The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-02-16
The Puritan of 1868.
FROM THE NEW YORK OBSERVER.
BY MRS. K. D. G. ROBBINS, MIDDLEBIrp,

FROM TIE NEW YORK OBSERVER.
BY MRS. r. D. G. ROBBINS MIDDLEBIrRy VT
1t was in the early part of October -.
that the Rev. Mr.. Allan started 70 walk
to Farmer Owens over the hills. He had
to cross two low spurs of the Green Noun
talns, and as he climbed to the top of the
second the rich valley of the Otter Creek
lay spread out before him. At any other
time he would have stopped to admire its
gentle undulations its great flower gar
den OF forest trees, rich in every color and
hue; its silver threads winding their way
to the waters of the Champlain, and the
glorious autumn light which Law like a
golden mantle over them all. But this
afternoon he seemed oppressed by the
beauty which surrounded him. He look
ed upon it with eyes misty from tears.
There was dull, heavy weight upon his
heart-a weight which even the long, fer
vent prayers that he had uttered so un-
ceasingly since noon had failed to move
Between him and that landscape, we
might almost say, between him and the
mercy seat, there moved a slight, tail boy,
with laughing blue eye, clustering brown
hair, and lips always ready with merry,
pleasant word. To-day, there was Ben
ny, nutting under the bare, brawny arms
of the butternut tree ; throwing his line
into the little brooks that came babbling
down from the steep mountain side driv-
ing his cows along the narrow foot path ;
standing with Blossom under the bright
maple, and shouting with pride and JOY as
She wreathed her pretty face i'll the gay
leaves.
"Oh, Bennic Bennie - Mr. Allan
hardly knew he was calling the name, m-
til it came back to him with such an
empty, mocking sound, from the hear,les,
echo "almost'' - Mr.. Allan thought.
startling himself by the seeming impictv
of tie words 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 plow. He
knew they had been there since the teIe-
graph 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 sof TAX
ING care OF his own affairs under any cir
cumStanccs. never having been known be-
fore to forget.
Mr.. Allan beckoned to an IrisIlma1
who was passing, and asked him to take
. care of them. The man came with Al
awed look upon his face, as if even there
he stood i'll the presence OF Il great sorrow.
- and without the least noise oheyed
Mr. Allan walked on slowly toward tn
house. lie had known Mr.. Owen 70
r. many years, and lie knew him wei. In
deed there was peculiar bond of sympa
thy between the two men. In all hi
L. large parish there WAS not one upon whom
: the minister relied as he did upon tn,
strong sturdy farmer. Many and man,
z an hour he had walked by his side whel
:. he was upturning the brown earth, an'
had diScoursed with him on topics whicl
would have sounded harsh and repulsive t.
common ears. but which were iraugh
with deep and vital interest to them. Mr.
+, Owen was direct descendant of the pu
ritanS, and every drop OF blood in hi
veins was lin9ed with as strong and true
L., 1,
Mayhower. He took naturally to tn
s. sterner doctrines of religion, while MI
Allan, vcrscd in all the modern lore, QucS
T. toned and doubted. The keystone {
- MIR. Owens theology was the soverelgnt
of God -"Shall not the Judge of all til
ea world do right p This was the man up
on whom God had now laid his hand 5
= heavily and Mr.. Allan felt that if tn
trial brought no murmur, no reoellio
IS, against that mighty Sovereign, the stcr
old faith was indeed rich one in whic
: to I've and die He knew that one elI
merit in this war was puritan. Sons {
p the Roundhcads filled up the ranks of tn
northern army. They marched to batt1
to strains OF the old tunes that had lingel
- ed in the nursery and the sanctuary irol
the dav that Cromwell and his soldier
chantcd them on Marston Moor. \
down the aisles of time came tramplng
Is the music, mailed men, bearing on the
shields the two words, Liberty and Equa
.-- ity. They trembcl on Mr. Owens liz
q, with his parting blessing 10 his ho,
y, Would he remember them, and won
10 they comfort and give him strength now
80 Where there is affliction in house, II
10 minister is at home. Mr.. Allan enter,
~, without knocking, and made his way
-. tue large, old fashioned kitchen in whi(
he was sure OF finding the family.
co. There, by table, with his arms foldt
wv wv and laid heavily upon it, sat Mr.. Owe
~ ~ His wife was in small rocking chair |
II the fire. and Blossom, a young girl, sat b
, tween them.
-, Mr.. Owen rose to welcome him: so d
blossom but the wife did not notice hi
she sat still, rocking herself to and fr
ses looking at the blazing fire.
'hs Mr.. Allan put hand in the brawl
'us one that was held out toward him. ~
to- laid the other ON Mir. Owens great hea
in inc breast "My friend" he said, 'hc
5 a is it with the DEGREES Of God ?"
out "Just and true are all thy ways, tn
lor King of Saints, " taltered out the man.
cry There was something strange in
90. voice-a thin, womanly sound, so unli
of tho dozen stentorian tones in which he h