The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-09-30
From the Nonparcil
Love and Duty a Tale Of Hum
BILE Life,


BY WILLIAM II. BURLEIGu.
| My heroine had not a very pootical name
am sorry for it, but the responsibility is in no
degree mine. Had she only been St. Clair,
Il Fitz Allan, or even a Pembcrton, Ran
dolph, Or Harper, could hope to interest
the reader in her by the mere force Of ari5to-
cratic associations, In fact, almost any dis
syllable name, with the possible exception Of
Niuggins, would be preferable to the one she
inherited from her father--but as this is
veritable history, | must be true to the rec
ord, and write her patronymic as her pro-
gcnitors wrote it-STIGGs.
But this is not the worst Of it. Her ma
ternal grandmother insisted upon bequcath-
ing her own name to the child-and conse-
quenty, the trightncd innocent was chris
tened DEBBY. DEBBY STIGGs Why,
such a name would be inevitable destruction
to any romance--but I'm not writing ro-
nance, and there's comfort in that, if not in
the name. Think me not either whimsical or
stubborn in this mattcr-tor protest that
the right Of choice is not permitted to me.
l have tried hard to convert Debby into De-
borah-but the old Family Bible, and the
town Register, are both against me-. In the
one, the father of my heroine, and in the 9TH
er, the Town Clerk, have legbly written
DEBBY-and for me to add another syllable,
or even to change single letter. would throw
suspicion upon the historical accuracy of this
narrative. So it mustremain DEBBY STIGGs.
/ have another confession to make on be-
half Of my heroine, which is no less humilia-
ting to my autorial vanity. She wu5 not Jeou-
3W-Beauty might have atoncd in some de-
gree, for her unaristocratiC, not 10 say I'M
couth, appcllation, But, alas Debby had it
not. To call her red locks, auhurA-to say
that her invcterae strabismus merely gave her
an arch eXpresslOn-or to au.,m that her
dumpy form was the incarnation of grace,
would be to take greater license than is al
lowed to poets, overland could not for mo-
ment be tolerated in sober prose. Dcbby
was short, flt and club-footed. OF course,
she could not dance. Neither did she sing,
or play on the piano-torte. may as well
make a clean breast of it, at once, even at the
peril Of disgusting all Of my economically in
clined readers-Debby was deficient in all
the accomplishments taught at fashionable
Boarding Schools She could neither draw,
play, nor waltz. As for French, German and
Italian, she scarcely knew that such languages
were spoken upon the earth.-NeitEer did
she possess what is popularity termed genius.
She never wrote Lines on the death ola Ca
nary Bird nor loyc-stories for the popular
Magazines. In fact, it was but indiHerently
that she wrote her own name.-Her cduca-
ton, am sorry to say, was sadly neglected.
Yet she could read her Bible pa75ably well
had some knowledge Of the simple rules OF a.
rithmetic-and was profoundly versed in all
the mysteries Of the scu,lery- Nay, my I'M
fedged angel, fresh from the hands of the
milliner, with your head full Of romance
turn not SO contemptuously from MY homcly
and humble heroine-ior a true woman'5 heart
may beat beneath coarse bodice--and
cleaning dishes is an occupation which your
grandmother knew as much about, probably,
as the unassuming DEBBY STIGGs.
Though without beauty, genius or accom-
plishments, Debby was neither unloyeIy nor
loyeless. Herconstant good nature, her quiet
cheelfulncss, and IA hearty kindness that
showered, unconsciously, its benciactlons up
on all within the sphere Of her influence, not
only won the friendship other female ASSOC
ciates, but to onc, at least OF Tie Steiner sex,
so made manifest q beautiful character, as to
call forth for her proiounder sentiment than
admiration. To watch tie toil!ing, busting,
busy little body, with herple0amlt gray eyes,
her wide mouth, made SO, apparently, that
there might be more of it to snile) herround,
shining, good-humored face and her ever
active hands, as she went from duty to du-
ty, not only performing her Cwn tasks with a
happy heart, but frequently lending her aid
to some less efficient teliow-toiier, and, with
kind words and generous deeds, Stunning the
darkest passages Of her humble life, was
most delightful occupation to the good JoAb
Brown. Lie was a stage-driycr, and at a time
when, with that class Of men, intemperance
was the rule and sobriety the exceptions, was
Il water-drnker, correct in all his habits, and
alike careful and prompt in the performance
Of his multifarious duties. The terminus OF
his route, every alternate day, was at the
tavern where Debby was at seryiec-and
when the passengers were discharged, the
baggage unloaded, and his tired horses sta
bled, rubbed down, and provided with poycn-
der, Joab, with an allowed lamiliartywou
repair to the kitchen, and while watching the
preparations for supper, entertain the %'rs
with anecdotes Of the road, and listen to their
gossip in return. When he first saw Dcbby,
he laughed at her perverse Squnt and her
red hair-but she laughed as heartily rs HIM
SELF and seemed to think that Nature de-
signed her as capital joke. She 5cas little
sensitive, however, about her lameness, but
Joab had too good heart to riliculc such an
Iinfrmity-and, in fact, he almost forgot it,
when he saw with what alacrity she fastened
to the help of others, whenever sickness, accl-
dent, infrmity, or any manifested need or
wish made an appeal to her sympathies. Be-
sides this, there was a vigorous common sense
which shone through her good humor, in
spite of all deficiencies of education-and, if
it did not atone for her want fpolish, showed