The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-10-25

Such were the fathers sentiments, an
: Robert was prepared TO illustrate them i
: The worthless manner. He had light hear,
a strong arm, sharp axe, and sure gun
, and the dangers and labors beseiiing hi
path OF life gave hun no more concern thsl
, would the obstruction of thistle down 10 hi
road 10 church. He was tall, finely form
ed young man, Of iweniy-one, with ewes a
black as thunder cloud, and their fash yer,
much like its lightning. His hair was a
black as his eyes, and his rather dark com
Plexion wore such glow of health, aud hi.
whole counienance and demeanor SO muc!
OF happiness and frank confidence, that al
who saw him prophesied, and indeed, wish
ed success 10 this handsome and active
youth.
Their wishes and his own seemed likely
10 be realized. In one year from the time
of his striking the first blow in the forest. his
land wore the appearance Of pleasant cul.
tivaied farm. The trees had nearly al dis.
appeared from the area oftwenry acres, and
The surface was COVERED and stumps nearly
all concealed by uxuriant harvest. There
was The golden wheat, the bearded rye, tas.
selled corn. as tall and straIgh; as compa-
ny Of grenadiers; with pumkins and squash.
es inDumerable, resting on the ground qui.
ely ripening in the mellow heats of Au.
gus.
On gentle rising ground. in the middle
OF the young plantation. stood small dwell.
ling; ! wish | could with propriety, call it
a cottage, because 10 many young ladies' il
would give such a romantic in,eres. 10 my
siory-bu, truth compels me to confess that,
although prettier and more comfortable than
their real cottages, it was not at all like a
cottage of the imagination. Ii was twenty
feet BY twenty-four, formed Of logs. the roof
( covered with boards, the inside divided into
two apartments, with one little closet, and
the whole lighted BY three small glass win
dows. On either side of this dwelling rose
a large elm tree, and several small ones were
on the lawn in front of the house, pnrposely
left standing for ornament. and wild roses
bushes and laurel and othe- f1wering shrubs
had been spared or Iransplnnted by Robert
to give additional beauty 10 his rural seat.
Thick. dark forests and hills crowned with
trees, formed the boundary on every side
but 10 front Of the house the clearing exten-
ded TO the Cocheco whose bright waters
were sern dancing in the sumbeams, and
performing charming relief to the eye, af-
ter 1t had dwell on the gloom Of the sur
rounding wilderness.
To person always accustomed to the
ciiy's elegance. or the retreats of case and
opulence. this wild place would doubtless
have looked like damsel prison-gloomy.
lonely and terrifying: but 10 Robert, who
could almost cail IT the creation of his own
hands, it was little Paradise, and when his
bird of beauty should be within his bower.
he would not have exchanged his home in
the woods for those stately walls his mother
mad often told him of right should have been
| mis- a1bitatioD.
The wedding day al length arrived. 1t
hal always been anticipated BY Robert as
one That would bring unalloyed happiness;
hut Mary had often felt sadness, something
like foreboding of misfortune, come over her
mind whenever her marriage was alluded 10
! She could not tell, even her own heart, the
cause of this depression 1t was not that she
, felt any doul1 Of Roberts character or af-
feciion she loved him better than all the
world beside, and trusted in the perfection
ni his goodness a. a Catholic does in his
>a,nt--nor did she fear 10 dwell in the will
derness- there had not for long lime been
an alarm from The red men. Why is il. that
at times, shadow will fall on the spirit
which no effnrts Of the mind, no arguments
addressed to the reason, can dispel1
There were great preparations for the
wedding. Capt. Waldron liked parade,
and his wife Liked TO show her housekeep-
ing, and the marriage afforded jlslihable
occasion to gain popularity by display Of
hospitality. Three o'clock was the hour
for the ceremony then followed the feast !;
and lastly all the wedding guests who had
horses were invited TO join and escort the
young couple 10 their dwelling.
Of the wedding dresses shall only say
that these we're very fashionable then, and
would be very moLstrous now. and minute
description of antiquated attire ought not to
occupy much share in a story so brief. for
the events il chronicles, "a this must be-
The Rev. John R-ynor offic,aied as clergy
man and then the whole party set down to
dinner-he long table covered with all the
good things which the country could supply.
At The head Of the least appeared an eLor>
nous Indian pudding. (not made of Indians.
as an Erglishman once inferred such pud.
ding might be) served up in huge pewter
platter. The plates were the same substan.
tial material. all shining like silver from
recent scrubbiug-then they had roast beef
and lamb, and wild game and all the fruits
and varieties of the season. But they had
no wine nor strong drink Of any kind, and
the most ultra temperance advocate would
have found nothing to censure in the arrange
ments.
Robert Wilson's house stood about two
miles from that of Capt. Waldron's and
more than half mile from any habtntion.
This distance was not considered much, but
then it was through the thick old woods and
the road was only cut and freed from the OBJ
struction of trees. No carriages could
have rolled over the rugged road, but that
was no matter, as not wheeled vehicle Of