The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-04-18
"well, stephen, ,what news from old Bar.


, swen, not the least disconnected. Z" IIo
. do you do and how's your folks! All vel
, | hope. i took this ere paper, you SEQ,
! help poor furriner, who could mt mak
, himself understood any more than vii
goose. thought I'd just start him for'ar
a little. 1t seemed a marcy to do it."
Well and shiftily answered thou agsc
Proteus. One cannot be angry with such
fellow. i will just inquire into the prcscu
state of his gospel mission, and about tn
condition Of his tribe on the Penobscot
and it rnaynot be amiss to congratulate hin
on the success of the steam-doctors in sweat
ing the "pizcn" Of the regular faculty ou
of him. lBut he evidently has no wish Z
enter into idle conversation. Intent upoi
his benevolent errand, he Is already clatter
ing down stairs. lnyoluntarily glance ou
Of the window, just in season to catch {
single glimpse Of him ere he is swallowct
up in the mist.
He has gone; and, knave as he Is, car
hardly help cxclaiming, "Luck so will
him." Ho has broken in upon the sombrc
train of my thoughts, and called up before
me pleasant and grateful rccollcctions. The
old farm house nesting in its valley hills
stretching Of to the south, and green mead
ows to the east; the small stream, which
came noisily down its ravine, washing the
old garden wall, and softly tapping on fall
en- stones and mossy roots of bceches and
hcmlocks; the tall sentinel poplars at the
gateway; the oak forest, sweeping unbrok-
en- to tho northern horizon the grass grown
carriage path, with its rude and crazy
bridge; the dear old landscape of my boy.
hood lies outstrctchcd before me like da-
guerreotype from that picture within, which
| have borne with mo in all my wandcrings.
| am boy again; once more conscious OF
the feeling, half terror, differentiation, with
which | used to announc, the approach of
this very vagabond, and his " kindred after
the flesh
The advent of wandering bcggars, or sold
stragglcn," as we were wont to call them,
was an effect of no ordinary interest in the
generally monotonous quietade of our farm
life. Many of them were we'll known
they had their periodical revolutions and
transits; we could calculate them like
eclipscs OF new moons. Some were sturdy
knaves, fat and saucy; and, whenever they
ascertaincd that the men-folks' were alb
sent, would order provisions and cider like
men who expected to pay for it, seating
themselves at the hearth or table with the
air of Falstafr-" Shall not take mine ease
in my own inn?" Others poor, pale, pa
ticnt, like Stcrnc's monk, came creeping up
to the door, hat in hand, standing there in
their gray wrctchedness with look OF
heart-brcak and forlornness, which was
never without its effect on our juvenile sem
sibilities. At times, however, we expert
enced slight rcvulsion of feeling, when
even these -humblest children Of sorrow
somewhat petulantly rejected our profered
bread and cheese, and demanded instead q
glass of cider. Whatever the temperance
society might in such cases have done, it
was not in our hearts to refuse the poor
creatures draught of their iavorite bcyer-
age and wasn't ita satisfaction to see their
sad melancholy faces light up as we handed
them the full pitcher, and on receiving it
back empty from their brown, wrinkled
hands, to hear them, half brcathless from
their long, delicious draught thanking us
for the fayoras dear good children ~ Not
unfrcquently these wandering tests of our
bcnevolcncc made their appearance in inter-
estinc groups of man, woman and child,
picturesque in their squalidness, and mani
testing maudlin affection, which would
have done honor to the jewellers at Poosie-
Nansies-immortal in the cantata of Burns.
[ remember some who were evidently the
victims of monomania, haunted and hunted
by some dark thought, possessed by q fixed
idea. One, black-eyed, wild-haired wo.
man, with whole tragedy of sin, shame,
and suffering, written in her countenancc,
used often TO visit us, warm herself by our
winter Ere, and supply herself with stock
ofcakes and cold meat, but was never known
to answer question or to ask one. She
never smiled tho cold, stony look of hei
eve never changed silent, impassivc face
frozen rigid by some great wrong or sim
We used to look with awe upon the "stil
woman" and think Of the demoniac o.
scrip.ure, who had "dumb spirit"
Onc-Q think I see him now, grim, gaunt
and ghastly, working his slow way up tc
our door)-usod to gather herbs by the way
side, and call himself Doctor. He wa
bearded like he-goat, and he used to coun
terfeit lamencss yet when he supposed him
self alone would travel on Justify as IT walk
| ing for a wager. At length, as If in pun
ishmcnt of his deceit, he met with an acci
dent in his ramblcs, and became lame II
earnest, hobbling ever after with difficulty
on his gnarled crutchcs.
Another used to go STOPPING, like Bun
yan's pilgrim, under pack made OF an ole
bcd-sacking. stuffed out into most plethora
dimensions, tottcring on pair oil small
meagrc legs, and pccring out with his wild
hairy face from under his burden like bil
bodied spider. That Z" Man with the pack
always inspired me with awe and reverence
Huge, almost sublime in its tense rotunditl'
the father Of all packs-never laid asid'
and never opened, what might not b' with
in it? With what nesh-crcepinS curiosity
| | used to walk round about It at q sale dis
lance, half expecting to SEQ its striped Gov