382 PS7CU0L0GY. 



few weeks she had readily re-learned to read and write. In copying her 

 name which her brother had written for her as a first lesson, she took 

 her pen in a very awkward manner and began to copy from right to left 

 in the Hebrew mode, as though she had been transplanted from an 

 Eastern soil. . . . 



" The next thing that is noteworthy is the change which took place 

 in her disposition. Instead of being melancholy she was now cheer- 

 ful to extremity. Instead of being reserved she was buoyant and social. 

 Formerly taciturn and retiring, she was now merry and jocose. Her 

 disposition was totally and absolutely changed. While she was, in this 

 second state, extravagantly fond of company, she was much more en- 

 amoured of nature's w^orks, as exhibited in the forests, hills, vales, and 

 water-courses. She used to start in the morning, either on foot or 

 horseback, and ramble until nightfall over the whole country ; nor was 

 she at all particular whether she were on a path or in the trackless forest. 

 Her predilection for this manner of life may have been occasioned by the 

 restraint necessarily imposed upon her by her friends, which caused her 

 to consider them her enemies and not comxian ions, and she was glad to 

 keep out of their way. 



" She knew no fear, and as bears and panthers were numerous in 

 the woods, and rattlesnakes and copperheads abounded everywhere, 

 her friends told her of the danger to which she exposed herself, but it 

 produced no other effect than to draw forth a contemptuous laugh, as 

 she said, ' I know you only want to frighten me and keep me ai home, 

 but you miss it, for I often see your bears and I am perfectly convinced 

 that they are nothing more than black hogs.' 



" One evening, after her return from her daily excursion, she told 

 the following incident : ' As I w^as riding to-day along a narrow path a 

 great black hog came out of the woods and stopped before me. I never 

 saw such an impudent black hog before. It stood up on its hind feet 

 and grinned and gnashed its teeth at me. I could not make the horse 

 go on. I told him he w'as a fool to be frightened at a hog. and tried to 

 whip him past, but he would not go and wanted to turn back. I told 

 the hog to get out of the way, but he did not mind me. "Well," said I, 

 " if you won't for words, I'll try blows ; " so I got off and took a stick, 

 and walked up toward it. When I got pretty close by. it got down on 

 all fours and walked away slowly and sullenly stopping every few steps 

 and looking back and grinning and growling. Then I got on my horse 

 and rode on.' . . . 



"Thus it continued for five weeks, when one morning, after a pro- 

 tracted sleep, she awoke and was herself again. She recognized the 

 parental, the brotherly, and sisterly ties as though nothing had hap- 

 pened, and immediately went about the performance of duties in- 

 cumbent upon her, and which she had planned five weeks previously. 

 Great was her surprise at the change which one night (as she supposed) 

 had produced. Nature bore a different aspect. Not a trace was left in 

 her mind of the giddy scenes through which she had passed. Her ram- 



