The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-05-10
MISCELLANEOUS.
Che Dankee Girl.
BY MRS. HARRIET BEECHER STOWE.

PRAISED IN certain good set terms,wIth which
everybody the least read in polite literature
is perfectly acquainted. Who has not heard
OF the noble bearing, the beauty and domes-
tic virtue of the danes of England OF
the sprightliness, grace and fascination of
the ladies of France? How have the light
footstep of Spain, the melting eye of Italy
been said sung. And to this florists feast
of nations, not the plain old farmer, New
England, come, spade in hand, and bring
the flower of his own land? Let the Eng
llsh lady be enthroned as the liy,-the
French, the ever bright and varying tulip
the Spanish and Italian, the full moss rose ::
the richest and most voluptuous flowers
The Yankee girl is the rose laurel, whose
blossoms no garden flower ever excelled in
rosy delicacy and gracefulness of form, but
whose root asks neither garden-bed nor
gardeners care, but will take for itself strong
hold where there is handful of earth in
the cleft of a rock, whose polished leaf
shakes green and cheerful over the SHOWS
of the keenest winter. In her you shall
find the union of womanly delicacy and re-
finement with manly energy and decision,
womanly ingenuity and versatility in con-
trivance, with manly promptness and eff.
cheney in execution.
While some ladies found their claim to
interest on delicate ignorance and inabI-
ity as to all the practical parts oflfe, the
only fear of the New England girl is that
there should be anything that woman ever
did. which she cannot do, and has not done
little better than ever it was done before
Born of frugal parents, who, with any other
habits would be poor, she learns early to
make energy and ingenuity supply the place
of wealth. Born in land ,where all are G.
quail, no princess could surpass her in the
feeling of self-respect. Born where the
universal impulse of all is to rise, there is
nothing in the way of knowledge and ac-
complishment, which she does not hope
some day TO acquire, and even without any
advantages of culture, womanly tact, quick
ness Of mind, and lady-l self-possession,
add the charm of grace to her beauty. Now
if you wish to find this lady of our fancy
you must not look for her in our cities,
where all the young ladies speak French,
play on the piano, and are taught to be as
much like one another as their bonnets.-
If You wish to investigate the flowers of
country, you do not look for them under the
shade Of damask curtains, in the windows
of drawing rooms, but seek them, as they
grow free and individual at the Ivuts or old
messy trees, and in the clefts of overhang>
ing lodges of rocks, or forming eye-lashes
TO the thousand bright eyes of merry brooks
So if you would see this Yankee girl as she
is, take flight up with us.-up-up-not
to the skies, but to the north of New lamp
shire. Alight with us now in this cosy lit
tie nook. where the retiring mountains have
left space for cultivation, and hard hands
have been found to improve il. There, on
the green breasted turf, have been dropped
some dozen or so of dwellings, a meeting
house, and school house, all in very non.
descript and unutterable styles of architec-
ture. There, in that village which never
was reused by the rattle ana tramp of the
mail coach. whose only road has green
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 anybody
live here ? There is nobody 10 be seen in
the streets-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 buzzing about, with
great pretension to business, in the clover
fields. But stay there are signs of life; else
why the rows of shining milk pans,-& bark
by the loud drawl from the open windows
of yonder school house, you perceive there
is rising generation in the land. Come
with US, where large, motherly, old-fash-
Toned house seems to have sat down to cool
itself on the velvet slope of turf, while the
broad masses of the NAPLES and the superb
arches of the elms. form an array of foliage
about it, truly regal. That house is the pal.
ace royal of one of the sovereign people of
New Hampshire, to wit, Jonathan Parsons.
Jonathan is great man, and rich in the
land, 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 a little
more than anybody about him, and as to his
valor, If is selfevident from the fact that he
has been promoted with unparalleled rapid
ity to be Captain, Colonel, and finally Gen.
eral Parsons. Accordingly he is commonly
recogized by his martial title, 1.-THE General"
He is hale. upright, cheerful man of fifty
or Whereabouts, with bluff, ruddy face. and
voice as cheerful and ringing as sleigh
bell. He turns his hand TO more kinds of
business than any one in the village. and,
what is uncommon, thrives in ali. He
keeps the post Office, and Herewith also a
small assortment of groceries, thread, tape.
darniDg needles, tin pans, and axe>heads.
and the usual miscellaneous stock of a
country store. He has thriving FARM
possesses legal knowledge enough to draw
deeds and contracts, and conduct all the
simple law business of his neighbourhood.
and besides this, he attends, in general
way, not only to government ofthe United
States, but of all the countries in the world;
for Jonathan takesa weekly newspaper from
Boston, and makes up his mind once as to
all matters and things the world around,