Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-12-24
From the Advocate Of Peace.
THE CRANBERRY PASTURE.
ny MRS. ELIZA LEE POLLEN.

"What is the matter with your eye, Frank :"
said his father, to Stout irolicksome-ooking boy
Of about twelve years of age.
"Only little bruse, father; nothing Of conse
quence But we have had prime fun this after
noon, and given it pretty well to the Mexicans."
"What do you mean :" said his father 81 hope
you have not been fighting"
81 will tell you father all about il for suppose
you will hear Of it, at any rate, for Mr. Lucas, the
Abohionist, says he means to come and tell you
the whole story, and you had better knowthe whole
truth beforehand"
"Well, Frank" said his father al hope you will
tell me the whole truth; for this know, shall
hear it from Mr. Lucas"
"You see, father, we boys some Of us, went yes
terday afternoon TO the Cranberry Pasture, which
you know you had dispute about with Mr. Brown,
and which you took possession of this Spring, by
putting a fence round it. You know that little
nook in it, which you ought TO have too, and that
it really belonged to the pasture, but which Mr.
Brown who once owned the whole, says is still his,
and that he will not give it up, and that Mr. Flint
cheated him out Of the rest well, you see, when
we went up there, and saw how awkward it looked,
we thought we would Just put some stakes round
this little nook Just as you had round the rest Of
the pasture, and notch your initials them to see
what old Brown would say, and call II ours. And
when autumn comes, we can gather all the cram
berries for Mr. Flint of whom you had The pas
ture says it ought in fact TO be yours, and that he
always called it his and gathered the cranberries il
he could but that Mr. Brown was obstinate about
il, and would not give it up While we were put
ting up the stakes yesterday, we heard Mr. Browns
boys, the little darkies, or Brownies as we call
them, calling out TO US to 60 oil their ground, as
they called il, but we laughed them, aud said il
was our land and not theirs, and dared them to
come on to it, or TO touch or move the stakes
which we were putting up. They looked at u.s.
but kept their distance and said nothing, but they
went of and called the boys from the next house
their cousins you know and then saw all their
woolly heads put together, planning what they
should do to US. We came home soon after we
had taken possession, determining that VIC would
60 to-day in force. and give them hogging il they
dared touch the posts we had put down. So We
all five went to-day after school, and there found
all eight Of the Brownies en- the ground All the
stakes pulled up, and then they with
sticks, ready 10 fight us il we came on their ground
as they called it, Well, you see, father, there wa,
nothing for us to do but TO defend ourselves. W.
could not help fighting, so we chose John Captain
and called ourselves the Americans, and the Brown
les the Mexicans, and we went at il like good lel
lows. We got sticks as well as they but though
there were only five of us, and eight of them, W,
had the advantage Of them, for took 10 keel
ourselves cool, aud we lodged their blows am
took care to hit them their heads, aud on thei
arms, so as to disable them, but they got mad, AM
you know they are all rather small and don't know
how to fight, and then people Of their color are us
ed TO being beaten, and at last they began TO run
and then we chased them TO the ditch that runs al
round their fathers little farm, and they were 81
frightened that only two or three of the slronges
of them stopped tojump over all the lest tumble
headlong in, and there we left them Laundering il
the mud You never saw anything look so funn
as they did Then we put up our stakes again, an
came home in triumph. John was as brave as Ju
Illus Cesar he fought with two or three of them a
time Tom lost one of his front teeth in the fight
by a stone, and feels rather foolish but we hav
had glorious time, aud have shown that we ar
brave fellows, and are worthy of the name of tru
Americans"
Mr. - heard his son all through without il
terrupting him. AT last when he had finished, h
asked him il he thought he had done right TO thes
poor colored boys Frank did not reply for som
time. AT last he said, "Father, should not thin
you would say we had done wrong. You kno'
you said you thought that the Americans wer
right in going into the Mexican territory and tab
ing possession Of it, and that you were glad thl
! they had taken Matamoros, and that you though
that the man who illuminated his Office on III
} night when he heard Of the victory, showed hi
patriotism We were only playing Mexican wa