The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-05-20
Written for the Voice of Freedom.
THE CHOICE.

In the lovely village of N, one of tho'
stirring and thriving little places, of which s
many be seen,as the traveller passes from ca
to west, through the fertile valleys Of the mic
die and western portions OF the state OF Ne
York, there lived, short time since, an Of
gentleman, whose white hairs had borne tn
trosts of some seventy winters. He oWne
and occupied the beautiful mansion which S
invariably attracted the attention OF st9n
gers,who from time to time passed through tn
village The building itself was not OF the mos
fashionable style or costly material; nor wcrt
the grounds laid out in more attractive man
ner,nor the out-hou3es and fences Constructed
SO very different from others. But there wa
neat, cheerful, quiet appearance about the
whole, which bespoke its occupant to be one
of those old fashioned country gentlemen, who
are now becoming almost extinct ;--onc who
though wealthy, did not take every opportu-
nifty to display it, and one, too who eslima.
ted not his neighoors' worth by their pockets
-f5r he remembered the time when he first
set out i'll the world, poor, as regards money,
but rich in health, and endowed with will
before which all distinctions to his onward
course had been removed.
Ola Large, lovely and happy family, Judge
Is. had followed to the tomb, one after anoth-
or, his beloved children, until only two re-
lnained,a son and daughter,-and as the part
ner of his youth had also deceased, it may
easily be inferred that upon the remaining
two were conferred all the hopes and aAec-
ton of an only parent.
| pass over a lapse of years after these af-
iilctlve events, rcmarking, as | proceed, that
after Il long and painful consideration of the
subject, the parent decided upon sending his
children to distant city, where a relative re-
sided, that they might enjoy the advantages Of
a more enlightened society, and gain a r2iin
ed educatlon the father making a sacrifice Of
all his parental feelings at the thought Of
separation, he considering the plan as essen
tial to thei: future welfare. And he was
strongly urged to pursue this plan by his son
and daughter, they thinking it something !
grand to 90 10 the city, and live in fashona
bic style; though the old gentleman more
than once feared that it might not be the best
IN the end. 1t had just then began to be the
rage, that to give youth good education, well |
bred manners, and Il thorough intimacy with |
genteel society, they must be sent off to some
noted Seminary or college, in some large town
or clty,-a' any ordinary institution of learn
ing within a tc0 miles around, could not af
ford all the advantages Of one Of the same
kind, though, perhaps, located in granite
building, some hundred miles Distant
-
The morning of the 10th of June was ush-
cred in upon the village of N. with all the
freshness and beauty which glorious sun and
a genial cline could lend to this lovely month.
The birds carroled forth their joyous notes,
as they 1uttcred from Dough to Dough, and
the dew upon the grass sparlled in the sun
beams, as the orb Of day lifted its head above
the distant mountain. The loveline3s of the
morning seemed apropitious harbinger to the
events that were soon to transpire. Edgar
and Emma B. had returned, after long abb
sence, from their respective semnaries, and
this day Judge B., in honor of their return,
had invited the young people of the neigh
borhood to a picnic party.
In the afternoon, according to invitation
there assembled at the appointed place all the
youth and beauty ofth town. After the sal
ltations were exchanged, and the prelimina- I
rieS settled, the happy throng wendell their
way to a small lake near at hand and upon
reaching its bank, they embarked in several t
title pleasure boats, which were built and |
lsed for pastimc by wealthy individuals in the |
leighborhood the sails were spread to catch
he passing breeze, and the tiny fleet were {
Don leaving the shore, and pointing their c
curse to IL lovely little island, that rose to S
view two or three miles in the distance. The i
un was little past the meridian, and poured
is rich effulgence upon the ripping waters |
he summer gale swept over the unobstructcd a
surface of the lake anon swelling the bellying Y
ails to their utmost, and lifting the prows of c
Inc Swimming craft from the waters bosom, a
While their wake was whitened by the whrling t
oam. f
The island was soon reached, the boats f
we're fastened to the shore, and the party pro- a
:eeded to the adjacent grove. 1t is unneces- y
AIRY to describe the picnic in particularly n
ufiice it to say, that everything had been a
rranged by some elderly persons, and the u
'oung people enjoyed themselves to the ut |
aoSt After partalling of the dinner, the a
ompany separated into groups, and stroIlcd +
'ver the island and upon the time arriving d
or their departure the signal was given by d
he person who had been elected captain Of b
he fleet, and as the sound of the horn was a
earl by the strag glerS-that being the skip n
'ers substitute for u speaking trumpet-they t.
wondered that they should be summoned to il
'eturn SO SOON but CHANGING at the sinking h
un, We're reminded that time and wind wait c
or none and in a short time the boats were Il
lied, the canvass spread to the declining q
breeze, and they were borne back to the t
naia shore, while q song was sung by some t
me Of the party, or the sweet notes of well r
played b1g'e We're echoed back from the sur a
'oundjng nils. l.
While thus returning, let us review more [
loosely som2 few Of the persons that hal just
eft this lovely, lake-girt island. Elgar and j
Emma B. had at first felt rather di(Iident and t
formal, for they bad just returned from c
society which was constituted upon a different c
basis They had imbibed certain arislocratic t
notions concerning wealth, different degrees {
d. castles Of society, &c, which stood in the |
way OF their enjoying themselves quite as (
well as the others. But by degrees these feel ,
ings were forgotten, at least for the present,