Fostina Woodman, the Wonderful Adventurer


Fostina Woodman, the Wonderful Adventurer, by

Avis A. (Burnham) Stanwood
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Fostina Woodman, the Wonderful Adventurer
Author: Avis A. (Burnham) Stanwood

Release Date: October 27, 2007 [eBook #23214]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOSTINA WOODMAN, THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURER***
E-text prepared by the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from digital material generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana)

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 23214-h.htm or 23214-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/3/2/1/23214/23214-h/23214-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/3/2/1/23214/23214-h.zip)
Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Americal Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/fostinawoodman00burnrich
Transcriber's Note:
Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.
Dialect spellings, contractions and discrepancies have been retained.
The Table of Contents was not contained in the book and has been created for the convenience of the reader.

FOSTINA WOODMAN, THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURER.
by
A. A. BURNHAM.

[Illustration: THE SHIP ESSEX SAILS FOR CALIFORNIA.]

Boston: 1854.
Entered according to an Act of Congress in the year 1850, by A. A. Burnham, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts
Stereotyped at the Boston Stereotype Foundry.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
Description of Fostina's Home--Introduction of Herself and Parents to the Reader--Aunt Aubrey--Sudden Calamity--The Two Brothers and Lewis Mortimer--Introduction of her Uncle, and the Great Change in Fostina's Life.
CHAPTER II.
The Ship Essex sails for California, with Lewis Mortimer and the two Brothers on Board--Fostina's Grief at their Departure--Her Uncle's Family--Fostina's Dream--Rineldo Aubrey.
CHAPTER III.
Rineldo and his Cousin--He seeks to win her Love--Fostina makes known to him her Love for Lewis Mortimer--Rineldo tries to gain her Favor, and is encouraged by his Parents.
CHAPTER IV.
Rineldo's sudden Departure--His Return--He pleads in vain for the Love of his Cousin--Sad Intelligence and the Death of Lewis Mortimer--Fostina's Illness.
CHAPTER V.
Fostina goes to the Village--Deception Unmasked--The Mystery Revealed--Fostina makes her Escape.
CHAPTER VI.
Rineldo's Surprise--Mr. Aubrey and his Son go in Pursuit of Fostina--Visit to the Mountain and Cottage--Horrible Discovery--End of their Search.
CHAPTER VII.
Fostina pursues her way through an unknown Country--She stops at the Village Inn--Conversation between the Landlord and Coachman--Fostina again appears in the Dress of a Female--Her Departure.
CHAPTER VIII.
Fostina continues on her Journey--She arrives at a distant Country Village--A Walk in the Forest--Visit to the Castle--Mistaken Friends--A Mystery--Strange Discovery--Mysteries Revealed--The Result.
CHAPTER IX.
Discovery of the Plot--Escape from the Castle--Lewis Mortimer and Fostina return to the Village--They meet the two Brothers--Conclusion.

FOSTINA WOODMAN,
THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURER.
CHAPTER I.
Description of Fostina's Home--Introduction of Herself and Parents to the Reader--Aunt Aubrey--Sudden Calamity--The Two Brothers and Lewis Mortimer--Introduction of her Uncle, and the Great Change in Fostina's Life.
Reader, are you a lover of Nature? And do you behold with pleasure the wonderful works of creation, where the hand of Art has made no claims? Then follow me to the quiet and pleasant village of S----, and visit there the Mountain Glen, and you will see one of the loveliest places which Nature ever formed, and which stands unrivalled for its beauty, in this great land of wonders.
Before introducing you to the leading characters whose history will form the principal part of this work, I shall endeavor to give a faint description of the beautiful scenery which this place commands.
It is situated in the northern part of Massachusetts, not far from the Connecticut River, which flows on in its winding course through the valleys, among the hills, until it falls, like a rush of mighty waters, into its deep basin below.
Along these banks may be seen the rural cottages, scattered here and there among the valleys, almost concealed from view by the deep embowering shade of the forest which surrounds them. The traveller, as he ascends a more elevated spot, will behold an extensive range of mountains, as far as the eye can penetrate the distance. And while contemplating the scenery before him, outstretched on Nature's broad, canvas, his eye may involuntarily rest on the beautiful spot referred to at the opening of my story.
It was a lovely morning in June, and the sun slowly and beautifully rose in the blue heavens, spreading out his sheet of golden light over the broad canopy of heaven, scattering with the melting influence of his rays the heavy mist and fog which lay spread over the valleys of S----. There a scene of rare loveliness was spread out to view--rich landscapes and sloping meadows, clothed in green, waving their heavy burden in the morning breeze. The dew lay heavily upon the earth, and the thick foliage of the trees sparkled with the glittering dewdrops bowing their branches beneath its weight.
Nought was heard save the gentle murmuring of the waters, which flowed at the foot of the Mountain Glen. Sparkling streams pursued their silent way, bordered