Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-18
THE GREEN MOUNTAIN Z

] nevolencO.
On his way home, as the sun began TO
: beam down warmly from the east, he saw a
: man, worn with travel, sitting weary by the
: wayside. He accosted the tired stranger,
to know if both we're going the same road +;
an affirmative from the stranger, who look.
ed little surprised at the invitation which
followed-to take the comfort of his shelf.
cred wagon-ended in procuring him cool
seat for few miles of his journey, at least.
The faint and weary man had travelled all
night without food, and when the good farm
err had given him the last crumb from the
remaining contents of his travelling box, he
thought of his fruits, and drew them from
their safe place under the seat, knowing
that the empty basket would be pleasant
err gift to his wife with the knowledge that
its fruits had cheered the Gainting stranger,
than all together, hearing of his want.
Nay, nay, my good friend; will not
taste them. This is something you have
bought in market for your children or your
wife. cannot take this
Not at all friend carried it with me
and not finding a ready sale, chose to keep
it but, my dear sir, l will tell you thing
of it, that will make the Guit all the sweet.
err
The hungry man was too much tempted
by the earnestncss Of the offer, and the rich
SAVIOR of the fruit ITSELF to refuse longer
so he took one fat plum tenderly from its
green bed, as if he almost pitied to remove
) it, and put its purple cheek to his parched
lips, as John began to tell him the history
of the fruit-basket.
In the small village whence | came,
and where ! have lived these four years
past, there is a little invalid boy, the young
est son of widow. She has two children
beside; and then he went on to tell how
she struggled against poverty, and how the
little ones had helped her-evcn the little
sick boy-and how all the village children
helped them; and then to the private histo-
ny of that little basket and never con-
cIuded the honest chronicler, was more
blessed creature in this world, woman
with more blessed helpers for children than
poor widow Downlee of Greenyak.
What so strangely unpalatable was there
in that last sweet plum, that it should fall
back with the falling hand so suddenly from
the halfsatated lip of the stranger -! What
in the words or look OF the good farmer,
that they should draw so inquiring gaze
from the eye Of the pilgrim? The driver
opportunity noted it not and the stranger
resumed his countenance again; but the
eagerness of his questions, and his earnest
attention to their answers, showed that an
unwonted interest had been kindled and
another would have noticed hot tear rol.
ling in the strangers eye, as the good John,
WHO would not seem to see it, if he did,
told of the patient, suffering, happy little
! Charlie
AT length the big market wagon of neigh
Dor John halted before the gate of the poor
widow, and the pleasant boy saw one alter
another ofthc little treasures their articles
had procured, handed out to his smiling
mother, and then he laughed with quiet
little glee, as the good neighbor drew a
bright halEdolar from his pocket, saying,
and this IS for Charles moss basket; and
now, mother Downlee, ig l guess right, here
is something more for YOU and he slept a.
, side to let the impatient stranger come for
ward from the back part Of the wagon, and
in a moment more, with shrek of lecog-
, milton, the astonished wife was in the arms
7 of her husband.
When he saw them safely through the
5 first wild transport, neighbor John drove to
/ his home, man thrice blessed for bis small
: kindnesses.
Robert Downlee knelt by the chair Of his
invalid son, and pressed him to his heart
! The boy showed no frantic demonstrations
; but an intense Joy shone in his spiritual eye
as he locked his thin arms around his ia
! theirs neck.
/ IL knew it would be so A sweet dream
a a pale thin.winged creature, with beautiful
=, eyes, told me you was not dead, and We
a should see you again, and then should g
l away and be an angel, and live with you al
5 without any pain; and you, and mother ,an(
e Bob, and Ellen, would be happy and dwell
i together, and feel my joy among you at al
, times. o father, knew, and told mother
e but she was so sad to think it all, she woul'
= not believe any of it."
j. "Nay, darling, half believed it, or thi
It meeting would have been too sudden joy
and for the sadness of one part of that tale
| was reader to believe the other"
t Fail us it would to tell the joy and silen
J. blessedness of that meeting, mingled a
Q they were with sad prophecy of bereave
c m9nt, we can only catch from the man
n Words and more deep looks, the simple ste
S ry of the husbands return, which told tina
o the shot which wounded him, threw him in
r to the sea-that he lloated on a silver G
d their vessel, till the British picked him up
|. he recoyered-.was imprisoned and cou
o strained three years, when, beggald an
d weak he was let loose IN the wilderness c
s. London, and, without friends or money, h
d sought passage for America was disaE
Ie pointed and reduced to the lowest need
n He toiled on the wharves and became POI
h. ter, and starved on, till he got the none
necessary for his passage, and had landed bu
|, aeweek before in New York, from whenc
IS he had labored on till the good farmer foun
|; him pinniless and exhausted by the roa(
k side. His letters had never reached the
IN destination, and the first CLEAN of any know
h. ed e Of his existence came with his pre-.
he ence-if indeed the premonitins ofthe kee
sy nerved Charlie, were not magnetic col
a seriousness of his approach.
he When school was done, Bob and nimblt
n footed Ellen came tripping, eager to see tn
product of their toll. Little Ellen ran fir.
s. into the room where all were mute and Sc,
u, ing stranger, shrunk to her mothers sid
ne abashed. Bob halted moment with tn
r. sudden surprise, and glancing at the strar