Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-03-18
Gtlrtt Gales.
From the Columbian ,M1gaeine for March.
MINI MORRIS.

N"A u lCN 'iiNf w 'EF1 |
mother did weave linen for the neIghborhood'
was that any cause why Minnie herself shouIa
not be a beauty None at all, thought the good
fairy who. according to all story-books, presided
a, her debut into this sunshine and shadowy
world and so the little Minnie was forthwith
established in a perpetual CLEAN of sunshine
What else was it that made The room SO still and
dark when she was absent? What else was it
that SO lighted up every thing when she was
there?
Sic had bright hazel eyes, that matched the
color Of her hair to Il cham, and such MISCHIEF
Gus eyes, too, that seemed to say, I'VE know
something so funny, so very funny; but we wont
tell you" And whenever she burst into a fit ii
genuine laughter, Il circumstance by no means
unGrequent, she invariably covered them with her
hands, as if they had no right TO laugh, too.
If there was any thing in the world that Mrs.
Morris prided herself on, it was Minnie and
Minnie's hair. She seemed to consider Them
two separate and distinct objects Of admiration.
"Shc was certain that if Minnie had such a
frizzIed head as Sally Marsh's children, she new
err should have loved her half 50 we'll" And
one thing she was sure of, "if her child had
such haxy-lookIDg hair as the widow Smiths
little girls, she'd have it dyed before she was "A
day older"
NJ wonder she was proud Of those long,
smooth, Blown tresses and every day she plalt-
ed them with infinite care, and tied them with
gay ribbons that they were The admiration of
the curly-pated Marshes, and the pretty, blue
eyed, goIden-tressed little girls Of the widow
But Minnie herself had too much mischief to
attend to, to set any value on these precious
braids, ard besides, a sore trial to her patience
was it, to sit at her mothers feet half an hour
every morning, while they were arranged.
| think | said that Minuie's father was a poor
man but to be poor in the country is a very differ
ent thing from the same situation in the CITY,
There were as many genuine comforts in the
little brown, low-roo(ed cottage Of Andrew Nor
ris, as in the great red,brick house Of his land
lord, Peter De Roos for Andrew and his brisk,
tidy vile were NO sIuggaIds, but, emphaticqlly,
eariy and late workers. | know not why it was
that, frugal and Industrious as they were, they
never achieved anything beyond their present
support. There was no lack of economy, yet
still, year after year came round, aud in spite of
the hundred rods of. wall, and the dozen reels
of linen that had all been paid for, they were
just as far from weaIth as ever.
Had it not been for the sake Of the little Min.
ME this would have troubled them but little, and
as it was, it never kept sleep or health from The
c~ontented pair.
Minnie, (for m one ever knew her right name
until it was-but that is in the f%uturc,) Minnie
was sent to school. 1t was a very funny thing
for those bright eyes to spy out the great IS md
IS, The 'Schoo-ma'am,' Mary Law declared
that "she didn't make any more Of work than
if it was play"
In that. dlngy brown school-house all the educa-
ton which she ever receive was obtained. 1t
was not, indeed Of a very varied cast, nor was
1t long Ptotracted, but it was quite as good as
Peter De Roos saw fit to bestow on his only
child save one Winter at IL select school in the
ncighb,rhood, where the rule of three was car.
rled out farther, the mysteries Of Kirkham's
Grammar a little more unfolded, aud u rather
higher standard Of ex %;ellence set up for students
IN the abstract sciences of spelling and defining.
So, in the end, Harry De Roos considered HIM
self abundantly able to instruct his former
schooI-mate and playmate in these, as well as
in several minor matters.
1t is one of the privileges of the poor in the
country, that their children can attend the same
schools as those Of their more prosperous neigh.
bors, aud share their studies and their sports on
a perfect footing of eqality. In general they
cannot be distinguished from each other by THEN
dress, their manners, or their dispositions. The
children of the day-lnborcr, or the widowed
seamstress, have all the frank heartiness, the gay
unsecured temper, the genial warmth of affection
that Can possibly belong to those Of the land
lord, So no one ever thought of Gliding Ilar
ny for helping Minnie out with her long sums it
reduction, or carrying her basket home for her
or lifting her lIule s%prightIy self over The fence
For in spite Of his stern, coarse, hlrd-GeatureC
father, he was a generous and gentle boy.
Yes, in S%pite-Pcter De- Roos was a hard man
He was of an ancient Dutch fimiIy, that, as fin
back as their tenants grandsires could remember
were rich, misery, gripping men. To his hand,
had come dow the right to many a long, sunni
meadow, many a rood oI cornfleld and plclsan
groveland, stretched along The banks Of a wide
wasteiul creek, whose yearly foundations con
ferred additional fertility on the already iertil
fields. 1t was such a tract of land as is a para
disc to a Dutch farmer-Iow, sheltered and leve
Immense stacks Of hay and grain were clustere
costly together around the great red barns ia
oxen lowed over the bars, and a dozen slice
horses pronced idly about the pastures, the onl
unemployed creatures, capable Of work, thu
were tolerated on the premises.
A prominent point in the fiat picture was til
house Of the landlord; old, large, and as aristl
cratic as half "A dozen %chimnies, pointed gable
and a prodigious fancy window over the frol
hall-door could make it. 1t had, besides,
deep green lawn around it, in which, with GOO
taste, singular for their race, each propriett
had spread many a good weeping elm, and stou
compact maple. Yet even to the passing ira
plpr tho nlace ha1 n cbIIv E,rhidd,po ,eoo,t