Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-01-18
A MELTING STORY.

A MELTING STORY.
No other class of men in any country possess
that facetous aptness Of inficting good humor-
ed revenge which seems to be innate with aGreen
Mountain boy. Impose upon or nure a Yer
monter, and he will seem the drollest and best
natured fellow you ever knew in all your life,
| until suddenly he pounces upon you with some
cunnngy devised offset for your dupcity and
even while he makes his victim smart to the core,
there is that manly en-hearedness about him
which infllses balm even while the wound is
opening, and renders it quite impossible that you
! should hate him. however severe may have been
the punishment he dealt out to you. These boys
OF the Green Mountains seem to possess q natural
faculty OF extracting fun from every vcissitude
and accident the changing hours can bring; even
what are bitter vexations to others, these happy
fellows treat in manner SO peculiar as to COM
pletely alter their former character and make
them seem to us agreeable, or at least endurabe,
which was before in the highest degree offensive.
Another man Will repay an aggravaiion or an in
suit by Instantly returning injury cutting the ac-
qualntance and shutting his heart forever against
the offender: but Vermonter, with smile upon
his face, will dmuse himself while obtaining far
keener revenge, cracking..a joke in conclusion,
and making his former enemy forgive HIM and
even love him after chastisement.
One winter evening, country store-keeper in
the mountain State, was about closing his doors
for the night, and while standing in the snow out.
side putting up his window shutters, he saw thro'
the glass loungng, worthless fellow within grab
a pound of fresh butter from the shelf and hastily
conceal it in his hat
The act was no sooner detected than the re-
venge was hit upon, and very few moments
found the Green Mountain Store keeper at once
INDUCING his appetite for fun the fullest extent
and paying off the thief with facetious fsort of
torture, for which he might have gained premi-
UNI from the old inqusition
Il say, Seth y said the store keeper, coming in
and closing the door after him, slapping his hands
over his shoulders and stamping the snow off his
shoes
Seth had his hands upon the door, his hat upon
his head; and the roll of new butter in his hat
anxious to make his exit as soon as possible
eiafa, nignt as ,s 80 , momi n warm
wouldn't hurt fellow; come and sit down.
seth felt very uncertain: he had the butter and
was exceedingly anxious to be off; but the temp
talon OF something warm, sadly interfered with
his resolution to go. This hesitation, however
was soon settled hy the right owner of the butter
taking Seth by the shoulders and planting him ir
a seat close to the stove, where he was in such
manner cornered in by barrels and boxes that
while the country grocer sat before him there
was no possibility of his getting out, and right in
TINS very place, sure enough, the store keeper sat
. down.
Seth, we'll have little warm Santa Cruz,
said the Green Mountain grocer, as he opened the
stove door, and stuffed in as many sticks as the
space would admit; without il you'd freeze going
home such night as this
Seth already felt the butter settling down closer
to his hair and jumped up, declaring he must GO.
mot till you have something warm, Seth ;
come, I've got story to tell you, too sit down
now; and Seth was again pushed into his seat
by his cunning tormenter.
ooh it's tn ddrn'd hot here said the petty thief
again attempting TO rise.
i Set down-don't be in such pIaguey hurry.
retored the grocer, pushing him back in his chair.
But I've got the cows tn fodder, and some
wood tn split, and must be agoin,' continued the
perscuted chap.
But you mustn't tear yourself away, Seth, ia
thls manner. Set down; let the cows take care
OF themselves, and keep yourself cool; you ap-
pear 10 be fdgetty, said the roguish grocer with
wicked leer
The next thing was the production of two smo-
king glasses of hot rum toddy, the very sight Of
which, IN Seth's present situation, would have
made the hair stand erect upon his head, had il
not been well oiled and kept down by the butter.
Seth, I'll give you tcast now, and you can
butter 1t yourself, said the grocer vet with an air
Of such consummate simplicity that poor Seth
Still believed himself unsupported. Seth, here's
-heres-a Christmas goose-(it was aboutChrist-
mas time)-here's Christmas goose, well roasted
and basted, eh tell you, Seth, its the creates,
ea'ing Ill creation. AMI Seth, don't yeu never
@ use hogs fat or common cooking butter to haste
3 with; fresh pound butter, just the same as YOU
see ON that shelf yondcr, is the only proper thing
q IN nature TO basic goose with-come take your
q butler i mean, Seth, take your toddy.'
Poor Seth now began to smoke, as well as to
melt; and his mouth was as Theoretically sealed
up as though he had been born dumb. Streak
y, after streak of the butter came pouring from un.
= der his hat, and his handkerchief was already
= soaked with the greasy overflow. Talking away
as it nothing was the matter, the grocer kept stuf
=, ting the wood into the stove, while poor Seth sal
) bolt upright with his back against The counter, and
i ms knees almost touching the red hot furnace be-
;, fore him.
/ .Darnation cold night .his,' said the grocer
why, seth, you seem TO perspire as if you was
4 warm why don't you take your hat off? Here
let me put your hat away!'
'No = exclaimed poor Seth at last with a spas.
> mode effort TO get his tongue loose, and clappnp
both hands upon his hat, 'Noi l must 90: lei me
7, OUT; ant well let me go greasy cataract
was now pouring down the poor fellows face and
neck, and soaking into his clothes, and trickInp
down his body into his boots SO that he was liter,
ally in perfect bath Of oil.
Well, good night, Seth said the humorous
!, Vermonter, 'if you ,OW go; adding, as Seth go
: out into the road 'neighbor, reckon the fun I've
q had out OF you is worth ninepence, so l shan,
charge you for that pound Of butter =
.H.sthodists IN Michigan The number of mem