The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-11-01
HrrOi>m in Humble Lite.
BT ANNIE SAWYER DOWNS.

Hampshire Nolunteer, which We md IN the
Sprinfeld Republican, can hardly be read
through with dry eyes,
\ June sun shone hot and glaring on a
low, brown house that stood very near q
sardy road, in one of the farming districts OF
New Hampshire Not a tree nearer than
the next field. which by way of compliment
was called "the orcharl,' but few strag-
Cling morning sloricS, and one or two puny
aSters (knOwn TO the mi ,treSs of the house
as "Chna OYSTERS in box under the win
dow. told that even here, were some dim, i'll
understood yearning after beautiful objects.
Near the broad fiat door-stone, three yellow
haired, chubby children were making dirt
pies. not one Of them Old enough to walk the
Two miles that lay between them and the dis
tr:ct schoo-house. Inside the house a sick
". discouraged looking woman was trying to
coax an obstinate baby of half year old to 60
10 Sleep. poor Miss FIummer ~ as the
neighb0rs called her, with no hands bu: her
own 10 do a chore,-was it any wonder that
the flies were helping themselves to the re-
man, Of the slovenly breakfast that the
milk things still remained Just where her
husband left tEem before sunrise that the
attempt she had made at washing only amou,l-
led 20 most confusing litter OF tubs and
soied garments and that in tie midst of it
al. obliged to sit down by the screaming
child. sAe had only heart enough to darn, dis
couSolately. the heel of an old stocking tha;
ought to have gone to the rags months a
g?
Frances Plummer and John her husband,
had been married six Years. and every body
agreed, that they "had had hard row to
hoe" To be sure, his father had left him
the old house, the rIckety barn behind it,
and one or two acres Of rocky, sandy soil
hut even this was not all paid for, and if il
L.. been it wouldn't Rave been worth much
:or as john said There wasn't an acre OF
l.a>tering on it, and his poor COW had to
pick up her scanty living most any where
But they married young, and full of hope
tAty thought the work of building up mod
est fortune would not be too hard for them
Somehow or other. they did not get along
they had bad seasons: the farmers cut down
tie wages of their hired men, and when the
children began to come so fast. the wife grew
weak and ailing, and John found that as the
years went by, they only made out to get 8
poor living. TINS Spring of 1861, had how
ever looked little better for them. for Johr
had secured small farm, two or three mile
from home, to carry on at the halves; anc
he hoped by autumn to have a few dollars Il
his pocket wherewith 20 help pay off the mort
gage. Bat i'll spite of this good fortune
Frances, as size set rocking the cradle
thought that her husband had seemed silent
and anxious for the last few weeks, and hen
mind, always foreboiing grew troubled with
the sense OF some new grief to betall them
The stocking dropped from her fingers, and
it was some minutes before she discovered
that her child had at last worried itself into
restless slumbsr. she got up wearledly
reluctantly, and attempted to bring some or
der out of the chaos that reigned around her
Perhaps YOU think she and her husband
were rather weak sort of bodies, but if vol
ever tried to get your daily bread Oft from
lightly two acres of New Hampshire rocks
with a house and four babes for capital, you
will have little charity for that species o
weakness.
Hour by hour the morning wore away, ant
although the noisy children trooped in on'
after the other woke the baby, and undid ;
great part OF !.er work, still, by noon, which
brought dinner and her husband. things die
look little civilized. Noon certainly die
10, bring large amount of dinner that day
tat. looking across the fiat, she saw John
manly ;orm, and glow passed over her thin
>a..ow face, for in spite of their unromantl(
Surroundings, these two people loved eaci
other as do not many husbands and wive'
VINO live in very stately dwellings. Sh
,-ok up the salt pork and potatoes, lltte'
-. baby into high chair, and when John
,,toltyd by the three dirt pie makers, cam
INTO the kitchen, he looked as if he though
Sic had dcne about as well as woman coul
who had not anything to do with. But stl
She noticed the cloud on his face, noticed hi
glrelesS answers to the children. and once o
twice detected long hard breath, as if h
were making up some desperate resolve
she tired to speak of it two or three times
Int something sealed her lips, and he save
:~r he effort Fanny, our company, III
>.~rk Rifles, are going to the war
>ht saw it all in a moment-the picture c
..=r husband as she had seen him years ago
9-:ore they had ever thought Of being MAJ
ed. above his fellows on the muster-tield i
hight. vet STOPPING low his proud head
acknowledgement of her timid bow. An
then another scene took its place-that ia
figure, in the old familiar uniform, iyln
stained with dust and blood on far-otf ba
,.@grtlnd She locked ready to faint, bl
su.. he went on with his story.
Il knew it week ago, Frances-kne
~hen the governor called ont the regimen
to which We belong, but | dared not tt
YOU"