The limbs, seen below the folds of a short kirtle
of bright scarlet cloth, were just and tapering, even to the nicest
proportions of classic beauty; and never did foot of higher instep, and
softer roundness, grace a feathered moccason. Though the person, from the
neck to the knees, was hid by a tightly-fitting vest of calico and the
short kirtle named, enough of the shape was visible to betray outlines
that had never been injured, either by the mistaken devices of art or by
the baneful effects of toil. The skin was only visible at the hands, face,
and neck. Its lustre having been a little dimmed by exposure, a rich, rosy
tint had usurped the natural brightness of a complexion that had once
been fair even to brilliancy. The eye was full, sweet, and of a blue that
emulated the sky of evening; the brows, soft and arched; the nose,
straight, delicate, and slightly Grecian; the forehead, fuller than that
which properly belonged to a girl of the Narragansetts, but regular,
delicate, and polished; and the hair, instead of dropping in long straight
tresses of jet black, broke out of the restraints of a band of beaded
wampum, in ringlets of golden yellow.
Pages:
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573