Volume I Part 82 (2/2)
The shoes were changed, and Hugh and Fleda set forth, lingering a while, however, to give a new edge to their hatchet ? Fleda turning the grindstone. They mounted then the apple-orchard hill, and went a little distance along the edge of the table-land, before striking off into the woods. They had stood still a minute to look over the little white valley to the snow-dressed woodland beyond.
”This is better than New York, Hugh,” said Fleda.
”I am very glad to hear you say that,” said another voice.
Fleda turned, and started a little to see Mr. Olmney at her side, and congratulated herself instantly on her shoes.
”Mrs. Rossitur told me where you had gone, and gave me permission to follow you, but I hardly hoped to overtake you so soon.”
”We stopped to sharpen our tools,” said Fleda. ”We are out on a foraging expedition.”
”Will you let me help you?”
”Certainly ? if you understand the business. Do you know a pine-knot when you see it?”
He laughed, and shook his head, but avowed a wish to learn.
”Well, it would be a charity to teach you anything wholesome,”
said Fleda; ”for I heard one of Mr. Olmney's friends lately saying that he looked like a person who was in danger of committing suicide.”
”Suicide! One of my friends!” he exclaimed, in the utmost astonishment.
”Yes,” said Fleda, laughing; ”and there is nothing like the open air for clearing away vapours.”
”You cannot have known that by experience,” said he, looking at her.
Fleda shook her head, and, advising him to take nothing for granted, set off into the woods.
They were in a beautiful state. A light snow, but an inch or two deep, had fallen the night before; the air had been perfectly still during the day; and though the sun was out, bright and mild, it had done little but glitter on the earth's white capping. The light dry flakes of snow had not stirred from their first resting-place. The long branches of the large pines were just tipped with snow at the ends; on the smaller evergreens every leaf and tuft had its separate crest. Stones and rocks were smoothly rounded over, little shrubs and sprays that lay along the ground were all doubled in white; and the hemlock branches, bending with their feathery burden, stooped to the foreheads of the party, and gave them the freshest of salutations as they brushed by. The whole wood-scene was particularly fair and graceful. A light veil of purity, no more, thrown over the wilderness of stones, and stumps, and bare ground ? like the blessing of charity, covering all roughnesses and unsightlinesses ? like the innocent, unsullied nature that places its light s.h.i.+eld between the eye and whatever is unequal, unkindly, and unlovely in the world.
”What do you think of this for a misanthropical man, Mr.
Olmney? there's a better tonic to be found in the woods than in any remedies of man's devising.”
”Better than books?” said he.
”Certainly! ? No comparison.”
”I have to learn that yet.”
”So I suppose,” said Fleda. ”The very danger to be apprehended, as I hear, Sir, is from your running a tilt into some of those thick folios of yours, head foremost. There's no pitch there, Hugh ? you may leave it alone. We must go on ?
there are more yellow pines higher up.”
”But who could give such a strange character of me to you?”
said Mr. Olmney.
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