Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-08
From the Ladies' Repository.
THE YANKEE PEDLAR.
by MISS 5. c. EDGARToN.

u \
by MISS $. c. EDGARToN. .-
1t was on bright halmy June morning
that Leigh Merton commenced his itinerary
life. Having given a farewell kiss to his
widowed mother, aud Rugged his young sis
ter to his heart till he felt that heart grow
faint within him, he lifted upon his young
shoulders large pack, containing the IN
saleable portion of his fathers merchandise,
and with brisk step was soon marching
down the village road.
Farewell for few years, dear Newberg,
said he, with a half-sigh, turning to gaze
for moment on its pretty cottages and elm
shaded street Il shall come back to you
again with fortune at my command, and
thea the homestead will once more be ours,
and dear mother reinstated in her old pos
sessions With this golden hope in his
breast, he walked gaily on, nodding cheer
fully to the acquaintances that he met, and
humming a lively tune to smother, as much
as possible, few rebelIious heavings of his
heart
For awhile his route lay through bean
tiful woods, the fragrance of whose flow
ers and pines enriched every breath he in
hailed 1t was the bloom-season of the sweet
Azalia, and the still more fragrant Lon
icera-those two families of the honey-suck-
lie native to our New-England wilds, and
which were as familiar to Leigh Merton
as the dandelions and yarrow-blossoms that
grew at his mothers door. He had loved
the study of botany from very child ; and
had trayersed those green woods for many
an hour, collecting specimens of the wild
flowers that grew most luxnriantly amid its
verdant sward No wonder, then, that his
eve frightened at the sight of flowers, or
that he paused to gather a cluster to cheer
his lonely walk.
As he stood reaching for beautiful scar
let azalia, a sweet voice struck his ear, eX-
claiming, oh, wish were as tall lie
turned, and his eye fell on the face of a
fair young girl who stood near, and who,
though her hands were full of flowers, ey-
identity coveted those he had obtained, He
offered them to her, with smile. ooh noP
she said, turning her blue eyes bashfully
away, Il really did not mean TO beg them
from you.
But maybe you have some that you will
be willing to exchange for them, he replied,
charmed by the modest sweetness of her
manner, 'and as bartering is to be my BUSH
ness for few years to come, | know not
why may not commence with these flowers.
i'll have any that you like, you shall
certainly be verv welcome to them, whether
you give me the azalia or not. How do
YOU like those forget-me nots Tor perhaps
YOU would prefer the aure-blossoms-the
are more snowy
For that reason do not like them as
well but the forget-me-nots are old friends
of mine They grow on the Kaltequssim
at Newberg, close to my home and if you
were to give me some of those, think |
should MOI forget you, even after they, them
selves, are faded and forgotten
The exchange was willingly made, and
the Young pedlar started on his way but
finding that his new acquaintance was fol-
lowing on the same road, he soon turned
toward her and renewed the conversation
How far is it to the Crichton Factories!'
he inquired
"A mile. Are you going there 2
yes, and hope you are to. Perhaps you
have friends who will like to buy some OF
my goods
NO, my father has store of his own
Il thought Gen, Crichton owned the store
at The Factories
well, and so he does-ior my name is
Flora Crichton.'
'Ahq said Leigh, in some surprise-'are
you the generals daughter? | should not
suppose young lady who has around her
every luxury that wealth can purchase,
would care so much for the simple flowers
'Ah, but flowers are luxury wealth can.
not buy, only Nature can yield us those
And if loved them not for myself | should
gather them for mamma-for she loves them
as dearly as I-so dearly that she gave Inc
their name-FlOra.'
at is pretty name, and Just suits you
since you love the flowers so we'll"
"Then think you should be called Flo
rio"
''No, | have less poetic name III:
Leigh-Leigh Merton"
"Not Leigh Hunt-I wish it were !"
"Why"
"Because-don't you knowl lie is q
poet"
"What do you read poetryl Then
like you more than ever, for |, too, love
! poetry"