Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-22

rail ard as swift as horse. la fHct, my
brother and J. on cur way to the peach trees,
which still produce some bitter favored fruit
had more than once seen snakes in our path
On cerlan occasion, as my memory runs, |
chased The snake, while ho ran away. His
story is, that he chased, md ! ran-and the
question remains unsettled to this day.
Sometimes VIC extended our rambles to he
end Of the farm. and looked down into the
secluded daIes boyo,d tho ridge which it COW
ercd--such gImpses were ike The di:voycry
of unknown lands. How far off the other
people lived How strange it must be to
dwell continually down in that hollow, with
no other house i'll sight! But when build
q house, | thought, | shall build it up on the
ridge, with high stecpe, from the top Of
whc1 can see far and wide.
At last came the launch into the word--a
slide, plunge, shuddor, and the ship Iilcs
The waves, Absence, occupation, travel,
substituted realities for dreams, and Il larm
if not iorg tton, became very subordinate
object in the catalogue Of things to be obtoin-
ed. Whenever vis cd the homestead, how
ever, | saw the sunset through its grating Of
forest.
Fifty years Of neglect had given the adj
joining tarm bad name among the tarmors,
while Nature, as if delighted to Acoyor pos
session, had gone Oh adorniog il in her own
slid matchIeSa way, | looked oYon the spot
with an instructed eye, aad sighed as count,
ed up my fca1ty earnings, at the reflection
that yeara must e!apse before c, uld tiuk
Of possessing it. My wish, nevertheless, was
heard and remembered
In July, 1858, was On the isand Of Loo
Choo. Returning to the Aagship Of the squad.
ron ore evening, after long tramp over the
hills to the south Of Nupa Kiapg in q sue
ccSslul search for the ruins Of the Al ciont for
tress Of Tmagusku, | was summoned by the
officer Of the deck to receive package which
had been sent On board from one Of the 9th
or vessels.
Letters from home, after an interval of six
months without news Immediately asked
permission to burn a lamp On the ogIop deck
aud read until midnight, forgetting the tramp
Of the sentry and the sounds of the sIeupers
in their haElnocks around me. Opening let
ter after letter, and doyouring piece by piece,
the banquet Of news they contained, tie most
startling, as we'll as the most important com,
munications, was--the old farm was mine !
Its Iormor owner died, the property was sold,
and had been Purchased il my name went
on deck. The midnight watch had just 70
loved the first the night was pitch dark, On
ly now and then wave burst in flash Of
white fire. But, as l locked westward over
the stern,ratl saw the great oaks, rising
black against the crimson sunset, and knew
they were waiting for me-that,L should sure
ly see them again.
Five months afterWard approached home,
after an absence Of nearly two years and a
half 1t was Christmas Evc-,a clear, sharp
winter night. The bego earth was hard lro-
zen; the sun was down, the quarer moon
shore overhead, and the keen nor'We,t wind
blew in my face | had known no winter for
three years, ard the bracipg stimulus Of the
cold was almost as novel as it was refreshing
Presently recognized the boundaries OF my
property--yes, | actually possessed u portion
Of the oarths surface Aitcgall. thought,
possession-at least so lar oB nature is con.
cerned-meaDs simply protection. Thismoon-
lit wilderness is not more beautiful to my eyes
Than it was before; but have the right, Sc
cured by legal documents, preserve its beau
ty. need no. imporo the woodman to spare
those trees Iii spare them myself This is
tho only difference in my relation to the prop
orty. So long a0 any portion Of the land
scapo, which pIeases he, is not disturbed, l
possess it quite as much as this.
During these reflections, had reached the
foot Of the ridge, A giant tulip tree, the
honey Of whose blossoms ] had many time
pifdrod in boyhood, crowned the slope, droop-
Ijng its long bougha as if weary of stretching
them in welcome, Behind it stood the oaks,
side by side, far along the road, AS |
reached the first tree, the wind, which had
fallen, gradually Bwelled, humming through
the bare branches until deep organ bass fill
ed the wocd. 1t was hoarse, yet grateful
chorus Of Observation-Disclosures, yet intelli-
gible. Welcome, welcome home!" went
booming through the trees, "welcome our
master and our preserver See, with all the
voice we can catch from the winds, we utter
our joy For now there is an end to fear
and suspense; he who knows US and loves us
spreads over US the shelter Of his care. Long
shall We flourish on the hill long shall our
leaves expand in the upper air loog shall
our grateful shadows cover his path. We
shallhail his coming from aIar; our topmost
boughs shall! Spy him ACROSS the valleys, and
whisper it to the Gatcrnal woods. We arc
old VIC never change; We shall never cease
to remember and to welcome our master! ~
So tie trees we're FIRST to recognise me
Listening to their deep, resonantyoices (wljcb
l would not have exchanged for the dry rat
lie Of hundred league long forest CT tropic'
al pans,) ! was conscious Of new scnsa'