Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-06-27
MISSION or AN TNpERpoNI.
STEAK,
Written for The Evening Gs7.tts.

! u4s Ibu-IhC man, nerc5lv- addressing tn.
waiter, who had puta steak before him ths
loom its rareness might have awakened
doubt II 1t had ever felt the fire
No. sir. by no means, no, sir. replicC
the walter, obsequiously.
Then why do you bring ne rsw baef
sir turning 1t over with an expression o
intense disgust.
Your order was rare dunc, sir."
Rare doesn't mean raw. Il rosrs, sIr-
1t roars."
VERY well, sir, we Will change %, aui
have one done better to your likong."
''See TO it, then sir, and don't keep me all
day waiting, and the red-iaccd man turned
10 companion at the same table. with u.e
remark-''Nery annoying, s,r.
81 suppose Sd, sad the one addrrs-.d
who, having given his order, was balancing
the hlli OF fare on his fork but c,n.id y
eating houses the next best thing 20 d c,.au,-
| Ity-the gout, f,r Instance-.1r the trii ol
patience; they are providental dispensatlans.
by them"
"Nulsanccs, sir, half Of I'm, sad the
red-iacod man, "pah raw lel'f
Il smiled at what you SAID 90 the waiter
about 1t, SAID the believer ia the rraviIsu-
J - -uS--i u NaNlif iAyt les slii4 IttlNHt-
ing the bill Of fare on HE fork, aud yaryine
ms performance with whining the castor
| round, because 1t called to mind sometime
that occurred to soaie aCquaiutances Of mine
several years ago. Twas the siran-, e
! thing
lie looked rroyokingly mysterious. and
tne RED laced man, with curiosity plaIaly
/ visible, sand, sharply, WHAT was it}
a., l., 4
hostile Tor years, identifying each Ctber aud
becoming recOncl!ed through an uudeId II,
beei-sioaA Strange, but ule. p9u .ay
/ life. "
lie glanced up into the fierce man face
as he concluded, and saw the create; iacle-
dulity depicted there. Indeed, his mouta
was Just pucAering into a whistle, but c4tlh.
ing The earnest LOOK Of the informant. be
eommuted 1t by rapping on th- table.
Il have heard that 1t was good loc l...A
eye, said he, at length, caused perhaps hr
feelings ike those named, but hang j.. !.
ever hearu any use 50 strange as -. 81
put It TO. How was it,
&c A. It takes me time t. clok WAL /
have crIeied." replied the philosopher.
'.IeraaVs l shall be able to TIL you. Wen
you SEE, old Farmer Wilbur, % Branch
Creek, Vermont, had two slus-ouly s.ts-
good, likely fellows, but they wee 4lwars
qua,lelIng. Cats and DOS weren G rini i.
10 them. The old farmer wa- widower.
and they and their quarre.s made lim about
as uncomfortable as one could w-u be. g.
last, when the oldest boy Wa ..o,at sixteen.
attar a terrible fight with his rI..llr, be lai..
away, aud scon after the old imam, h4yn. 81
chance 10 sell his farm to a rlIlrurJ COMPANY
improved 1t 70 goo. advantage. and moved
West where he became swallow uy, o. adj
intents and purposes, for nob.dy Aulw
where he had gone, "out West ia sJma
uuremem berabie locality Ueia- al that hi-
old neishb rs knew about 1t. -'Whcrl'
Farmer Mi.uhr 3' strangers would sometimes
inquire "G5ne West" was tac lerlv.
"N hereab0uts 90 Don't rcmemi r. a.
was lust a. good as dead, J.u -t,. u-
though he had been buried l.r e. century.
Nobody had heard from hm lor ieeatv
years, nor the runaway son. Bat dt the eul
Of twenty years back came the runaway son
with lots Of mony. lie had been in Caht5I-
MA, and was as rich as jew. lie tuld
every way to fad out what had become ul
his iather and brother, but d.dn' succo d,
and at last, as the next best thInr to 10, he
bought back the old homestead and as much
OF the land as he could save, married one a
the pretty villagers, and settled down. la
buying back the old house he Restored jh,
raint 10 its original color, lor Farmer Nll-
bur 5 t4st had always been peculiar Ire
house was red, with white trimming, tie
blinds slate color, the doors yellow, aud be
roof bluc-a very peculiar looking house. AMI
artists tra-eling in the vicinity hays been
known to 70 FIVE miles out Of ;her way o.
av ID seeing it. The returned Vanderer at
Of respect to bis father had 1t painted exac.
tly as he remembered it. Il was hi- custom
10 come to Boston once ycIr 90 cJilcc, bis.
Misunderstanding IN tn morning aud
going back at night. got quite well ac
9uainted with HIM ard found ann to bc un
10 teresting and good fellow. We usually
took dinner together at his ho'el, bat on the
occasion of which am about TO tell, be
didn t 20 to a hotel, and We went into the
| French Restaurant up here for a lunch.
/ While we were there, there came in man
of good appearance, but evidently q victim
/ of misfortune. There was e,ra manifested
/ in Ms coat, hls pants looked shiney but well
/ preserved, his boots were patched but they
| had lately been BACKED, hIs vest Was a relic,
and hat OF an uncertain period lis was
I ssedv but genteel-poor bat respectable. Ii,
/ face was strongly marked 10y the small PIX.
J and it was apparent from the way in which
he half dlosed his eyes, az he looked, almos.
umidlv, around, that his vision was I'M
( paired. A beeisteak, said he. IN q mo
dest tone, "middling well done. The wal
ter gave him sup TcllIous look, passed
along his order, and turned TO Us, as metLis
more attractive. Our order was "steak rare
| done" The starnger took the unoccupiad
seat at our table, and we in our conversation
took no further notice Of ham. By and by
he had a plate set before him, and We We C
again attracted towa ds ulm, by the Us = %
which he regarded It, at the same time we
saw that it was as raw as the most desperate
beef-eater could desire. tie took an antique
looking eye glass from his pocket and scruti
nized his acquisition with much earnestness
then leaning lack lie sighed deeply and
wiped his eyes on faded blue cotton hand
kerchief There was 10 anger on his face,
but a spirit OF deep reflection w-s written
there. and bitter sadness, Alter while a
smile PLAYED over his features, and reaching
over to US in "A confidential way, he slid-
You may be surprised gentlemen, al my
conduct, but by some strange craze OF th,
mind am led to associate this raw beef Wit
much of my early history. The strange
fancy in the world, and | can't account lol
, it. While looking at that beet through my
, eye-glass. gentlemen, the Grs. fifteen year
Of my lie passed before ne ,aN WiI
reaching meadows md l5'sir. cltae an
: running brooks, and gentle s.orc-. tnI d. :e,
= house with d yellow door, ,la,e coiolei ahud
and blue root, that used TO call nay bone.
What" cIisi mJ freud Ni.ur, -rui
d : ins to his fe "a great surpriso, ''Iit -uci
. d picture as that r-sent itseli 10 yau IAN
was It a true pic-urs3 What may - y4l
name. SIR ? i'll eau inquire without r-'u
considered impeiuneri
Not impes-in,uJ 1T al. >ii, and hsy
10 desire to Conceal q nams tnat has neye
had crime connected with it-ny nan J
Nathan Wilblr-nsmsj irT ur i4th1r, EoH
y old man, who owned the h'l-a I tavc als
:, cribed
saw through it aH In uiemei-. an
4 dreaded lest tn old 4nimos!ty should awake
4 but it was buried beneath the years that ha
passed and looking IN ny mend 5 .aue [ sal
! IN his ara.