The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-07-12
Our own Fourth.
" Blow we the Trumpet, blow. "


nifty, but makes an occasion TO it of some
thing less of what is sord;d and dull, some
thing less too of what is immoral or de-
basing, in the excitement which every in
teIlect demands from stimulus or diversion
of some kind. 1t is well TO be happy if
possible in some choice way, inspiriting to
the taste and social or local feeling.
The boat has been, literally designed
and nicely built. 1t is graceful in proper.
tions, and sits lovingly in its proper ele-
ment. The cost Of such thing has been
freely met, though not assured by all the
auguries to be a paying investment. 1t
promises better. in this respect, now that
it is done. and there are lots of folks a
long neutrality-suspicious. that are likely to
be grateful so fine chance of pleasure is
to be afforded them. The stranger, too,
travelling athwart our valley, is quite
likely, with taste for beauty of scenery,
to dip in for share of the passing ia
vors Of its Queen.
The Picnic celebration was three miles
up the course of Otter Creek, the first
three of the forty miles it is said to make
to the ledge of Sutherlands Falls in
Rutland, but thirty miles distant by rail-
road The grove selected is above the
stream and west of the track, where the
railroad nearly over-rdes the bank. The
advert isement, issued Saturday evening,
gave the plan, hourly trips through tl<,
day of Independence, band of music,
speaking at the grove at three O'Clock, and
everybody invited to come, paying fifty
cents 10 the boat and bringing their own
picnic They came, enough Of them
and just the right people, and the first
gay and eager load was off in presence of
abundant spectators, at half past ten o.
clock; the second at twelve, the third at
one and half; not quite on time, but
there was reason for this. The boat on
her first excursion day was still in the
vein of trial trips 1t must be so, for
about so long; and the next trip was de-
layed by still longer interval.
The Picnic did not feel the first slight
er failures, for the baskets were on hand,
and there was enough to stay the mpa-
tent longing for other company with 9TH
er baskets. But the Band, who had
cheered the first trips with music lively as
the day, gay as the shining water, them
selves staid for dinner, and the fourth trip
staid too long. 1t was tedious to many
who wanted to hear speaking, even such
as had some times waited for mill stones
to be pecked, while nov the engine was
tinkered, and speakers were behind, and
the Band, to supply the want of speakers,
were with them, and the programme, for
those who cared for it, did not 90. 1t
did not 90 afterward in this regard, and
the Fourth, without its oratory, became
& novelty as striking as the boat The
young folks did not know the difference,
but they are thoughtlcss set. Give
them plenty of good things and each
other AMI what do they care They
were twining their hats AMI cnrls with
oak leaves, and boating or sauntering, and
did not care pin if the commit ee omit
ted even the Declaration. They had their
own way for that; and so the enamel
patton proclamation The Fourth to
them was as free as the state Of nature,
and dressed as civilly as if born in the
calendar. Neither did others care so
much, who had not yet Il repletion Of So
cial talk and grosser delicacies. But there
was waiting, needless, rs it proved, for
Mr.. SLADE had arrived, and the commit
tee should have called him to preside, and
opened their Pandoras roll Of toasts,-
Pandora over baked her rolls-and du!ed
that sharp set appetite for speech Late
at last the chairman OF the committee
founl his place upon the boards, and the
band gave Hail Columbia, and himself,
not quite immortal, read the toasts, and
the singing was interspersed, and the
speakers named, not called, and a pleasant
hour was supplied to those who waited
over the fourth home trip of the boat, and
then, at say seven and quarter o'clock,
even the young folks answered TO Old
Lang Syne TO conclude, and then with
baskets and oak leaves, minstrel girls and
gentlemanly musicians, happy crowd
filled up the tireless Valley Queen, with
a freight all fresh and merry enough to
drop the negro suffrage question and Mex
lean bother into the creek year, and
keep the Fourth of July '66, tomorrow
How beautifully the day had waited
for them, who waited patiently for it!
How the notified eastern sky had unfolded
its endless band of feecy cloud Of blueish
gray,-the blue-fsh would envy the color
indeed, il in half-mourning, to captlvate
the widows of his midland the north
west was over-shot with cleaning light,
cleaning like tho memory OF some good
man, whose living presence was little
too obtrusivc FIR company, but who dies
to every regret when the splendor of his
memory so remains A long reach OF
the river here TO the South gives the
mountain tops of the valley in Rutland
County soft as those of the Coast Range
from Suttersville, Herald and Courier
please copy,) the Dunmore mountain, east,
and Others of the Green range are exquis
lite as only themselves are at all The
river, north, takes its way IN only lines
of beauty, or between lbon, so eyonsitC