The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-12-15
For TIE CALEDONIAS.l
LEAVES FROM OAKI.N\D.
ID .yui;a Naut5cr:;c.
4 = +: " "a q u Z:

endless Ve%atlon CT m0vIn" and getting set
tcd, the finding of things lost or misiaid.ani
he repairing Of furniture marrc,i or broken.
10 the Miss in her teens. they mean lri-
dal tour, heaps OF new furniture. new duties.
new pleasures, ard lifelong happiness
/" The poor. oppressed African, ;hty enc."st
TIE loss OF all Things he,o:c., wife, children.
al!--and heart-bro.scn toll unto the end. To
many q homeless vaeahond, they are mean
ing:esS, empty sounds.
To The writer. they suggest Tie breaking
NJ OF Ga associations, the sale at auction.
piles Of trunks and packing eases. the rattle
of ears. Ii" last lingering look at New Eng.
land scenery, weary niol.t-rides, AID DAYS Of
exquisite enjoyment, the journeys end, tie
iIfSt pleased. wondering Impressions of the
West, the eager curiosity to STE cur chosen
home. the beginnings OF a new IF. and La;
Of all. the feeling expressed by tia. one word
Which, Of ali others in our mother toncr.e
has TO the 'reary tie most comfortable sirriti
firation-r.x'.
Bat how great vas the change fronl .i.p
old home 70 t:e new-iiom the tdsy. soriaI
village in New England, to the stiffness ol
t'e uncu.ivatcl forest-rrom the society Of
refined and pleasant people, to the compan-
ionship of birds. and flowers. and trees.
Nature as if grateful for our choice. vi
coined us with abcunAin. beauties and seem
ed 10 invite "s to \ copartnrrSl.;p; ana a
generous partner she proves hrrsc,i. She
says to the hnSbandman, Do YOU furnish Ia
'or, anl ! will fnd abundant capital in iii,
rich. lccn soil while lie only s,4~e &C ,he
,'Fo6art> snail receive viii be such ,ar,
as those OF M family who choose to make
their abode with Won shall consume. To he
sure. the farmer is often disposed to COM
PLAIN that She has Guarterc1 quite too many
ol her winged and creeping profsqo> on his
particular domain; but saws Colcrid 70. Nv I,
are Gu"rr'cuS creatures: little less t'.an All
ihlnG> will suffice TO make US ha'ov. arl a
!itlc more than no,hin. is enough TO ,..,.an-
tent us.
Bnt DO not. dear rcalcr f1l. ia:o the mis-
take Ct >u?posinC. that lccausc we have q
nome in The Wild wood. we are ncceS>1rilv
Ear from the hGuntS OF men. In one dircc-
ton. We catch g,impses through the trees of
cultivated fields, an, OF the log walls and
straw covering of IA ncicht,or'> barn. In an.
other, we see the SUBMITS of the BIC CHM
news. anl hear tie >hril whistle Of the en-
g'nrS OF the great steam saw and nourn =
mills; while Tie wind often brings 10 our
ears the sound Of t.lc growinr. hu>'linc CITY
in The distance How soon we are 10 hc s,ir-
rounded! !ty all tie improvements Of older
lie. is already indicated Nv the long line ..
railroad now in process Of buihing, and the
site Of depot marked out IL our near ncirh-
horhoO1. How soon, on all our borders VIII
these beautiful 'oak openings" an tnrsc
gorgeous wild flower gardens. give ,ac. -
fields OF corn and waving .rain How soon
will the w'is'lc of the quail. the hootina of
the owl, and the cali Of the ,rali" hen. crow
silent amid the sounds o! the t,rm and the
village Strange. indeed, it seems. th,.
these old woods, which have stood for a1rs
the abodc> Of life in lis widest forms, are Sc
soon to be trodlcn down hv the tramp of
civilization. Strange, that :hc tro.irk>0me
spirits that haunt these quiet places. playinc
hide and-scck in the thick tree tops. or noel:
in1 the wild. sweet notes of the wood thrush
with their ccho-likc voices strange it seem,
that they must 50 soon shrink away and van
ish before the huge, Util:aran spirit tha
comes ruin.. in lis harness, I,owiil. his va,
.".oUgh lie forest. ieapiny the rivers. an(
rluncing through pathlc~S marshes t. 10 til,
will of his master, the Nineteenth Century.
Bat al! the change from the old life tG th,
new is not out Of doors. as have alrca!,
found from my own and others experience
One crows astoni>hcd to tind how many OF
our most imperative wants were simply con
vcntional to see how many OF the .mu>
haycs OF older life we may transfer to The
list of desirablcs that can very we'll be dis
pcnsed with for the time. without finding ou,
happiness in the least diminished Will.
our neighbor learns tha: straw roof to hi:
barn affords a very good shelter for cattle
and crops till he has time and means to buid
better, his wife also learns to receive he,
friends in the one room of her log cabin, wit!
as much ease AS if sitting rooms, parlors anG
their accompaniments had never been heard
Of. One neighbor takes his wife and daugh
ters in the farm wagon. and drives his plod
ding oxen into town on ashorping excursion
or to meeting on the Sabbath with no les:
show of independence than the richer farm
er who accompanies his family on the SAME
errands with his span of horses and carriage
OF course all dispositions DO not accommo.
date themselves. with equal ease, to altered
circumstances. | often find myself coniurine
up the rueful countenance of our grumblinc
travelling companion, and wondering how life
goes with her: but I an always thankful
that nv lot was not cast within sound of her
dOlOrOus tones