The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-04-24
From "Sartain's Union Magazine"
THE JUDGES STORY,
"Don't mix any for me. Iuke"

Just the thing, Judge, to warm one this
cold night, interrupteda "a very red-eyed indi-
vldual, who sat wedged in between the stove
and huge molasses cask.
Tome Judge, you'd better drink this"
sad the smiling storekccpcr, emerging from
behind his countcr,witha tin trav of tumblers
filled to the brim with a stcaminr fluid from
which there rose grateful olor of lemon
peel and Monongahcla; pear, to me Won
need 1t. II you're gone up the mountain in the
teeth o: this wind. Why, the tcetota folks
nan got You, have they. Judge? As for nv
self don't put much confidence in 'em. Fa-
thcr Cummln> says they're wise aLo,, what
Is written. and he ought to know. for he's I;,-
cd slXty-hve years, and has looked into .nnr,.
OF those ncwtangled reforms than any other
man IN the township. Steady man is Father
Cummlns; takes his warm sling as regular as
he reads his Bible. and is all the better for
both, never see him unsteady but once
Now that's what call temperance"
80 do l., answered the red ewes. Il al
ways make it pint to take Just enough, and
it isn't my fault if once in while do 90 4
little over the mark, SO long as stick up for
good principles. Hand me that highest tum-
bier, Luke, and mind YOU, mark it on the slate.
Tor don't want to 90 beyond my reg lar num-
ber; there's no security, You know, after YOU
pass the rubcund. Come Judge. think bet
Ger of it, and .inc us. Won't YOU drink. SIR"
he added. turning to ME.
"Ccrtainly," chimed in our social Ganv-
medc, who ever knew a well-bebayed yonnu
man refuse when older folks asked him .
Here neIghbor West, set this down bv him.
keep glass yourself, I'll put one bv the Judge
and we'll all draw up higher the fire, for it's
most searching cold, surely"
\ most bitter night it was in reality but
was hardly sorry that the raw and drizzlv
morning which rendered the expcdicncv of
travelling so doubtful, had been succeeded bv
an afternoon so severe and stormy that anv
l"ffhrr progress was ont of the question. And
IN the bleak highlands of Essex, Essex coun-
~ New York, bordering upon Lake Cham
plaIn,) reader, a warm corner in \ country
store, and prospect of an old fashioned. two
tcct-dern feather hnh with an unlimited time
to ENJOY 1t, are not to be sighted. Pcrhaps
the violence of the storm. as it moaneI thro'
the bare ravines, or dashed great masses of
snow against the black window panes. caused
me to think my situation far from disarrccablc
and to look with peculiar appreciation upon
everything around ne. No one who has cv-
cr sat in country store of winter, nirht
can forget ITS many means and appliances of
comfort. the worn and followed chairs hack
cd by the dull iark-knvcs of scores of loun-
gers. the sheltered hooks in which the warm
air coils lazily down to sleep. the open boxes
of nuts and fruit so irreSistiblv feminine to
ones wandering fingers, the genial dcitv-thc
stove, the object of such universal and dcvot-
ed worship: and none of these were missing
in my hosts w"ll-kept cstahliSlment.thc pride
ot WIDE northern township. Gazinr about
the eye rested upon rows of Furnished cutie
ry and crockerv upon ranks of fat hoeShcads
OF sweets and salts; clancing complacentlv
Il
at the array of hams and sackcd meats pen
dant from the ceiling: wonderinglv. at the
miscellaneous groups of Jars. boxes. and pat
cnt medicine vials-thc latter hanked hv
handhillS decorated with images Of phiIan-
thropic Indians, and erect figures encircled
by haloS of perspration, and offering astoun-
ding rewards for the discovery of better spe-
cfics or the apprehension of base counterfeit
ers and having travcrscd the glistenina
counter. rau>ing at length in suspense on sum
dry well-hooped barrels, and plethoric bottles
lurking in the distant corner SO, having
lazily scrutinizcd the diversified objects a.
round me, turned my face once more to the
fire, and drew up closer to warmth; my neigh
Dor, a quiet, elderly farmer, did the same :;
and as if our example had been contagious,
the red-eyed hero, glass in hand, stretched
himself out till his legs fairly met the glow
ing iron; the storekeeper disposed himself
with the air of one who is willing that others
beside himself should be we'll accommodated ::
and the grave Judge, laying his feet on the
broad hearth, began to play idly with the
tumbler which our olficious host had placed
on the barrel head near him.
Judge said the latter, won't YOU keep
us in countcnance: If plain whiskev isn't
good enough, just say the word, and YOU shall
have as prime brandy as you would find in
the country. It's long time since we've
seen you, leastways, to have quiet set-down
with you; and though we reckoned you'd got
some pretty stiff notions, down below, we
weren't quite prepared to see you refuse to
line an old friend in a social mug"
"The Judge hasn't drnked in good many
years." said the farmer; ''never since I've
known him.
"We can't excuse him tonight" interrupt
cd the worthy behind the stove who had al
ready begun to see the bottom of his glass;
"well toast him, and he must return the COM
pliment. Our excellent Judge Mason, NAV
he never
"Sh-h-.," exclaimed the storckccper: mo
nonsense But really, Judge, YOU don't be-