Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-03-23
From the New York Observer.
The Vermont Puritan.
BY MRS. r. D. C. ROBBINS.

w
He had to cross two low spurs of the
Green Mountains, and as he climbed
to the top of the second the rich val
vey of the Otter Greek lay spread out
before him. At any other time he
would have stopped to admire its geu-
tie undnlations: its great flower gar
cen of forest trees, rich in every col
or and hue; its silver threads wind
ding their way to the waters of the
Champlain, and the glorious autumn
light which lay like golden mantle
over them all. But this afternoon he
seemed oppressed by the beauty which
surrounded him. He looked upon it
with eyes misty from tears. There
was a dull, heavy weight upon his
heart-a weight which even the long,
fervent prayers that he had uttered so
increasingly since noon had failed to
move. Between him and the land
scape, we might almost say, between
him and the mercy seat, there moved
a Slight, tall boy, with laughing blue
eye, clustering brown hair, and lips
always ready with a merry pleasant
word. To-day, there was Bennie,
nutting under the bare, brawny arms
of the butternut tree; throwing his
line into the little brooks, that came
babbling down from the steep noun
tain side; driving his COWS, along the
narrow foot path; standing with Bios
som under the bright maple, and
shouting with pride and JOY as he
wreathed her pretty face in the gay
leaves.
"Oh. Bennie Bennier = Mr.. Allan
hardly knew he was calling the name.
until it came back to him with such
ae empty, mOcking sound, from the
heartleSs echo; almost Mr.. Allan
thought, startling himself by the seem
ing impiety of the almost as
if there were no great, kind Father
over us all"
As he came near Farmer Owens
house, he saw his oxen yoked to the
pIow He knew they had been there
since the telegram came. Mr. Owen
had read it in the field, gone to the
house and forgotten them, and no one
had dared to put them up. He was
man fully capable of taking care of
his own affairs under any circumstan-
ccs, never having been known before
to forget.
Mr. Allan walked on slowly toward
the house. He had known Mr.. Owen
for many years, and he knew him we'll.
Indeed there was Il peculiar bond Of
+ sympathy between the men. In his
, large parIoll there was HOJ one upon
whom the minister relied as he did
upon this strong, sturdy farmer. Many
and many an hour he had walked by
his side when he was upturning the
brown earth, and had diScoursed
with him on topics which would have
, sounded harsh and repulSive to com
mon ears, but which were fraught
with deep ahd vital interest to them
Mr.. Owen was a direct descendant
, of the Puritans, and every drop of
I blood in his veins was tinged with "a
! strong and true 'bluc'' as if he him
!. self had landed in the Mayflower.-
: He took naturally to the sterner doc
+ trines of religion, while Mr.. Allan
f versed in all the modern lore, ques
: toned and doubted. The keystone
of Mr.. Ovens theology was the SOY
! creignty of God Shall not the Judge
p of all the earth do right p This was
! the man upon whom God had now
laid his hand so heavily; and Mr.. Al
+ Ian felt that if the trial brought NJ
q murmcr, obell.on against h {
mighty Sovereign, the stern old faitl
~ were indeed a rich one in which tt
live and die. He knew that one ele
~ ment in this war was Puritan. Som
Il of the Roundheads filled up the rank,
of the Northern army. They march
q ed to battle to strains of the tune
that had fingered i'll the nursery anC
- the sanctuary from the day that Crom
4 well and his soldiers had chant6,
4 them on MarSton Moor. All dow
q the aiSles Of time came tramping t.
:. the music mailed men, bearing on thei
r shields the two words, liberty an,
a equality. They trcmbIed on NJ /
l Owens lips with his parting blessing
y to his boy. Would he remembc
" them, and would they comfort an
+ give him strength no,c?
IT. Where there is afiiction in a hous
i the minister is at home. Mr.. ALA
,e entered without knocking, and mad
Of his way to the large, oldfashione
:, kitchen in which he was sure Of fins
y ing the family.
fs There, by the table, with his arm
folded and laid heavily on it, sat Nj
Owen. His wife was in small rocl
5e ing-chair by the fire, and Blossom,
10 young girl, sat between them.
'u Mr.. Owen rose to welcome him; 5
n did Blossom; but the wife did not m
Ill tice him-she sat still, rocking he
self to and fro, looking. at the blazir
)u wood.
ch Mr.. Allan put hand in the Drawn
#, one that was held out to him, and lai
the other Oh Mr.. Owens great hea
od. ing breast. "My friend he said, Tho
X is it with the decrces of God ?"
Just and true are all thy way
y thou King of Saints faltered out Il
m man.
us There was something strange
his voice-a thin, womauly sound,
unlike the deep, stentorian tones
he which he had always spoken befoi
Is Mr.. Allan, when he heard it almo
'ty felt as if it had dealt him a blow.
"Thank God He has not, the
forsaken you, and from the depths {
rl, this deep trouble you can still sa