Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-12-18

form. All the speeches ever delivered in
congress never made half as many nbo-
litionists did q Uncle Toms Cabin. y
blows against the abuses which he has deg
cribed, than any other assault would have
struck, because his readers were made to see
as though with their natural ewes, the evils
whIch ne wished TO abate But it takes
great talent to make story preach truth to
thinking mind, and at the same time reach
a class Of readers who would not be likely to
read an essay discussion upon moral re-
spOnsibility or political reform We doubt
whether Dr. Holmes has this talent The
heterodoxy in the volume is hardly part of
the story, but it is rather put I'm In such n
way as to give story-readers good opportuni-
ties ef &" skipping 1t in their reading.
DIR Holmes will have multitude of read
ers whatever he may write, but we doubt
whether he has added anything to his repu-
tation by this book, or whether his talent
finds it's best field of labor in noycl-writing
As essayist he is delightful, and his wit
is keen and flashing; and in this volume he
Is both essayist and wit; but a novel should
have hold upon something beside the intel
lect of one who reads. Aud it is because . The
Guardian Angel = furnishes little food for
the emotions and the sympathies of our
nature, that it fails Of reaching high stand
ard as a novel
w q make room for this admirable sketch
of one Of the characters of this book
MASTER BYLEs GRIDLEY.
The old Master of Arts was as notable a man
in his outside presentment ar one will find
among five hundred college alumni as they
file in procession. His strong, squared fea-
lures, his formidable scowl his solid-looking
head, his iron-grey hair, his positive and as
it were cate gorical stride, his slow, precise
way of putting a statement, the strange union
of trampling radicalism in some directions
and high-stepping conservatism in others
which made 1t impossible to calculate on
his unexpressed opinions, his testy ways
and his generous impulses, his hard judg-
ments and kindly actions, were character
istics that gave him n very decided individ-
uality.
lie had all the aspects Of man Of books
His study. which was the best room in Mrs.
Hopkins's house, was filled with a miscella-
neOus looking collection of volumes, which
his curious literary taste had got together
from the shelves of all the libraries that had
been broken up during his long life as Il
scholar. Classics, theology, especially Of the
controversial sort, statistics, politics, law 3,
medicine, science, occult and overt, general
literature almost every branch of knowl-
edge was represented. His learning was
very various, and cf course mixed up useful
and useless, new and ancient, dogmatical and
rational, like his library, in short for a
library gathered like his is a looking glass in
which the owners mind is reflected.
The common people about the village did
not know what to make Of such phenome-
non. He did not preach. marry, christen or
bury, like the ministers, nor jog around with
medicines for sick folks, nor carry cases into
court for quarrelsome neighbOrs. What tcas
ne good for ? Not 4 great deal, some Of the
wiseacres thought,-had - all sorts Of sense
but common sense -.' s:::art mahn. but not
practical - There were others who read him
more shrewdlv He knowed more, they said
than all the ministers put together, and if
he'd stan for representative they'd like TO
vote for him.-they he'd n he'd smart mahn
in the Gineral Court sencc Squire Whibird
was thar.
They may have overdone the matter in
comparing his knowledge with that of all the
ministers together. for Priest Pemberton was
a real scholar in his special line of study,
as all II. D.s arc supposed to be, or they
would not have been honored with that dis
tinguished title But Mr. Byles Grdley not
only had more learning than the dcep-sea
line Of the bucolic intelligence could fathom !;
be had more wisdom also than they gave him
credit for, even those among them who
thought most Of his abilities.
In this capacity of schooImaett1 he had
sharpencd his wits against those of the lively
citv boys lie had in charge, and made such a
reputation as :. Master - Gridlev, that he
kept that title even after he had become a
college tutor and professor. As a tutor, he
had to deal with many Of the same boys, and
others like them. in the still more yivacious
period Of their carly college life. He got rid
of his police duties when he became pro-
fessor, but he still studied the pupils care
fully as he used once to watch them. and
learned to read character, with skill which
might have fitted him for governing men in
stead of adolescents But he loved quiet and
he dreaded mingling with the brawlers of the
market-place, whose stock in trade Is a voice
and vocabulary. So it was he had passed
his life in the patient mechanical labor of in
struction, leaving too many OF his instincts
and faculties in allowance.
The alluvium of all his experience bore a
nearer resemblance to worldly wisdom than
might have been conjectuted much nearer,
indeed, than it does in many old instructors,
whose eyes get fish like as their blood grows
cold and who arc not fit to be trusted with
ANYTHING more practical than gerund or a
cosine. Master Gridly not only knew good
deal Of human nature, but he knew how to
keep his knowledge to himself upon occa-
sions He understood singurlarly well the
WAYS and tendencies of young people. lie
was shrewd in the direction of trickery,
and very confident in those who had once
passed the ordeal Of his wcll-schoOled obsery-
ing powers He had no particular tendency
TO meddle with the personal relations OF those
about him but if they were forced upon him
in aav wav. he was like to see into them at
least as quickly as any one of his neighbors
who thought themselves most endowed wit h
practical skill.
In leaving the duties Of his office he con-
sidered himself, as he said little despOnd-
emily. like an old horse embarrassed and
turned out to pasture. lie felt that be had
separated himself from human interests and
was henceforth to live in his books with the
dead. until he should be numbered with them
himself. He had chosen this quiet village as
a place where he might pass his days undis-
turhed. and find a peaceful resting-pl place IN
its church-vard. where the gravel was dry,
and the sun lay warm, and the glowing
woods of autumn would spread their many
coIored counterpane over the bed where he
would he taking his rest. 1t sometimes
came over him painfully that he was never
more to be of any Importance to his fellow
creatures There was nobody living to whom
he was connected by any near ties. he felt
kindly enough to the good woman in whose
house he lived he sometimes gave few
words of counsel to her son he was not un-
amiable with the few people lie met ne
bowed with great consideration 10 the Key;
NJ Pemhertnn and studied Mith no small