Litchfield enquirer., 1854-03-16
Nisceiiapy.
OLD TIME COUNTRY LIFE.

tOFeveTS n from tue Albany State neg ister :-
 There are memories that come cluster ing about these boys these pippiDs. and the . orchard Do yon remember the old Cider Mill, f,iend Margins. and the old horse as he travelled round and round moving with slow and dignified tread 'hitched' .o the long lever that turned the wooden mill. that crushed the apples into pnmice? Do you remember the great cheese in its bandage of straw beneath the press, and how. when the great screws were turned in the massive gallows- shaped frame the rich juice of ihe apple came 'ushing out and running into the great tub placed ,o receive |, ? Do you remember low, with q straw, the urchins, as they came along on their way home from school. filled themselves with sweet cider hom the bung of she barrel? Do you remember how. in the long winter nights, you sat around the fire place wherein logs were blazing. and how the pitcher of cider and platter of doaghnuls were placed upon the old cherry table that sat out in the middle nf the kitchen. and how You helped your self to the cider and doughnu,s. and how happy each one was as he sat with his pewter mug of cider in one hand and doughnut in the other before the old ki,chen-ire place Those were pleasant times. Bot they are memories now. And then the apple pa,ings or bees. as they were called, where the young men and maidens camo together to pare apples, and talk, and laugh. and play old fash toned plays. and say v.ry soft things 10 one another and eat pumpkin pies, and be happy after the fashion of the coun- try people when you and were young. Primitive times thee were, friend Mar. gins. and our proud daughters would tu,n up their noses hugely wee they to be present .. an old fashioned 'aPple- bee, such as they used to have out in old Steuben when the county was new. and the fashions were primitive.
 We remember, when we were young, there was favo,ite tee in our fathers Q, ehard, which bo,e choice winter ap> ples. It was called the big tree bccause it WAS the la,ges. tee in the o,cba'd. The fruit of this rre was always left iill the last. and was gathered wih great care, Tiere was worthless fellow liv. ing in the neigl.ho hood who one year coveted portion of these apples on the big tlee, and was not dclerlcd from its acquisition by Il c divine commandment. thou shalt not steal A quantity O the apples disappeareLone night. and the tscks of whoever s'o'e the apples had s,range resemblance 10 those made by the needless boots of dislsnest neigh bor. There we,e two insepa, able f. tends on the old homestead in those ea'ly days: the enc . 'c"lmed gentleman by the name of Shad,"ch, who came to our fathe, s possession in payment of debt. and who ran away regularly two or ,h.re times a year. and then as regularly ,an back again just as his master began ,o indulge the Lore iha, tc nd got lid Of him for good. The ",lssr WAS a great dog. half n,as,ifs. and l.alf bull. of no- ble presence. and fearless courage Drive and Shad,nch were insepa,able. They wo,ked and played together, slept together in the same lofi. and Shadrach never ate meal while the dog lived. a, leas. al home. without sharing il with his canine friend. He would talk ~i.h Drive for hours when they wtse al"ne, al.ho' the deg d;d..'. say much himself. yet Shadrach said . good many things and laid down and argued out 8 good many queer propositions. against which Drive uttered not e wOid.
 One chilly night in October, Shadrach and Drive had been ou. along the corn f.lds on an unsuccessful coon hunt. On their. return ,he dog dashed of through the orchard, and a minute or two com menced barking, and Shadfach of course thoueh, he had t,eed coon on. one of
 the q ui, trees. Now Shad'ach had an
 abiding faith in spiritual manifestations.
 and stood in mortal fear of the gentle man in black and all manner of sPooks iu general. Upon arriving at the big
 .ree.' by the foot of which Drive eat.
 looking up among the trancl es. he saw
 there in the da, ,knsss g'eat black ob.
 feet. wi,h something that seemed like winding sheet in his hand shadrach's
 hair began to ca,l as he looked. and ba'- loOing seek him 10 D i've. broke like . quarter nag for .he house. He broke
 breathlessIy into the ki,chen. sxclaiming ::
 Massa, Massa Dive got dc drbble 'n
 de big apple tree.' .Whs.a that, you
 wnOly paied rhi,,oce,o O. r replied his mas
 ter. Drive gol de dsbbls lreed in de
 big apple tree replied the negro. A
 .o:ch vas lighted. aId upon go'ng into
 the orcha,d d. the, e sat ouT thiesiDg neigh'
 Dor among the b'anches. with bag dll'
 ed with the co, eied fruit. Our father said not a word to him. but after giving IShadrach certain directions. returned to | aNaH Ia