Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-11-12

| ribband OF turf in the middle with little
turfy line on each side, you will perhaps find
what speak Of How still and Sabbath
like seems the place to-day-does any boz
dy live here? There is nobody to be seen
in the strccts-nothing stirring but the leaves
OF the dense heavy sugar naples, that shade
the old brown houses, and the blue flies and
humble bees which are buzzng about, with
great pretention to business, in the clover
fields. But stay there are signs of life
else why the rows of shining milk pans-and
! bark by the loud drawl from the open win
lows of yonder school house, you perceive
there is rising generation in the land
; Come with us, whore large, motherly, old
fashioned house seems to have sat down to
cool itself on that velvet slope of turf, while
the broad masses of the naples and the su-
perb arches of the elms, form an array of
foliage about 1t, truly regal. The house is
the palace royale of one of the sovereign
people of New Hampshire, TO viii, Jonathan
Parsons. Jonathan is great man, and
rich in the land, a wise man, and man Of
valor, moreover. He is great, politically,
for he keeps the post office. He is rich, too,
for he is the undisputed possessor of all that
= he wants. He is wise, for he knows Il little
more than any body about him, and as to his
valor, it is self evident from the fact that he
has been promoted with unparalleled rapi-
dity to be Captain, Colonel, and finally Ge-
neral Parsons. Accordingly he is common
ly recognized by his martial title, " the Ge-
neral" He is hale, upright, cheerful man
of fifty or thereabouts, with a. bluff, ruddy
face and voice as cheerful and ringing as
4 T., T. n,
kinds Of business than any one in the village,
and, what is uncommon, thrives IN all. He
keeps the post office, and Herewith also a
small assortment of groceries, thread, tape,
darning needles, tin pans, and axe-heads,
and the usual miscellaneous stock of coun-
try store. He has a thriving farm,-pos-
scsses legal knowledge enough to draw deeds
and contracts, and conduct all the simple
law business of his ncighbourhood, and be-
sides this, he attends, in general way, not
only to the government ofthe United States
but of all the countries in the world foi
Jonathan takes weekly newspaper from
Boston, and makes up his mind at once a.
to all his matters and things the world around
and his convictions, doubts and opinions OF
these points, are duly cxpounded to hi
townsmen, while he is weighing out sugar OF
tea, or delivering letters in the course of the
q, week. It's a pity that the President of tn,
United States, or the crowned heads of Eu
rope, never send to Jonathan for his opinIo,
for they would always find it snugly made
(, up and ready for instant delivery. We have
! only to say in addition, that besides the pa
triarchal wealth Of llocks and herds Jonathan
has patriarchal compliment of sons ant
daughters, among whom we shall only men.
ton the eldest, whom we introduce by the
ever vcrdant name of Mary. The vlllag,
t, had called her mother beauty before her
and Mary has borne that name ever since
she took the golden curls Of careless child
hood. Yet it is not the impression of mere
y physical beauty that she produces upon you
there is both intelligence and energy in the
= deep violet of the eye, and decision as wei
; as sweetness in the outline Of her beautiful
mouth. Her form, naturally slender, is de.
vclopod by constant and hearhfu exercise
and displays in every motion The elastic grace
of her own mountain swcct-bfier. And
more than all this, there is certain cool
easy air, freedom and nobility of manner
a good taste in speaking and acting, tia,
give to her, though uniauglt in the ways Of
the world, that charm beyond beauty which
is womans most graceful gift. For this
instructive sense of what really is due to
ones self and Others, this perception oftimes,
r places and proprieles, which forms the HIGH
est attraction Of the lady, though II may be
wrought out by Iaborious drilling, and the
tuiclage of etiquette, is often the free gift of
nature, poured on the fair head of some one
who has never lrod a carpet, seen piano,
or taken one step in the labyrinth of arif-
cial life.
Mary's amount Of accomplishments, so
called, was small, including not "A word of
f French, and no more music than was COM
priscd in the sweetest of natural voices.
taught in the common evening singing scoo
of the village. But as a daughter and sister
and housewife, her accomplishments were
innumcrablc. Enter the cool, quiet home,
not a room of which boasts carpet, bnt
whose snowy floors need no such conceal
ment. The chief OF 0that is done in the
house, in providing, making, mending, clean
ing, and keeping in order, is by the single
hands of Mary and her mother. We know
this may lead the minds Of some of our rea-
ders to very prosaic particulars. We have
heard deal of hcroincs playing on the harp
SC, hut who ever heard of heroine wash
ing or ironngl The most that has ever
been accomplished in these respects, was by
the lovely Charlotte of Goethe, whom he
introduces to us cutting bread and butter for
her little brothers and sisters. We can as
sure all of our fair readers who are inclined
to be fas.dious on the point, however, that
had they lived under the roof of Jonathan
Parsons, they could scarcely have been scan
dalized by any disagreeab!e particulars Even
at the wash bench, our heroine, in her neat,
close fitting calico, ever looked 50 little
like lady as some fair ones we have seen IN
curl papers and morning gowns, before they
were made up for company and moreover,
much that seems more laborous would be
over with and out of sight, long before they
are in the habit Of having their eyes open in
the morning. Many days they would behold