Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-01-16

Robbie Hunters Fortune,
by MARY J. CRosMAN.

81 fa.HH .A.FV tf .ft-e ft ..+ 70
''For many lad ..,r f4.,
Born to rough work and ways.
'' Strips off his ragged coat, and makes
W0 Men clothe him with their praise'' JH'r
There was nothing except his mother
that Robbie Hunter loved 80 well as his
book. Samuel. his eldest brother, was
satisfied with dog and gun; and How
ard, the next in order, fancied nothing so
much as horse. Robbie had heard his
mother talk Of high schools and colleges ;
he knew that knowledge was power, -
that intellect, developed and educated
was the noblest and most valuable thing
in the world. Though but dozen birth
days had rested on his sunny brown ncad
away in his heart was written tie resolve
to become an educated man. H5ward's
ambition was to own the best horses in
the State. and Samuel wanted his father
to remove west where game was plenty
and hunting pro6table-although going
west might seem uuncco; ;sary to my young
reader, when I tell him that the home Of
the Hunter boys was but eighty miles
east of the Missouri River.
Mrs. Hunter was pale, delicate wo-
man, with dark hair, hazel eyes and a
voice full Of motbcrly kindness. She
was born in NeT England: half score
of her years went blltbely by and chen
her mother grew thin and white, and one
autumn day the angels came for her to
60 to the Upper Home. MIS-. Hunters
father was land spseulator, and after hi:
wife died he sold out and went West
Her only brother, eight years older thar
herself, hired out to the captain of an At
lantic steamer. and SO the broken family
went opposite ways She lost her fathel
at nineteen, and soon after married Sam
uel Hunter, merry, brave. and rougf
frontiersman, born and raised in sight 0
Indian wigwsms, and accustomed to fish
hunt and play through boyhood with hi
red brothers, He was very tender of Jen
ME, "The Prairie Flower" as the Indiar
woman called his wife, and as proud 0
Robbie, the scholar, as of the two stout
square built boys that were exact copie
of himself and could outrun or outlif
any other boys in the county. Robbie
bore the name Of his uncle, who went ou
! to make his fortune on the seas, and h
same high forehead, the sam
had tho finely cnt features.
full. clear eye anu as.s.oh IA
tt was an afternoon in Ma.- ~
raw and rainy. Not a streak Of blue lr' hao 9
been anywhere been seen on the gray
black sky all day. Mr.. Hunter had oce' e
..,,o ., ~; m;,os u ,.v 9th his heavy OK team
some niioo away ~ acarc
to get a load Of coal, for wood was .
and coal beds plenty. Mrs, Hunter "a ha'
been dDishing off pair of striped NIT nit
tens, while her thoughts had been goln
up and down the paths Of her CHILDHOOD
| NJ. \
when she had worked and played with he
brother in their far-away New Englan
home. The old days fitted before he
like halfforgotten tunes, till she hoal
husband halloo "who," to the impatien
J dripping oxen. Coming iu for the mi
pail, he said,
"Wby, mother, you set there jes' II
YOU was in dream. Come, amt 1t
most time for supper y
you've had a hard day, haven't y
Samell?" and the little woman roOs
herself, promising him that supper shou
be ready as soon as his chores were dol
I" Putting his head hack after he went o
he said. II come past the school hou
;, an the master won't be here; he's CIV
to set up with Deacon Smith to night