The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-10-01

So Zebulon would have remained, and Liz
zy's marriage would have marked the date
of new bond of harmony and affection
But, just then, the youngest of Cas-
par's children called out to the great house,
dog which upon that day was unclaimed
that he might share the general joy "Tow
| Ter, To xler, there is Uncle Scissor legs -
The dog was good tempered enough, and in
capable of hurting a child but the little
rascals had more than once, when he was
chained up, Sc him at their uncle, 10 fight
en- uoor Zebulon. fowler row rushed from
under the table, and made furious charge
at the tailor's legs; Zcbulon, who was pre-
pared for everything, struck him severe
blow across the teeth with his walking-cane, +,
and at the same moment Caspar gave him
tremendous kick into the ribs, so that the
brute fled back bowling under the table
But Zebulon looked w'athfully at the fami-
ly, and said am going away; yon have
no need to bring dogs TO drive your nearest
relative away from his niece's wedding"
, Far quicker than he came he strobe 4 rough
the guests and disappeared behind the angle
of the house
Quietly went Zedulon through stubble-
field and pasture 10 the goldsmith in the
nearest town. sold him the chain, and drop
| ped the louis-d'ors he received for it into the
same pocket in which the chain had been
Then he crossed the market place to the Of
fee of the notary. had an hours conference.
and made an early appointment with
him for the next morning at his own house.
Then he returned home, joined the drink
ers at the village inn, and asked the barber
and farrier, the two greatest gossips in the
parish, 10 come TO him next morning, to VIII
ness lis signature. Upon their promising to
do so, he treated them to the best wine. and
played cards with them till late in the hight
In this way he got rid of two of the gold
pieces he had received for his gold chuin-
which was just what he desired. AT mid
night, when the marriage feast was at an end,
he went home and TO bed.
The notary came. the witnesses also
Zebuon had n female relation in the Obcr.
land, whom he could not bear, because she
had msconducted herself as a Young girl,
and disgrace TO the family had been with
great difficulty ayertqd by hasty marriage
To her and her children he now bequealhed
by will his house and land, and every thing
else he possessed with a clause, providing
that the bequest should be null and void, If
ever the heirs suffered the walls and the
Tow Of poplars to fall into decay, or if at H.
ny time they sold any portion of the land 10
his brother Caspar, or his descendants. The
notary's fees swallowed up the rest Of the
price Of tho chain, with the exception of Il
ten-groschen bit, which Zebulon threw into
the poorboX on the following Sunday He
strictly and repeatedly forbade Tie two wit
nesscs to diyugc what had passed They Of
course knew nothing more pressing than TO
tell it to everybody; and before evening
twenty tongues had repeated to Caspar, in
NN'A'NShSNi AhS SNlill tulss
Money weighs heavy everywhere, but cs.
pecially in country places, where men, and
often maidens, are valued by what they pos
sess. Caspnr soon observed that he no lon
ger passed for half so rich man MS former
ly. 1t was very well known that Zebulon,
from his garden, and his rich meadows, and
!
his tailor's trade, derived about as good an
income as did Caspar from his farm and
that, moreover, having neither chick nor
child, be did not spend tithe of his gains
Besides this, he had his fathers solid we'll
built house, whilst Caspar had the unsafe
newly reconstructed dwelling by the waters
edge; and when the property of the latter
came to be divided amongst twelve children,
the share of each would be very small in
deed. BY the neishbors, both old and
young, all these calculations were quickly
made. The mayors son Of a neighboring
village had long been paying attention TO
Anna, Caspars second daughter, (ihe same
who had pulled Michael of his uncle's stair.
case } and on Lizzy's wedding day they had
almost come to an understanding but now
he kept away and for long time Anna
looked far less pert than was her wont
Caspar himself had hoped to be chosen as
sessor at the next opportunity; but when II
came to an election. everybody said it was
not proper to besiow that Office on man
who was at feud with one of his neichbors,
and so the choice fell upon richer peasant,
although he, instead of one enemy, had At
least half dozen. In his own house. too.
Caspar had daily fresh vexations 10 endure.
His wife reproaehed him with his obstinacy,
saying she had never seriously intended him
to build on that damp spot by the river.
His children, in whose hearts the seeds oil
hatred had early been sown, had learned
whilst playing tricks on their uncle, to des-
pse the parents who conniyed at their mis-
conduct The elder sons and daughters
looked upon their father and mother as the
cause Of their losing their unclo's rich inner
itance and Auna, abandoned by suitors had
not good word left for her parents. The
curse of hatred was upon the whole family
and Caspar, rs he followed his oxen across
his fields, would often say to himself--"Were
but three years younger, well know what
! would do. But since this has lasted three
years, It must last till my death" And there
upon, he struck the goad so sharply into the