Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-09-07
/. D. ?. THOMPSON, EDITOR 4 PROPRIETOR.
nlis elinnfcms.
From Dodge's Literary Museum
THE BEARS SKELETON.

of high qualification to me in these latter days,
that busy pen and an attentive eye kept equal
pace through SO many years of youthful explo-
ration, and extended over SO many pages of
journalization what it is now my highest graf
ifcaton to elaborate in the way of sketch and
tale. td ss A
Passing bya low cabin, inhabjtSd by family
Of Dutch people, who were even then filing up
the poorer parts of the State, my attention was
attracted by some immense bones suspended in
the forks of cottonwood tree before the door,
and at once dismounted and entered, to make.
inquiries concerning them. Nobody except my
self and one or two Others know how the low
Dutch live, and shall therefore make no apol-
ogy for describing them.
The family consisted of a shoemaker and wife,
with some six or seven children, more rude,
dirty and unsightly than any other people, ex-
ccpt that particular Glass;" dare to be.
On The shelf abose the fireplace, was the row
of smoky Dutch cheeses, made, as bitter expe-
milk burnt alive with pepper and salt, and then
smoked to death up the chimney. A crucifx,
with some saudy tinscl paper around it, denoted
the religious predictions of the family, while
several large and costly books, with the peculiar
clasps and red edging of the Dutch trade, indi-
Gated some Intellectual culture. The everlast-
ing porcelain pipe, with its flexible handle and
perforated cover, swung from the shoemaker s
mouth, keeping time to his motions while he
pegged and hammered and sewed in his yoca-
tion.
The wife, slipshod and dirty, was engaged in
some culinary operation which is not described
by Miss Leslie, neither indeed could be; but a
dangling meerschum hung also from her mouth
even counterpart of her husbands.
The children were actively engaged, each in
work of his choice. The two younger seemed
to be employed in enl'.rging the cars of their
kitten, by the aid Of a fork, and from the notes
of the feline presumed they had been success
ful. A girl of twelve years was pouring hot
cmbers through the crevices in the floor upon
the swine that were unconsciously reposing be.
low. Two who seemed to be boys, by theil
manners, were fighting with great spirit and
noise while the other two.wers acting US graf
flied spectators.
Such was the phase of human nature that
was made to occupy IL page in my memorandum
book that very night.
A few words by way of introduction served
only to draw grunt from the boorish shoemaker
and family stare from the other occupants.
Nothing isso unintcllectual and hospitableas this
particular class of foreigners. John Bull can
be appeased by gentle words and small dish
of hattery; Johnny Crapeau is polite from tho
hour of his birth, and will share his last frog
with you under all circumstances Paddy OF
the Green Isle will give you his last potato
without retaining any share for himself; Myn-
heer Prussan is courteous, although some un-
intelligible; and Spaniard and italian can be
made comaradocs on short notice but the low
pipes smoking, sage-oating, incense-burning
Holland Dutch, faugh!
Nothing daunted by the cobbler's incivility
however, pulled off one of my boots, whicl
} had ripped few stitches, and secured my objec
, by asking him to mend it. Pursuing the sam
end, divided among them a plug of magnif
cent tobacco, far sweeter than any that had eve
burned under their noses before and hayn
thus got the son of Crispin in reasonable hu
NOR, inquired concerning the object of In
=, visit--the huge bones in the cottonwood trc
y before his door.
e To my agreeable surprise, the Dutchman wa
g the subject as could be to receive it, and fror
# the jaw breaking dialect which he unsuccessful
endeavored to detail with the Saxon, gathcre
+ the following:
1t was on cold, snow -curtained, Januar
!, night, that the family, having early retire
y to rest, were aroused by the barking of Il
dogs, followed up by the most tremendor
n growls from some animal to them unknown
1T The frightened foreigners, having but latel
rs left a country where the most ferocious beas
y were Norway rats and gin-drinking tailors, h
IN their heads tremblingly under the huge feath
beds, which in low Dutch style arc always la
upon you instead of under you, and CALI
3, earnestly upon every saint in the calendar.
* Morning light brought confidence Xii
y, David says, joy cometh in the morning." b
Is the first peep out of the large crack which serv
Ar him for window, exhibited q scene of dsvt
te tation frightful enough in any country 4
|; their dogs were killed, being literally torn
es pieces, but not devoured. Some bee-gums, Il
a. in the yard by the last proprietors until spri
he weather should enable him to remove the
We were overturned, and all their contents, hon'
ne wax and bees clean eaten up of course, TIN
d. was nothing done that day but keep the do
sll locked, drink gin, and pray to the saints.
IT.. The next night was not an hour adyanc
ey when the same growing sound was renew
by An unhappy cat, that had strayed out lit
. too late, was caught by the unseen mons
his and rent asunder, and the only COW killed a
,ly mostly eaten. tt.a# In
he The third night deprived them of their c.
,es and an ancient horse, taken up by the Dut
ID. man us a stray, and impoanded until the o,
ire should appear. An attempt made by the 2
nd 10Y to enter the dwelling resulted only in pu
re- ing over tho frsi chimney and burning the q
sal NAL 8 paws, whatever it was, which latter a.
in dent causing his speedy retreat, III.
1t The fourth and fifth nigats were probably
or voted on tho part of the foe to the applicat
- Of emollients. At all events, he did not appt
and this delay emboldered the shoemaker, Al