Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-03-18
miscellaneous.
From the Columbian Magazine.
M N ME M o r RIS.
BY NJ. NJ. c.

If Minnie Morris's father was wall-ay-
er, and poor man to boot and if Minnie
Morris's mother did weave linen for the
neighborhood, was that any cause why Min
ME herself should not be a beauty None
at all, thought the good fairy who, according
to all the story-books, presided at her debut
into this sunshine and shadow world and
SO the little Minnie was forthwith established
in perpetual CLEAN of sunshine. What
else was it that made the room so still and
dark when she was absent What else could
1t be that so lighted up everything when she
was therel
She had bright hazel eyes, that matched
the color of her hair to charm, and such
mischievous eyes, too, that seemed to say,
we know something so funny, so very fun
ny; but we won't tell you" And whenev-
er she burst into fit of genuine laughter,
circumstance by no means unfrequent, 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 Min
ME and Minnie's hair. She seemed to con-
slider them two separate and distinct objects
of admiration. She was certain that if
her child had had such a frizzled head as
Sally Marsh's children, she should never
have loved her half so WELL" And one thing
she was sure of eff her child had such
haxy-looking hair as the Widow Smiths lit
tie girls, she'd have it dyed before she was
day older"
No wonder she was proud of those long,
smooth, brown uesses and every day she
plated them with infinite care, and tied them
with gay ribbons that were the admiration
of the curly-pated Marshes, and the pretty,
blue-eyed, golden-tressed little girls of the
widow. But Minnie herself had too much
mischief to attend to, to set any value Oh
those precious brads, and besides, 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 Minnie's father was
poor man but to be poor in the country is
very different thing from the same situa-
ton in the city There were as many gen.
uine little comforts in the brown, low-roofed
cottage of Andrew Morris, as in the great
red-brick house of his landlord, Peter De
Roos for Andrew and his brisk, tidy wife
were no sluggards, but, emphatically, early
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 e.
economy, yet still, year after year came round,
and 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
wealth as ever.
Had it not been for the sake of the little
Minnie this would have troubled them but
little, and as it was, it never kept sleep or
health from the contented pair.
Minnie, (for no one really knew her right
name until it was--but that is in the future J
Minnie was sent to school, 1t was very
funny thing to those little bright eyes to spy
out the great Os and SIS. The school.
maam, Mary Law, declared that " she
didn't make anything more of work than il
it was play"
In that dingy brown school-house all the
education which she ever received was OBJ
tanned. 1t was not, indeed, of very varied
cast, nor was it long protracted, but it was
quite as good as Peter De Roos saw fit tC
bestow on his only child save one winter
at a select school in the neighborhood, where
the rule of three was carried out farther
the mysteries of Kirkham's Grammar a lit
tie more unfolded, and a rather higher stan
dard of excellence set up for students in the
abstract sciences of spelling and defining
So, in the end, Harry De Roos considered
himself abundantly able to instruct his for
mer school-mate and playmate in these, a
well as in several minor matters.
1t is one of the privileges of the poor il
the country, that their children can atten'
the same schools as those of their NOR
prosperous neighbors, and share their studio
and their sports on perfect footing OF equal
ity. In general, they cannot be distinguish
ed from each other by their dress, their man
ners, or their dispositions. The children {
the day-laborer, or the widowed seamstress
have all the Observation-Disclosures, the gay, III
soured temper, the genial warmth of affeC
ton that can possibly belong to those of tn
landlord. So no one ever thought of CHI
ding Harry for helping Minnie out with he
long sums in reduction, or carrying her bai
ket home for her, or lifting her little sprigh
ly self over the fence. For in spite of hi
stern, coarse, hard-featured father, he was
generous and gentle boy
Yes, in spite-Peter De Roos was har
man. He was of an ancient Dutch famil,
that, as far back as their tenants grandsr'
could remember, were rich, misery, gripin
men. To his hands had come down Il
right to many long, sunny meadow, mar
rood Of cornheld and pleasant groyelan