The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-04-24

Is IL Pos>ipie, interrupted, THAT althO'
you have signed no pledge, and associated
yourself with no temperance organization.
you have not tasted ardent spirits for MANY
years and that too in this severe and thinlv
peopled region, where so much latitude is al.
lowed to the best citizens. l can imagine"
warming with the theme. chow one
who lives in a city, where the vice of drunk
enness is of hourly occurrence. and where
drunkards seize on the example of moderate
indulgence as apretext for gratifying their
rulnous passion, may on principle and for the
sake OF his influence abstain from all that in
toxicates; but total abstinence in the back
woods where stimulants seem often neces-
sltv, and are looked on as a harmless. luxury
why. such thing seems an mpossibiitv.
pon nv word, sir | cannot conceive of it,
"for Al that" he replied. "it is even So
J Is twenty-five wears since | ha: e tasted spir-
ITS. although some of my old neighbors will
tell Won that Dick Mason was once the hard
est drInkrr in Essex. boasted strong head
and could easily carry two pints to anv other
mans one. Everywhere, at raisinss musters.
town meetings. was foremost among nv frol-
licking companions. Poor fellows. most of
them are gone; killed off by hard work and
exposure, and partly. perhaps, by too free use
OF the bottle; and to judge from the prophe-
cles which one or two of the most cautious of
my friends gave out. you would never have
thought that should become such steady
old dog as am at this dav Indeed. but for
one circumstance, the memory of which is as
vivid as If it had happened but yesterday,
verify believe should have become all that
their worst fears predicted"
'lou don mean that affair of Nat Jephson,
do You - inquired the farmer.
Nat JephSon :" said the storekccpcr, mus
ingly.
">eems to me, intcrposcd the red-cvc. who
was busilv engaged in clicking the rim of his
empty tumblcr upon the stove, "sccms to me
once heard of such character Dead and
gone, years ago. wasn't he Judge ."
Poor Nat :" replied the .Jud &c: very few
OF us remember him. have been little mor,
than stranger in Essex for twenty wears.
and long before | sold the Mason homestead
and hung up my shinglc in Saratoga. he had
been pretty much forgotten"
Il remember him WE'LL" said the farmer ::
land without any offence to vou. .Ju,lne. for
. - L. e.. ,... ~.
trllies, he was called the likelirst younu man
IN Essex But we have travelled most of our
long Journey, and he, poor fcllow-wcll. we'll
1T was terrible lav to some of rs when ,o,
came back alone, when we were LOOKING for
both of vou.'
""hy, Judge, never heard of all this"
sad the storekccpcr
look you," replied the rcd-evc: "it
wouldn t be bad idea for the judge to tell
us the partlcuars-an before he bcrins we'll
fill up and start fair. Lake, fill nciohhor
Vests mug, and mine. Don't forget to add
to your own; its of no use to ask
the Judge, and-hallo, begging vour pardon
sir, but your tumbler's cold, and YOU haven't
drlnked drop from it y"
Excuse ne" answered. IL must hear
the Judges story first
"lou will hear but little" said Mr. Mason
smiling ", ''but don't know that I can do
better than comply with YOUR wishes lis
short story, but short as it is. haven't told il
III dozen vearS.and NAV never tell it ar,ir:"
and with this he cast his ewes to the cc;Iino
'tor,' remarked the Judge. II am far from
being oti-hand either at story or an arou-
ment."
The storekeeper filled the empty glasses,
and there was pause of moment. The
red-eyed stretched his legs. and htched his
chair audihlv.
81 hcg pardon" said the Judge, 81 must
have been dreaming"
NAT Jrphson was my early and almost nv
only companion, in the days when rough
woody old Essex was covered with many more
rocks and forests than now Our families
were near neighbors when there was no other
house within mile of us. We were nearly
of age, our dispositions uncommonlv similar
You can Judge what close friends we were
and how apt we were to follow each others
example in everything.
1--WE grew up strong. active. untamcd
young men. With that love of adventure
which YOU must 90 very far northward or
westward to find, We would often venture out
for weeks in succession into the forests and
mountains, following up streams to their sour
ces away in the unbroken woods, shooting
deer on the shores of those numberless lakes
that lie at the base of the Adirondack, and
often accompanying Indians in their long
hunts at the north; in summer in
pursuit of deer, and in winter tracking the
giant moose to their yards, and shooting the
fierce animals by the score. 1t was a part
OF our creed never to return home empty
handed, whether We were gone day or
month, so that from our expeditions, we uni
tormly came staggering home under the
weight Of tongues or launches, Or strings of
huge trout with which we satisfied ourselves
when wilder and nobler game was wanting.
"Of course, like all backwoodsmen then.