Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-06-15

left school and returned home, she found "a
step-mother, who did not treat her kindly,
and became n severe taskmistress to her
thinking. A troop of gpses coming into
the neighbornood, she secretly formed their
acquaintance; and in the end eloped with
their chief, Mr.. Johnnie Lee by name, and
became his wife. After leading a wander
ing life for many years, she had induced her
: husband to settle here, from a desire that
their unfortunate children should receive a
Christian education, as she termed it, and
also because relative Of her husbands was
hourishing ny-proprietor in the vicinity,
and might forward their views. But her
husband was rover by nature idle and
careless; and all she had been able to do
was to establish donkey business, and to
attend TO it herself She declared that the
pure air and The untrammeed freedom of
her mode Of life, was suitable to her taste /;
and we pressed her no further, poor crea-
ture !"
Such was the tale heard too singular
and improbable for fictitious narrative,
too extravagant for invention i, induced
me to pay visit, after the hours of donkey
usage were over, to Mr.. Johnnie Lees hut
servation, that :" the pits" contained wretch
ed novels, and still more wrcchcd inhab-
tants but the one | now entered was
worse than had venturcd TO anticipate. Il
consisted of only two rooms; the under one
with mud floor and with the ceiling brok-
en-, and the upper flooring projecting through
| | did not ascend the ladder leading to thot,
for ] saw quite enough below TO surprise
and bewildcr me. A scene like this so near
my own comfortable home, and in the midst
of the rigorous prophecies of conventional
| life and a woman of nearly the same
grade originally as myself, of nearly the
same bringing up, thus outraging the com
mon decences life How far beyond the
saddcst tales of romance or the widest Wis
ions of fancy. Her three children were
around her, suppng on potatoes: but there
was no snowy cloth on the lettering board,
no clearly basins of new milk, no fresh
! flowers i'll wicker-baskctS, nothing as it
would have been were relating fctim-
Outside there were no honey-bees or garden
plots, where sweet thyme, and mint, and
sunlowers grow; nothing but foul donkey
sheds adjoining, where, amid damp fodder
and noisome stencil, rested tho weary ami
mails ere they were turned out on the COM
mon to shift for themselves during the night.
The gipsey 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 II chest which
stood in one corner, containing the rags OF
the family, and amidst them lay concealed
her sole earthly treasures her fathers min
ature; some school-bDoks, with her maiden
name inscribed in them, which lorbear
recording; and some torn and yclIow-lool-
ing musIc-the music which she had Offer
cd tho loan of to my acquaintance. She
gave me no further explanations made no
comments; but she did confess, that if it
should please God to alflict her with sick
ness she knew not what would become ol
them. To her own father aud family she
had been the same as dead since her dis
graceful clopemcnt. She had indeed pur-
chased pure air aud untrammclcd freedom,
at a fearful price Poor thing with a
smile on her lip, but with a tear in her eye
she added 81 do wish my children to re-
cciye Christian education aud when
look on them, and particularly on my littlc
Mazclil, and remember their inheritance,
dare not think. But have chosen my lot
My husband does not beat or il-use nc
he has given up many bad practices for my
sake; and if he is rather fond of the shelter
of the public house, ought to complain o
that Do not shed tears for me; ] have nc
feeling for myself" And she said truly. A
woman destitute Of feeling seems an anon
ally in human nature; but this she must be
and fine sympathes arc wasted when eN
pended on her But for the poor children
my heart still bleeds, Gentle blood flows il
their veins, for the tics of relationship can
not be broken; and what curious family
party would be formed of the mingled race
the most decorous and prosperous of til,
middlng classes of community in jnxtapo
siton with the refuse of humani,y-thcycs
Migrants and donkey-drivers