Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-04-13
From Mrs Van Wrinkle.

Editor Democrat I've been thinkin' that may be
your borro~in readers have got tired of Polytics,
Temperance, and Wifhmins Wrongs, and would be
wln to read column of old woman's gossip, by
way of a relish to the graver matters that suit
'the ten that pay for it, that grand old man. John
Perpont, said in his racy Poem about the scholar.
But was goin to gossip. Well, I've been lafn
in my sleeve at circumstance that came mighty nigh
maxim public karacer of me- When think what
a narrow chance I've run, I'm led to feel that we
ought to be 'mazn charitable to them wimmin that's
got out of their sphere in tryin pick their nabors
and friends out of the gutter for see how easy
it is for tn get out of her sphere, now that
haven't but just escaped it myself See how it
done. 1t all came of following my aspirations
to go out so far from home 1t wont do, no how for
wmmin to let their ambitious hopes extend to the
boys and gals on the confines of civilization, if they
to keep to private life. But I'll stop moralizin
and tell you ALI about it
You see there's been backwoods school-marm
along here, raisn ammunition for the gals and boys
to larn to shoot dees and she happend to call on me
most the first one Well, as l hadn't much of a
chance in my young days. materially felt for the poor
children that lived in the settlements. Besides,
what little larnin did get was from dear old wo-
man that sat and spun on a little wheel while she
teached us, and it's bin worth much to me, that
unprecedented the vally of the old schoonarms ser-1
vices better than modern scholars, who got their
edcaton under peddygoges of 'larnin made easy"
So gave the old sch0o-marm ninepence, and let her
stop with me day or two, to persecute her mission
among the leraty of our better edicated classes
Well, WHO'D thought it, that after being confound-
ed by college learned men, that they didn't know
Carlye's Mrs Osgood's idees when shot from
professional bows in scientiick and littery lekters,
they took it in their heads, some of EN-, that the
backwoods school-mam was an mpnetor, and I'd bin
imposed on, and helped impose on the rest of 'em.-
Dear knows, don't like to be imposed on by nobody
but then it struck me mighty queer that folks
should turn SIGH anxious inqurers after sold clothes
and quarter, that I've with my own eyes, Il
had en- them spectacles that got at Brackets
with steel bows wound with green cruel) smilin and
clappin if it raa ''fcast of reason 'em
to be imposed on by gentlemen in broadcloh, with
other mems idees, and them chose with desput bad
taste too, sometimes
1t may be that I'm odd, but don't like to be i'm
posed by fine clothes, titles and diplomas. If
I'm goin to be imposed on I'd prefer it should be by
plain old SchOolmarmS instead of Reverends and Pro-
fessors, that find crowds every where glad to shell
out their VS. to be imposed on, and clap and cheer
into the bargain I'd give another ninepence any
time to git SIGH nice budget of wonders, which have
kept philosophizng the wonderful preference
for impostors in broadcloth and beavers, over impos
in smashed bonnets and soiled travelling dress
Your old friend, TAMTHA VAN WRINKLE.