The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-08-26

company WIN II VOluDle luuY, WHO uau coHlS
to Our neighborhood for change of air, and
was ordered by her medical attendant to take
donkey exercise, She was full of "most
singular adventure she had met wiIh-a per-
feet romance in real life and her gossip, to
my great satisfaction, related to the donkey
woman. "Yesterday morning" said she,
"my young friend Miss II. and myself had
donkeys brought to our door early for long
excursion aud while trotting along, attended
by frank, rosy-looking female, we began
speaking to each other in French, not wish
ing tho driver to understand our conversa-
lion. After n while, however, the donkey
woman said very quietly, Ladies', 1t is as
well TO tell you that understand French
We were ut first speeclless from surprise,
and then from not knowing what to say--a-
fraid ofsomething, we could not tell what !;
although she was by no means intrusive, but
behaved with perfect propriety. BY and by,
in order to break the awkward silence, re-
marked TO Miss X. how well the singing had
been conducted mt St. Marks church on the
preceding Sunday evening, when very beau
Iful choral hymn had been sung, aud the
chanting exqusitey continued. We regret
ted that neither of us remembered the COM
poser's name, MS we desired to procure the
music.
Il have it at home, ladies' said the donkey
drivers 'it is taken from an old oratorio, and
is part of my school music. was at ST.
Marks on Sunday evening, and felt pleased
to hear il again
She then offered 10 lend us the music in
question and this, was modestly and simply
said, just us five must know her history, and
therefore ought not or need not feel astonsh-
ed at such discrepancies, However, when
we did express our surprise, she simply mar
rated her story, which is this: She was the
only Child ola wealthy farmer by his first
marriage, and her mother dying during her
childhood, she was placed at boarding school
! for young ladies, where she received the usu-
al education. But she was idle, and huted
learning, and when she left school and re-
turned home, she found step-mothcr who
did not treat her kindly,and became severe
taskmistress, to her thinking. A troop of gip-
sizes coming into the neighborhood, size Sc
cretly formed their acquaintance; and in the
end eloped with their chief, MIR Johnnie Lee
Ivy name, aud become his wife.
After leading n wandering life for many
years. she had induced her husband to settle
here, from desire that their unfortunate
children should receive Christian educa-
ton rs she termed it, and also because n
relative of her husbands was flour
shing hy-proprielor in the vicinity, and
might forward their views. Hat her husband
was n rover 10y nature idle and careless and
all she had been able to do was to establish
n donkey business, and TO attend it herself.
She declared that the pure air, and uutram-
clled freedom other mode Of life, was sut;-
bic to her taste aud we pressed her no fur
! Ihcr. poor creature
Such was the tale ] heard: too singular
and Improbable for fictitious nnlr ltive 100 ex-
travagaut for invention. 1t induced me to
pay visit, after the hours of donkey lrsag G
were over, 10 MIR Johnnie Lees hut by the
caverns. knew by previous observation
! that the pits contained wretched novels md
still more wretched inhabitants but the one
| now entered was worse than | had VEN
turcd to anticipate. 1t consisted Of only two
rooms the under one with a mud floor. and
with the ceiling broken, aud the upper floor
! ing projected through. | did moi ascend the
ladder leading to that, for saw quite enough
below to surprise and bewIder me.
A scene like this, so near my own comfor-
Die home, and in the midst of the rigorous
proprietes of conventional life and a wo-
man of nearly the same grade originally as
myself, of nearly the same bringing up, thus
ontraging the common decencies of life =
How far beyond the saddcst tales of romance
or the widest visions of fancy Her three
children were around her, supping on potar
toes; but there was no snowy cloth on the
tOlteriug board, clearly basins of new milk,
no fresh flowers in wicker baskets, nothing
fiction. Outside there were no honey bees
or garden plots, where sweet thyme, and
mint and sunhowers grow nothing but foul
donkey-sheds adjoining. where amid damp
fodder and noisome stanch, rested the weary
animals ere they were turned out on the COM
mon to shift for themselves during the night.
The gypsy husband was not there. | did
not ask for him, for ! guessed his haunt but
too well. 1t was an 'owre true tale' had
| heard, and this was the moral,
Johnnie Lees wife opened closet which
stood in one corner, containing the rags of
the family, and amidst them lay concealed
her earthly treasures: her fathers miniature;
some SCHOOL books with her maiden name
inscribed in them, which torbear recording;
and sonIe torn and yellow looking music
the music which she had offered the loan 70
my acquaintance. She gave me no further
explanation: made no commputs; hut she did
confess that lift should please God 10 afflicl
her with sickness, she knew not what would
become of them, To her own father and fam
lily she had been the same rs dead since hel
disgraceful elopeInent. She had indeed pur-
chased pure air and untramnelled freedom
at fearful price Poor thing with smile
on her lip, but with tear in her eye, she nd
ded, i do wish my children to receive chris
tan educalion; and when l look OH them
particularly OH my little Mazelli and remenl.
Der their inheritance, dare not think. Blu!
haye chosen my lot. My husband does moi
beat or i'll Use me; lie has given mp many bad
practises for my sake; and ms he is rather fond
Of the shelter of,the public house, ought /! to
complain of that? Do not shed tears for me
have no feeling for myself And she said
truly. A woman destitute ofieelng seems
an anomaly in human nature; but Ihs sht
must be,and fine sympathies are wasted wher
expended on her, But for the poor little