned back, intending to go home but by this time the snow had penetrated through the trees, and the wood paths were completely covered, so that I knew not which way to take--I had usually found behind {these woods} which shorted the plains and roads, farm houses and cabins, and being very hungry as much as tired, I determined once more to try and ford the stream. While I stood looking about for the most likely place to succeed, I heard the resounding stroke of distant woodman's axe, and Brutus pricking up his ears, gave a bark, which was quickly replied to by a distant dog. [Thus cheered we again set forward and after pursuing the stream, which wound through a piece of swampy ground, darkened by a forest of tall pines, we at last reached a place where a huge pine, uprooted by some tempest had fallen across in the stream. I was so benumbed by the end, I could not make good my footing, but slipped and fell into the water, where I might have been drowned had not my faithful Brutus helped me out; but I was sadly bruized against the rocks and stones, and limped slowly along, to the spot whence the sound had proceeded, it grew louder as we approached, and the woodsman's dog springing from a thicket, quickly led us to where his master was at work --This master , was a stout negro fellow, who while he was cutting the wood, sang a low monotonous song. His hat and coat, basket and pipe lay on an old stump, at a little distance from him, which he had on only his shirt and trousers, both much torn, and worse for wear. Near him smouldered some half burnt branches, which, when he

He saw my wet and {woe?} ful plight, he soon kindled to a bright blaze; he heaped high the dry pine branches, which crackling as they kindled, diffused not only a reviving heat, but a refreshing odour; The columns of fragrant smoke, rose like incense and in the next moment curled in spiral flames to heaven, casting a ruddy glow on the dark pines that over shadowed us. The cheerfulness and comfort of that moment, contrasted with my feelings, so strikingly, that I have never forgotten it. The honest fellow, after finding me a dry log to sit on beside the fire, and hearing me complain of hunger, said he was sorry nothing but a bit of bread was left in his basket, he having eat up all his herrring, and that, not fitting to offer a gentleman. But just then, even this bit of bread, was acceptable; tho' it turned out to be the only the burnt crust of a corn-cake. "Master," said he, "so being, you'll not object lending me your gun a while, I'll see as I can't find a squirrel or the like." This, I unhesitatingly did, he whistled to his dog, who soon tree'd a squirrel, to which in a few more moments was added a bird, which he shot and came back soon{ for when} with a dispatch I never saw equalled, the game was prepared, the coals drawn out and its savory fumes regaled me, till it was done enough to eat. Brutus, part { ?} my woodland fare--and never did I taste any more delicious. "You've come a plaquey long way Master, if so I'll be you came from the city, and has got nothing as I sees for your pains." Altho' un willing to be taken for a poor sportsman, it would have been impossible to have convinced him of the contrary--for never could he have comprehended, had I told him, that like Pliny, I was sometimes satisfied when I went a hunting, to catch ideas instead of game. So, I perforce submitted to his ill {mean} opinion of my skill, tho' sensible how much it lessened his respect for

for my gentlemanship.--I had no watch with me, and the snow clouds hid the sun, so that I could not guess what was the time of day, and enquired of my host of the woods. "Why Master don't you recken there be's two and a half cords o' wood cut there," pointing to some, piled up near him. I could not conjecture what he meant {could mean} by such a reply but smiled, and told him I was no judge and asked him what that had to do with the time of day. "Why as to that Master, I always cuts my three cords o' wood, from sun-rise to sun-set, so I be's thinking its not far off sun set now." "Then I shall never reach home tonight," said I. "Law's why not master, I sees no difference for my part, traveling by night or day--The darkest night that ever is, I gaung all these woods thro' as easy as noon-day." "That's more than I would undertake," I replied, "so, if you can show me, or tell me where I can get a nights lodging near by I will not return, until to morrow. "Why Master, houses are main scarce just about here, but if so be, you'll keep strait on that waggon-track, it will lead you to a bit o' cleared ground, where 'bacco has been raised this year, you'll see the old 'bacco stocks standing, and a blind -path is lade through the 'bacco ground, and then thard a nother bit o' wood and then Master you'll be seeing a right snug bit o' house." "it is but a step like from here, and if I hadn't to make out my th other cord, I'd be shewing you the way." After paying the poor fellow well for his hospitality, I again set forward. But this house, which was but a step, cast me many weary steps, and must have been more than a mile-if not nearer two miles, so that the evening was completely shut in, and had not the black stumps in the cleared bit o' ground guided me. the 'bacco stocks would not, as they a all the fields round were completely covered with snow. My patience and strength were again nearly exhausted