Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-09-03
THE COTTAGER.


There was a laboring man, who built a cottage
for himself and his wife. A dark grey rock over
hung 1t, and helped to keep it from the wind.
When the cottage was finished, he thought he
would paint it grey, like the rock. And so exact
y did he get the same shade of color, that it look
ed almost as if the little dwelling sprung from the
bosom of the rock that sheltered it.
After while the cottager became able to pur-
chase COW. In the summer, she picked up the
most of her own living very well. But in the win
ter she needed to be fed and kept from the cold.
So he built barn for her. 1t was SMALL that
it looked more like shed than barn. But it was
quite warm and comfortable.
When it was done neighbor came in, and said,
"What color will you paint your barn ~
4" had not thought about that" said the cottag-
or.
"Then l advise you 10 paint it black and here
is pot Of black paint which | have brought on
purpose to give YOU"
Soon another neighbor coming in, praised his
neat shed, and expressed wish to he p him, and
brought some white paint. While he was in doubt
which of the gifts to USE the eldest and wsest man
in the village came to visit him. His hair was en-
tirely white and every body loved him, for he was
good as well as wise.
When the cottager had told him the story of the
pots of paint, the old man said: {" He who gave
you the black paint is one who dslikes you, and
wishes you to do foolish thing. lie who gave you
to make more show than is wise
"Nether Of their opinions should you follow
If the shed is either black white, it will disagree
with the color of your house. Moreover, the black
paint will draw the sun, and cause the edges of
your boards to curl and split. and the white will
look well for little while and then become soiled,
and need painting anew.
" Now take my advice, and mix the black and
white together" So the cottager poured one pot
into the other, and mixed them up with his brushes,
and it made the very grey color which he liked,
and had used before upon his house.
He had in one corner of his small piece of land
a hopvine. He carefully gathered the ripened
hops, and his wife made beer of them, which re-
freshed him, when he was warm and weary.
1t had always twined around two poles which he
had fastened in the earth, 10 give it support. But
the cottager was fond of buding--and he made a
little arbor for it to upon, and cluster about.
He painted the arbor grey. So the rock and the
cottage, and the shed and the arbor, were all the
same grey color. And every thing around looked
neat and comfortable, though it small and poor.
When the cotager and his wife grew old, and
they were sitting together In their arbor, at the sun
set of summers day,
stranger, who seemed to be looking at the
country, stopped and inquired how every thing a
round that small habitation happened to be the same
shade of grey.
alt is we'll it should be So" said the cottager,-
"for my wife and |, you see, grey also. And
we have lived so long, that the world itself looks
old and grey to us now.'
Then he told him the story of the black and the
white paint, how the advice of all aged man
prevented him from making his little estate look
ridiculous when he was young
81 have thought of this circumstance" said he,
as often that it has given me instruction. He
who gave me the black paint proved TO be an enc
my and he who urged me to use the white, was
friend. The advice of neither was good.
"Those who love us too well are blind to see our
faults and thosg who dislike are not willing to
see our virtues. One would make us all white
the other all black. But neither of them right.
For we are of mixed nature good and evil, like
the grey print made of opposite qualities"
off, then, neither the counsel OF our foes, nor of
our partial friends, is safe to be taken, we should
cultivate correct Judgement, which, like the grey
paint, mixing botll together, may avoid the evil and
secure the good"