If not , why did it rouse up so many old recollections , or mockeries of such , the shadows of things familiar , yet unknown , and fill my mind with confused images of her features who had spoken , though buried in the gloom of the parlor ? Whom had my heart recognized , that it throbbed so ? I listened , to catch her gentle breathing , and strove , by the intensity of my gaze , to picture forth a shape where none was visible . Suddenly , the dry pine caught ; the fire blazed up with a ruddy glow ; and where the darkness had been , there was she , -- the Vision of the Fountain ! A spirit of radiance only , she had vanished with the rainbow , and appeared again in the firelight , perhaps to flicker with the blaze , and be gone . Yet , her cheek was rosy and life-like , and her features , in the bright warmth of the room , were even sweeter and tenderer than my recollection of them . She knew me ! The mirthful expression that had laughed in her eyes and dimpled over her countenance , when I beheld her faint beauty in the fountain , was laughing and dimpling there now . One moment our glance mingled , -- the next , down rolled the heap of tan upon the kindled wood , -- and darkness snatched away that Daughter of the Light , and gave her back to me no more ! Fair ladies , there is nothing more to tell . Must the simple mystery be revealed , then , that Rachel was the daughter of the village squire , and had left home for a boarding-school , the morning after I arrived , and returned the day before my departure ? If I transformed her to an angel , it is what every youthful lover does for his mistress . Therein consists the essence of my story . CHAPTER I HAPPY JACK DROPS A NUT Save a little every day , And for the future put away . Happy Jack . Happy Jack Squirrel sat on the tip of one of the highest branches of a big hickory tree . Happy Jack was up very early that morning . In fact , jolly , round , red Mr. Sun was still in his bed behind the Purple Hills when Happy Jack hopped briskly out of bed . He washed himself thoroughly and was ready for business by the time Mr. Sun began his climb up in the blue , blue sky . You see , Happy Jack had found that big hickory tree just loaded with nuts all ripe and ready to gather .
He was quite sure that no one else had found XXXXX special tree , and he wanted to get all the nuts before any one else found out about them .
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