The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-04-07

mud and watties peePed through like beg
gar's bare knee through bis torn trowsers.-
An anomalous wooden ruin, that might have
been barrel in the begiss /, then a dog
kennel, dust-bin, then ghen-coop, seemed
fast approximating (eked 5ht.by some rotten
Palings and half deal box) to a p,g-stye :
perhaps my enemy the long pig with the pen
dent tail lived there when he was at home
a lively old birch-broom, senle but twigyy,
thriving under kindly manure Of broken
bottles and woodashes, was the only apology
for trees. hedges, or vegetation generally, Wis
ibIe. If wood was deficient, however, there
was plenty Of water Behind the house'
where it had been apparently raining for
some years, highly respectable puddle. as
far as mud and stagnation went, had formed.
and on the surface of it drifted a solitary.
purpo>eless, soleless old shoe. and one dismal
duck which no amount of green peas would
have ever pur>uaded me to eat. There was
chimney to the house, but not in the prop-
er place. of course it came cut OF one of the
walls, close TO the impromptu pic-stye, in the
shape Of a rusty, battered iron funnel
There had never been anything to speak OF
done in the way of painting to the house ::
Only some "rratic iournevman painter pass
inc that way had tried his brushes in red.
green. and yellow smulgcs on the wall; had
commenced dead coloring one on the window
sIll>; and had then given it up a. bad Job.
Some prctcntious announcements relative 10
Good wines and liquors and I'll un
billiard" there had been once above the door.
hut the rain had washed ont some of the let
tcrS, and the smoke hal olScurcd others. and
the plaster hal peeled off from beneath more:
and some. perhaps. the writer had never fin
i,hed: so the inscriptions were mere wan
drrlnS piece Of idiotrv now. II ANYTHING
were wanting to complete the general wretch
cdn"s> OF this house of dismal appearances
II would have been found in the presence of a
sho>'y set of ninewns that Rip Van Winkle
might have PLAYED with
All these things were not calculated IN in
spirr checriuine>S continued smokino.
however, AMI though. that bv and bv | would
enter the cabaret. and see if there were any
i've people there: which appeared unlikely.
All at once, there came ont to me from the
house little man. 1t is not at all dcroca-
ting from his manhood TO state that he was
also a little boy, Of perhaps eight wears old
but IN look. in eye. in weird lur-cap. in pea
cOa!, blue canvas trowscrs, and saDots. he
was at least thlr'y>cvcn years of age. lie
had remarkable way. too. OF strokiny his chin
with his hand. lie looked at me long and
fully. but without the slightest rulcness or
intrusive curiosity; then sitting by nv side
on the great :el'ed tree he smoked a tai
p'rc ESQ IT appeared to mel while su a
material one. Once. think, he sol liz
the texture Of my coat but did In
my head, and pretended not to nor
We were getting along thus ve bly
together, not saying word, " no
finished my pipe replaced it in ny pouch.
and began 10 remove a little OF the supcrllu
on> dust from my boots My pul,crous ap-
Vcarancr was the cue for the little man to
address in speech.
Il see. said he gravcly, 'you are one of
those poor travellers whom mamma tells us
we are to take such care Of Attend, attend.
| will do your affair for YOU in moment"
lie trottcd across to the cabaret, and after
lapse OF two or three minutes returned with
a trcmcnlou. hunch of bread. a cube of
cheese which >melt, as the Americans saw,
rather loud, but was exccIlently wcll-tasted
and an anomalous sort of vessel that was
neither JnS, mug, cup. glass. nor a
rint-pot, hut partook of the characteristics of
a!l-iull of Macon wine. This is FRIDAY"
added the little man, land meagre dav, else
YOU should be RECALLED with sausage and of
I.yons-ot which we have as long as that y
saying which he extended his little arms to
perhaps half Yards distance one from th,
other.
did not care to tell the little man that
was of persuasion that did not forbid III,
eating OF sausages on Friday. I ate ths
bread and cheese and drank the wine, all of
which were very good and very pslatabIe
very contcntcntlv; the little man sitting by
the while, nursing one of his short legs, and
talking to himself softly.
When had finished lighted another min,
and went IN for conversation with the little
man. We soon exhausted the ordinary ton
les OF conversation, such As the weather. IN.
distance from the last town, and the distance
to the next. ! found that the little man,
forte was interrogatory, and let him have
his swing that way.
"lou come from long way Z" he asked.
a long way" answered From 5eyont
the Sous-prefecture, beyond Nantes, beyond
Brest and L'Orlent."
but from town always? You come
from town where there are a great man,
people, and where they make wheels"
/ answered that came from a large town
and that had no doubt, though | had nc
personal experience in tue matter, that wheel.
were made there
"And cannot you make wheels ?"
told him was not wheelwright; on
Iv n,afls. fh1. vrl, o.