Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-16
OUR SPORTING PAPERs..-No. a.
Dr NED SEuNEA.
OLD HARRIS.

unlike the great majority of his class, who
manifest their insanity by ceaseless walking, his
consisted in a love Of retirement. He was
man possessed of warm feelings and strong ut
tachments, and yet he summed all society, and
lived like hermit in log house Of hts own
He was endowed quite UP to the average in
tellectually, was always respectful and even def
erential yet always stunning, and always
summed There was a kind Of mystery hang
ing about him, Nhat no one cared to penetrate,
a mystery that repulSed intimacy, and left him
dry and withel ed tree, among the evergreens
that surrounded him. Alb how many heart
has bled in silence, in the solitude Of the deep
forest, or in the lone cottage, when little Of
that attention and kind solicitude so grateful
to human nature, would have lifted it above
the sorrows that oppressed it, and helped it on
to a serene calmness, which if it were not hap
piuess, would at least be better than grief.
How many poor stricken spirit now weeps in
silent loneliness, that might be helped to see in
life something to love and enjoy, would the
cold hearts that scorn and mock, but beat warm
IN response to its suferings. How many poor
crazy creature has cause for their insanity,
which if known, would insure kind treatment,
and enough of the necessities Of life.
had been teaching school up in the neigh
borhood where Old Harris resided, and had
learned from the neighbors, that he was sus-
picious character, and that the ground of sus-
picion was his odd ways and seclusion.
Now, MIR. Holiness, said to the commit
tee one day, " Do you think that that is suf-
fcient reason for suspectng him Of criminal
ity2"
90, for that matter, Mr.. Jeuner, perhaps
not, still, i am Of the opinion that be lives on
the PR ceeds of something that don't come in
the ordinary way of honesty Nothing very
bad about Old Harris as 1 know of, perhaps
petty larceny would supply his wants-can't
tell said the committee,
"You don't knOw anything bad of him 2"
Not the first thing"
"Well, Mr.. Holmes, " said again, g don't
does seem to me, that the fact of his living
alone in his leg cabin, is hardly sufficient
reason for these floating suspicious that find
all about. Il can't account for them. Doubt.
less some busy body has set them a6oat, 70
mischief, and they've b:en floating ever since"
"They have some reason to suspect him, at
all events, }" persisted the committee.
" What reason, pray?"
" You surely cannot be ignorant of the fact
that he has been up for murder"
-"For murder - repeated, ashamed that
had taken up the defente Of Old Harris.
Yes. When he first bought here, he had
small boy, who mysteriOuSly disappeared, and
Old Harris was arrested for murder" said Mr..
Holmes.
But they didn't convict him, it appears?"
No. They couldn't prOUe nothing, though
everybody thought he was guilty. The old man
pretended that he, got drowned some way acct
dentally, Il haven't taken the trouble to inquire
how, butit WAS all pretense, no doubt. So
al least everybody thinks"
My curiosity in Old Harris was only the more
excited by this information, and determined
to venture little further
But he don't look like murderer, Mr..
Holmes,'tI said.
"Men choose darkness rather than light, be.
cause their deeds are evil" said Mr.. Holmes,
wisely.
I" Not Always" said l.
"ItiS enough for suspicion, at all events"
said Mr.. Holmes again, in tone that convinced
me that it was hazardous for :" ye Pedagogue"
to know more than d" ye Committee man" and
I said no more.
Not long after this conversation with Mr..
Holmes, received letter from western city,
thatthe most intimate friend | ever had, was
dead. We had been intimate from bOyhood,
and when we came to mans estate, our init.
macy had ripened to a strong and endearing
friendship, such. as cOngental spirits sometimes
feel for each other, and the account of bis
death affected me deeply. 1t came sudden and
unexpected, one Saturday when there was no
school, and the storm without was in keeping
with the gloom within my heart.
Twas boarding, then, at Deacon Brakeman 8,
who lived next neighbOr to Old Harris, on tho
north. and whose opinion Of theman was quite
as low as Mr.. Holmes. | kept the house, most
Of the day. living over again. in a kind of