Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-02
VOL XIII.

tommodatl MS be what they would, and firmly |
said " No when the stag agent at the depot
urged NE to take seat for Columbia
There were five passengers with baggage
twenty-five negroes crowded around u, and
troubled the hot air with harsh clamor. :. Give
yer baggage here. sir" Lef dis yer mig tote
yer plun'er, Mass'r.'' Hab you balese toted
TO de hotel, sab !? " &" Tux hack UP town
Mass'r ? 3"
There wa the man l wanted. lie proved to
be strapping boy of thirteen or fourteen,
who tossed ms valise to the top of MS head and
strobe off with both hands swinging.
found the "hack" to &c rcketty old short
boxed spring wagon, with two rough board
seats, on the back one of which was a worn
out cushion, over both being canvas support
ed sticks nailed to each corner Of the box
This establishment drawn by a scrawny
lame mule and we were seventeen minutes in
accom- pllshing the half-mile, which the boy
called it. up to the hotel.
was little dstrustful about the hotel and
learning from the driver that boarders were
sometimes taken at another house, | stopped
there and asked the white girl Of fifteen, whom
| found the piazza, if they could give me
meals and lodgings for about three days She
thought they could, but would call her mother
So much OF the tousa and grounds | could
see presented an inviting appearance and | in
dulged in visions of pleasant chamber and
many dreamy hours on the broad piazza.-
Presently " mother " appeared. She was a
plump woman Of thrty-three perhaps.
- Yes, 81, We nave d couple of rooms, and
We sometimes tske transient bo4rders," said
-e, answering he question l had put ta the
girl
" / IN stopping three or four days in town,
and much rather top at private house than
al the botei," | said.
- Are ycu Yankee cr 9 Southerner ?"
90 Yankee, Of course" answered, smil-
ing, though 1 saw breakers ahead.
a No Yankees stop here! Good day. sir 80
And she turned and walked inio the bouse
The negro boy, who stood with my vaiise On
his head, volunteered the remark, 4" flat TO 20
10 de hotel, p -; and | followed him back "a
the " hack.
At the hotel vs. negro boy wasuiax the
steps from The piazza into the basement.
told him what | wanted. He wuui4 call The
Mlssus. She was somewhere N the lower
par5 Of tie house and after her head came
above The .eyel 81 the floor on which / stood,
she stopped and washed ner hands in the dirty
water with which the boy had just finished
scrubDIng the stairway, smoothing her hair
with them and vip.ag them Oh her apron.
l made known my desires, paid my driver his
charge OF seventy five cents, and vas shown
RObert-him OF the wash rag and scrubling-
brush, 10 room No. 8, the Inquire being at least
foot in length, and ruGey done in white
chalk.
Inc room Is about fourteen feet square, has
one window fronting he SOU heasf. and Is Ia
the third story L4th euC pl Srer there are
not, on this door al least. The partitions are of
rou-h UNMATCHED pi4a. WIN strip, ot c.otn over
the larger cFac7s, snd cheap wal paper on
me boards all round he ceiling Is also Of
wood, and wa once painted white, but Is uov
ike the wal .aper, 81 smoky yellow. The
paper Is muc1 broken uy The sEriuk4ge of the
boards, and large ~ Giles IT il have been torn
of 10 q dozen places The walls AND ceiling
handsomely decorated VIth wasy's mud nests
and soo,y y-DrarcneQ c0DweOs.
Inc bed is d -Irly cotton mattress il al old
fashioned hlgh-po-t Osd>tead. There are ~
sheets, and t4cI nothing out cotton utied
pillow and a calico spread. This esi ab ishmrut
IS the ABODE Of q numerous ana industrIJ us
colony Of the luprOved Order Of Red Men
TO wnom | nightly Tay heavy blood tribute.
Beside the bed tnere Is tor furnishing of the
room one cane-s eat chair, a seven-by-Len look
ing glass, ana three-toOr square and breast
high plain dine table, n when cracked
wash bow, and hand es> and nuseiess water
pitcher 10 when | prevailed o. koosr, to add
. ccackeJ glass. Ia M win .ow are TX SQUAD
paues Of g..ss, tour cracked ones, and the rem
nants Of hive panes mOcs. l suppose / should
adj also, the furniture several very social ana
handsome mice, and nea.thy and lively swarm
OF uncommony re mosquitoes.
The house nas thtse stories and basement
dining-room. Tne first and second floors have
broad plaZzas OF each SIDE of the house. The
first floor has four room, aad the second and
thirI have I've each. Robert says mine Is he
be,t Oh Tue upper h5or-.n WI CT fact there Is
much cousol.uon. GImpses into Inc secold
floor rooms rave not bred il me any desire TO
move down. In the sO-cailed drawIng-roOm
there are three old chairs, round aud rickety
centre table, SORE OF writing desk, he wTecA
OF = piano and several pieces cf carpet. 40
the dDlpg-room are Two ,~elve-toot plain pine
tables, ana TWEEN, y-tbree chairs of five dfere {
patterns. The table spread OF this noon was
the same We had OH the evening Of my arriv4 !,
three days ago, and it was horr0ly filthy then.
The dining-room i-sef Is airy and clean. In
the hail, and pasted U the wall, are "a set OF
rules for the hotel, ,w.ce as long and i0rmida
bic ss any ever slw IN any Northern house,
whether first fourth cas-.
The hotel register, book fully equal to the
necessities OF any Boston house Ior SIX months,
is, with a lead pencil, handed round at the sup
per table each day for the reception of the
names of persons who have arrived since morn
ing.
The hojel grounds consist of large yard,
the gate OF which is always open, ana within
which all the stray stock Of the town has free
ramble Al the bottom of the bread steps on
the upper side Of the house Is large mud
puddle in which dogs and nogs alternately
wallow, there being at least five Of the former
and nine OF The latter running about. Inc
dogs are guanL and woliish-the hogs Slab
sided, halt grown ana very long of nose.
There Is in ne yard about every hing one
can name, except grass and cleanilness-h's
of wood and crockery, scraps OF old iron, wisps
of straw and fodder, old rags, broken bottles
sticks, stones, bones, hOofs, horns. nails, ETC.,
etc. nd infnitunl. The barber throws the
sweeping- OF his shop on one side the house.
and the cook Is equally free with her Stops Oh
the other side
The 81 Mis>us p" is the head of the house.
She is tall and angular, with a complexion sal
low TO the last degree Of sailowness, eyes 10
which there IS neither life nor nope, hair which
| am sure has net felt either comb or brush
during my stav. Hex dress IS d greasy calico
OF the halt-mourniDg variety, TO which she
sometimes adds apron which IS Ut more re-
palsive only because 1t can't be. She Is a type
of women, thank God, "iIhout a counterpart
in the North. She goes aoOut the house 10 q
shuflng, shambling manner, with the cry o
'Manda-'Ma Manda, always on her tongue
There is no variety Of accent in this cry, tu
only one of length, Kobert-Ro-be be rt-
Rob e-r-t."
During meals she stands at the head of ths
table, and serves out the allowance OF tea aut
coffee, and sugar and milk, with unendine
string of such talk this Robert tend the
hominy - Gal, get the gemman's cup ant
sasser !; ;" Manda, mind the flies +" Good
gracious, niger, why don't ye pass then
billed eggs Now, Robert, do then