Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-05

affections, or hold friendship more sacred-no
people who love virtue more or vice less-no
people who better appreciate the blessings of
fidelity, or set higher value on all that is no
BILE and Christllke. 1t is, at all events land
of pleasant households, of kind fathers and
good mothers, of true and faithful friends.-
Not that our homes are all happy No, no;
far from it. There are homes, even in this ia
yored land, deeper in sorrow than pen can tell,
and more wretched than one would wish to
know.
On the verandah of an ancient farm house,
in one of those long golden twilights, so sacred
to the enjoyment of our hard-laboring peasant
ry, were gathered family group. Not com
plete, It's true, but very interesting, neverthe-
less,-a mother and her children. Pale and
careworn, the mother assumed cheerfulness
which sne could not feel.
But for my children" )" she mused. g. could
suffer and be strong. But what, o, achat is to
be the end of this? Why were these cherubs
given to me without the power to make their
lives blessing? Life is not so dear as their
happiness. Stronger and stronger the cords cf
affection twine around my heart as the clouds
come and the power ceases. Would that |
knew mothers duty Oh, for the assurance
that some kind heart and hand would comfort
and feed my children. Father in HEAVIER" she
prayed, "be Thou father to my worse than
fatherless children when | am powerless."
She arose and walked out among the flowers
and evergreens that blossomed and twined all
around tho old farm house.
" | must not give way to such feeln gs, I
must be strong, strong," she said to herself, as
she hastily gathered a boquet " There is a
Providence in all this. God doeth all things
well. Oh, the mystery, the strange mystery of
His dealings! Come to the summer house, Leon,
Emma " said she, speaking to her children.
A row of ornamental trees surrounded the
whole garden. Tall evergreens, and patches Of
shrubbery, intermixed with flowers. covered the
slope to the house. Around and among all
wound little gravelled walks, wherever taste or
utility dictated. On little artificial mound,
built in the very centre of the garden, and COM
pletely surrounded by dense thicket of cedars,
was erected a small arbor of open trellis-work
The luxuriant foliage of monster grapevine
rare indeed in Northern Vermont-covered
the entire arbor, 1t was sweet retreat of a
summers afternoon-cool, silent and calm.
"My dear children, must talk with you,'
said Mrs. Howard, as she seated herself with
them in the arbor. L" had better tell you
what you must soon know had better answer
questions now, which have refused to answer
heretofore. There is load upon my hcart-a
weight that is crushing me. The storm which
has been so long gathering, has burst at last
Thank Heaven, it cannot affect you as it will
me. The old home cannot be to you what it is
to me. Away back in the past see circle of
golden years, all hopeful and happy. But one
desire-only One-unsa tisfed and as the little
years crcled away-less and less-nearer and
nearer came the realization, till the long labor
ed and hoped for came-every dollar was paid,
and the home was ours. But Il am absent
am wandering. You have asked me q thousand
things and there is the same answer to all
run. 0, my children, you don't know the
power of rum, you don know what it is to be
: a drunkard-"
II II know, mother. Father-"
Hush, child mean that you don't know
all the evils of drunkenness-the terrible effect
on the drunkard himself and the shocking
evils it inaicts on families and neighb9rhoods
You know but little, Leon, little. Heaven
grant that you may never know more. few
years ago your father was one of the best of
men. The farm was our own, and we had eve
rythng for comfort and convenience. 1t seems
like dream when look back to it was SO
happy There was no temptation then but
when SIocum built his tavern ut the four cor
uers-'
6 remember it, I remember it, mother "
said Leon.
i" Yes, Leon, you know much of what has
u followed, bat not all no. no, not all. But for
you my heart would have broken You have
been good, noble boy, and Heaven will reward
you. fear never can. Bat for you, all
would have gone years ago. You have worked
like slave, and did all your hands could do,
} and have eccnomized and dld all that could,
butall has not saved us. No, my dear children.
} the old homestead is sold. 1t is hard to part
with all that we have labored so hard to make
dear and horne-like-it is terrible to lose it So
The tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was
calm. eyes, children, Mr. Clarke was here an
hour ago, and told me all. Slocum-Heaypn