The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-09-13
Prom HarPsrs New Monthly MaRndna.
TIfE IIIGnEsT HOUSE m wATH-
Tnf W ENDALR.

cnAPTHn fIE KIRsTl

III tl np aInong the nous tains Of Weatnlure. |
lana, there u = valley WhiGh We shall call |
WAtbsndHls, The lowest part OF this valley |
Ia some hundreds 0f feet Ab0ys the heads OF |
iha dwellen On the noanest mail mad and
Set, ii such place Of abode Was not naar o.
npnRh 10 The hky, there are houses as high
Mp aa they can we'll be put, la the hOll0Wsof
ths mouptAin that overlook thH dale. One
VI thess sInAll farmstends Is a. ld-iaahioned n
place as can ba seen aud we'll "a may ba 10
tpr tlin last owners vert fjnd Of telling that
tbe land bad bsen ia their family i0r Eve
hundned years, A stranger might wonder
what could carry any body up 10 such a place
hve hutdFad yaArs HgQt but tho woudcr
lFOuld only show that the stranger did not
know whAt BRs doing in the district in those
dAyN Those were the days when the tenants
'pi the Abbois of Furness used 10 hold land IN
the more lsrtile spots, IN companies OF four
'One of whom was always 10 bo ready 10 go
tvrtit-+,-gyl - tit@~- li.,r,ler---
And these we're tho days when the sheph
esd. and tho haralamen In the service OF the
Abbey used 10 lead their aheep and eattIo ~
far up the mountains as they could find food,
ta be better out OF the way OF the maraudcra
of the north. Bsadea the coarse grass Of
these pplands, there were the sprouts OF the
Aah and holly, which were good food for the
beasts. 10 be sure, there were wolves up in
tiip4v toAlfRl lllaANn put lhc9 NeFt sept OUT
by the rpugh Gioae walls, which were ruu up
higher aud higher ON the mountain side, as
the woods roceind before tho tillage Of new
sqttlerA The first Of the Fell, who madethcir
boast Of = proprietorship Of i've hundred years,
was probably n shepherd Of the AbbOts OF
FurnDsS who, having walled IN somc'of the
sprouljpp and sheltenna wood on this upland
.anil built himself hut of stones In the s.midst
became regarded aa tho tenant first, and then
the proprietor, ike many dwellers Ia the wales
bolow. When tho woods were decAyed and
gone, tho croil came Under tillage and no
tradition was told OF tho time when the Fels
did not yearly crop, in one way or another,
the thrne fields which were seen from below,
like little patches Of grcon beside tho Gssuro
which contained the beck Tor brook that
helped 10 feed the tarn (or mountain pOnd)
a quarter of mile below.
There was rrumbling IN this mountain
nest about the badness of our times in com
garrison with the old days; grumbling In
different dialect from that which is hoard in
'0nr cities ; hut in much the same spirit In
sbis house, people are said To be morricr for
morly-4the girls spinning and weaving, aud
tho lads Ending plenty 10 do IN all weathers T;
A<l.ila tho Land produced almost every thing
that the Aniily wanted---with the help OF The
-hill.siae- -rangr for the cows and sheep. A
nlan had not 10 go often 10 market then and
very rarely was IL necessary 20 buy any
thing for money, though little bar+rring
niight 20 fnrnAi1l among the Dalcamcn On oc-
casion. Now--but wo shall soc how it was
-Dow,
10 Mrs Fell and her daughter Janet were
making oaten bread ono December day a
work which requires the full attention of two
persona The cowboy appeared at the door,
with look advertisement very unusual 10 him.
lie said snmehndy was coming md tho come
body was Back house, the travelling merchant.
The woman could not believe it--so late in
the year but thoy LOTT their baking To look
ont and there, sure enough, was the pcdiar.
with his pack on his shoulders, toiling up the
steep They saw him sit down beside the
,bRrn, and wipe his brows, though il was De
camber. They saw him shoulder his pack
again; and then the women entered into a
consultation about something very particular
that they had 70 say to him. A. people who
live IN such places grow dull, aud get TO think
AMI speak with extraordinary slowness, the
plot was not complete when tho pedlar Rp-
peared at the door. He explained himself
quickly enough had thought he would make
one more round, as tho season was mild-did
not know how long the snow might lie when
IL did come--believed the people liked 90
wear something new at Christmas; 90 here
he was. When would he take his next round
bringing his stock of spring goods. .- He >de-
tected some purpose under tho earnestntss
with which he wns pressed 20 say when he
would come. He would come when the Fells
pleased. He must como before the first Of
April. and must bring bunch of orange
flowers, and a white shawl, and
Two sets of orange flowers said Janet
What two brides 7 exclaimed Backhousc.
'Are they both 10 be married in one day p
y. ii =. Al Il A.
brides maid, and that Janet wished that her
friend should be dressed exactly like herself
Backhouse endeavored to prove that only the
brides should wear orange flowers but Janet
was sure her friend would be best pleased 60
wear what she wore and the pe,ilar rcmen-
berod that nobody within call of the chapel
bell wonld know any better, so he promised
all that was desired And next he sold half
the contents of his pack, supplying the women
with plenty Of needlework for the winter eve
swings. Brides enjoy having a new wardrobe
ms much ia the mountain in towns--per-
AIaps more.
'.s Whenever the young carpenter, Raven,
came up to see his betrothed, he found her
ewing, and some pretty print, or muslin, of.l
bat of gay silk lying about. It was all very
pheasant The whole winter went Off pleas-
antly, except for some shadow of trouble now
and then, which soon paPsed away. For in |
Raven was once absent longer than |
usual, by full three days; and when he did |
come, there were marks left that told that he |
bad stayed away because he had been asham- |
cd. Of two black eyes
He bad been drinking, dare say said
Mrs Fell 20 Janet afterwards, with an air of |
indifference with which drunkenness is apt |
10 be spoken Of in the district u don't won- |
der he did not like TO show himself,
q don't think 1t is his way observed Jan
NO, II fsn0t u habit with him and they I
all do get too much now and then-two or
three 6mes a.yesr.-=and IL will be schooner
than that iwhen;he cones 70. livezup' 'here.'
Raven was 20 be adopted as o son, on mar
lSing the only child, aud il was very right,
lor Fell was growing old, and he was more
feeble than his years warranted. Rheuma-t
tIsEr plagued him in the winter and he was
overworked in the summer, Raven would \
help 20 manage the little farm, and he would
do oil the carpentsring work, and put the