The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-06-19


he was seen less frequently, and ere the Win
ter commenced, had again disappeared; ant
thus for two years had he come and gon,
like the birds that shape their course will
the sun, or us those false friends, who, in TN
dark hour OF adversely, fly the home that cher
ished them in brighter DAYS.
During this time Bobby had been occasion
ally at school, taking little share in its rou
tine OF duties, yet apparently intent upon hi
DOCK. Ills disappearance every Winter haC
become so much matter ofcourse that il
iad ceased TO excite any surprise, and unit
the afternoon when Mr. Bray granted us the
holiday and exhibited so much emotion when
referring 10 him, we had looked upon him
but as fellow schoolboy, and his peculari.
lies, from becoming familiar to us, had Gems
ed to be viewed rs such. Now. however a
well spring otthought had been opened and
bobby was the subject Of our boyish CONVEX
sntlon, when, ms the twilight dnrkened into
night, we sat together in some unoccupied
wagon in the quiet street ofthe village.
The result of these nightly cogitatons was
an intense desire on our part to learn the ma
ture of this mystery, and, after much deliber-
ntion, we determined to seek the solution
from Mr. Bray himself Accordingly one day
about week after the opening ofour story,
we plucked up courage and asked him if he
wouldn't be so good as TO relate the history
OF Bobby Trcmaine and Janet Simmonds.
The old man promised that he would do so
on the following Saturday afternoon when he
took us, as he frequently did, for walk
through the fields. lie was as good as his
word, and, sitting down with his back against
the trunk Of a tree and placing us in semi
circle before him, thus commenced:-
81 need not fell Won NV bnpS what N ham
tiiul girl little Janet Simmonds was, for YOU
all remember her well; her graceful form and
morry pranks, as she once sported in these
fields, her bright eyes sparkling with the en-
filtration exercise, and the ringing laugh
so full of joyousness, gave little indication
that she would so soon be laid in the cold
churchyard.
"When think other as she was, with the
health glow on her cheek, and her fair ring
lets artlessly curling round her head, and us
she is, lying there in her shroud, it seems as
though had awoke from pleasant dream,
and that little Janet was only being of my
imagination. She was n good child-not too
good for the earth, as some persons are apt
TO say when children die--no, my boys. there
is nothing too good for the earth which God
made for us-yet think Janet was good G.
nough for Heaven, for purer spirit never
went back TO its Creator
"Bobby and Janet were brought up togeth-
or, for she was an orphan and became the
child of the village; she was adopted by us,
as 1t were, and the especial charge other was
given TO the widow Trcmaiuc. When she
could yet scarcely toddle, they were seen
hand in hand visiting the houses ofthe neigh
bors, or rolling on tho grecnsward opposite
their own door. As they grew up their love
of each other seemed to increase, and neither
of them appeared to be so happy rs when
together they wandered through the fields,
plucliing the buttercups and daisies with
which Bobby used TO form a mimic wreath
for her head. Her mild, expressive free and
full blue eye possessed for him even then,
young as he was, an unaccountabe witchery
| remember he said TO me one day that when
he thought of Janet strange ideas entered his
mind-of Heaven and of angels, who he fan
cied must he beings ofeXcceding beauty for
ever singing there. And then he would ask
Janet TO sing, for as she would be nm angel
he felt sure hers must therefore he the melo-
dy ofangcIs; for Bobby was very sensible
child-too much so for one of his age. How
often we have remarked that his head was
too old for his shoulders, or his brain too
large for his head. Well Janet was the star
ofhs destiny, and fatal destiny it had been
he seemed 10 live only in her, MS though
her heart governed the throbbing of his own.
"But little Janet died-died Just when her
loneliness began to unfold. We saw that she
drooped-that her step lost its lightness-her
eye lis brightness. Death had commenced.
his work near some vital part, and ere we
could discover the cause of the change, she
was gone. ] WAS with her when she died.
Bobby stood by me with the little hand of
Janet in his own, which was scarcely larger,
watching the suffering child. Poor boy it
was his first introduction to death bed, and
he looked bewildered, as though he felt that
something dreadful was about TO happen
but he knew not what. He could not realize
the idea that the loved companion of his
childhood was about to leave him forever,
and it was only when she gently drew him
towards her & whispered, "Bobby, Pm going
to die" that he seemed to suspect the truth. |
lie then threw hmsefon the bed in burst
OF sorrow, and when he again looked up she
had ceased to suffer. That was a painful
and solemn scene, my children, and | can't
help weeping now when recall it,"
The old man seemed much moved and it
was many minutes before he resumed. We
all sat in breathless attention, anxious to hear
the remainder of the story, and fearing TO
change our position lest we should break
the charm it had thrown around us. After a
while he continued:
eve had little difficulty in removing Bob
by from the room, for he was totally helpless,
and remained seemingly unconscious of eve
rythlng for several weeks after the funeral.
He, however, gradually recovered, and one
day surprised his mother by asking her to
take him to the grave ofJanot. She did so,
and from that time until the Winter had fair
ly set in he visited it daily, planting flowers
around and upon it, and making it the par
terre 1t appears at present, 1t was remark
ed, however, as the days shortened, that n
change came over poor Bobby-his mind
was not right, and although for several weeks