The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-04-19
THE RAFT;
on,
THE WIDOWS TWO SONS.
ny nEv, TODD

The reader will rcculcct the cold uudcGn-
ed, aud owlul feeling which comes over him
az no begins 10 descend TO enter the "Notcl"
of the White Mountains, 10 look at "tho old
man Of the mountains" These feelings and
this scenery shall not now undertake TO des-
cribo but just "a ho bcgins 10 enter the for
est, passing from Frnnconia, he will also rec
ollect road running at right angles to TINT
which ho travels. Woll, il was some l.tilc
distance dagrn this Lonely raltl. that the ANAL
wood.coorcd dwelling Of Widow Howe stood
at the time am commencing my story.
Some year, before this, young sailor had
unnccountally wandered up "ths way from
the waters" aud soon found tic that bound
him here. This was.a prctty gh, who con-
senirdNo marry him ON the hnnl condition
that he would no more 90 tosc1. II cothJm
much rumination as hc sat alone thinking it
over an,l many cig,r wa, turned into ashes
IN uying to so1thc him into a,quius cu.c.--
Acuuicsac, however, he l'd and they wrrc
married aud -purchiscd the lili'o lomn'o |
have mentioned. The sailor 'iouud IL rather
difficult at frat to manage his fwoi, hut 10y
naming his oxen "arbolrd" and "stwholrd,'
and his blind horse dead eyes he gotalong
very we'll They lived happily together so'-
eral years, when Howe was suddenly carried
fran time into cicrnily. Ills Nauu2 wife MAS
left with two little hoyss James aud John
The history Of years j, compressed into a
faw sentGnces That is, a few sentences pass
over years without tolliug.us any thing that
took place. This is all mean when say
thai tl,, l,i-i,.ls- &c ANilals uawa-lar- nai!r
years may be told in few words, She was
industrious, frugal, mild, pcrscyeriug, aud
carried a heart contcn,cd and peaceful, be-
cause il had been chastcncd, anCt PuTitctHnt
subducl by religion. She taught her boys
all Ihat ShG kngW.-ShG- G-t0ld IhGm ThG Story
of their father over and over again partly To
soeth. her own heart, and partly TO lead her
boys to cherish his memory These objects
were accomplished, together with one ofwhich
she did not dream. She would tell how their
father came there, light-hcarted Dung sail
or; how frank and generous he was; what
he had passed through on the great waters,
what he was to her, aud what lac would have
been to them, had he lived. Alas, why is II
that when our friends are gone, we wish ia
hcighten every excellence, cover every weak
ness, and dwell only upon what we loved most
in them? Why does sorrow thus seek for
that food which increases ity l shall not
stop TO discuss il.
The boys grew NJ. uncorruptcd hy society
sample in all their views aud tastes. They
were the pride and JOY of the widows heart
They Kurw every wind and turn, every hole
for the trout which the wild Ammonoosuck
Afforded They could tell the time when thC
fish were cont" the eye and the scream
OF the har-hcartcd, selfish kingG,hcr, They
could tell when the storm would come, 10y
watching the awful LaG,yotc, as he "pu' OF
his night-cap" of clouds; and they coul,
climb the tree, the rock and the mountain
with u foot aud an ease peculiar TO thcmsclvc
but rs they grew up they felt unsatsfcd
They longed to ."sec the world" by whicl
they mcaut, they louged to 60 to sea as theil
father did, to pass through what he passct
through and to have a tule to tell equal to his
II was long time before they could bring
thcpsclves to mention this desire 20 thcii
mother. Many were the tears she she'd whrr
she did hear it, and most bitter were her re
grets that she.should indulge hnr fond hear
in telling the personal history of their fathoi
and in thus sowing the seed whose harves
she was now to gather. From the day the,
revealed this desire, and by-a CERTAIN UuCs
tioning which every mother understands, b,
her child what hc may, she had learned til,
strength of their desire, she considered hc
house dcsnlate, and the end of her earthl,
consultations 10 hive cnmes.
During the long winter that preceded III,
departure Of these advrnturrrs. thgy,Iscc t,
sperUi their evenings in talking over what wa
before them They wouId-usc all the saio
language Of which they were masters, tell OF
the places which they 1vuur 3 9 NJ
tho sights they would see, OF the exploits the,
~eald perform, and always ftrisii the giir-ras
tic lY painting their return TO their home
their pockets filled with money, their chest
with curiositicy, "for mother" which woul,
ama@c her and Oh hcr admiriug uci7htor.