The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-03-19
For tho Register.
Letter from Massachusetts.

me weekly, to remind me, somewhat like
llamlcts ghost, that l must write. So
with my pen, from whose nibs have
flowed so many theological thoughts,
dc p,ofudts, | sit down to ramble little
for the cdliication of your readers
Perhaps it is not in good taste, but
having an interest in Middlebury, from
whose classic halls went forth with what
little intellectual furniture | gained from
the College curriculum, would like to
say word upon that school building
about which there has been SO much
sparing.
To an eye that has rested upon the
neat and tidy villages of Massachusetts
and rcgaled itself with their loyeliness,
Middlcbury is not the most attractive
place in the Union. One Of tn, charms
of our villages is their elegant and costly
High School buildings. 1t has always
been found TO be money well expended,
bringing in a good rate Of interest for the
outlay. am aware The first cost is large,
but in the long run it is good investment.
The attractions thrown around, schol-
mrs count for much in their education.
They will inevitably feel the inspiration
of "A neat and moderately expensive build.
ing | speak from experience. They
will learn more rapidly and viii imbibe II
feeling of greater manhood. Other things
being equal, who has the greater self
respect he who dwrlls in huvcl, or nc
who dwells in beautiful house? TO
which store are the most customer, at
tracted to the filthy, slatby one. or
the one with handsome, commanding
frort, whose inner cleanliness tell, you of
the elegant taste of the grntlemanly pro.
prletor! Mr.. Nallctte knew his inte. csts
when he built that beautiful structure,
at once the pride of Middebury and of
Vermont. My observation proves to M
that you will find the best school, in the
best School houses. For the future in.
tellectual and moral welfare of the young,
Middlcbury can afford nice structure for
its schools. l think their reputation,
which has hitherto suffered, would be
improved. | hope the next time visit
Mlddlcbury l shall have the pleasure of
seeing such building.
suppose that up in your part of the
northern hemisphere, you were thorough
ly blocked in during those severe storms
the like of which has not been seen
within the memory of man-(so they say)
We WERE Actually, for two weeks,
nobody did anything but break snow
paths and stay at home Your humble
servant had the exquisite pleasure (rare
TO hm). of preaching to empty pews for
several Sabbalhs. Boston was in a
worse condition; Brattle Street was filed
up on level with the second story win.
dows-othcr Streets nearly ditto.
We have just held our town meeting
calm within but stormy without. Vii
lainous March has hegun to assert his
stormy authority and we are enjoying the
whiSk of lis raging winds. They say
pretty distinctly TO hipcds, keep in, or we
will blow snow and sleet in your faces
So we stay in and punch our fire and tip
back IN our chair, and put up our feet on
the stove and read, but do not smoke, for
that is not orthodox for as.
This town from which | write is n
border towu on the New Hampshire line,
in Middlesex County. Old Monadnock
is north of us, but near enough so that
he gathers up the northern wind and
hurls them down upon Us with chilling
force. We are on the Worcester &
Nashua X. H., midway between Nashua
and Groton Junction. We have several
manufacturing companies IN town, mostly
stoves and paper. The paper mills of
Grant, Warren & Co, are here Our
farmers are all "good livers;" all inteli
gent men. If | had time, | could tell
you some things about this town that
would amaze and interest you ! will
only say, it furnished the first colonel and
chaplain of the revolution, and also, of
the rebellion. Col. Prescott commanded
at the Battle of Bunker Hill Col. Jones
led the old 9th NJ. V. NJ through Bal
timorc. | have boys in my par sh who
felt rebel brick bats in that Lexingtonian
march through those streets.
We are not very Johnsonian here. -
Only &c copperhead that can show their
heads, out of over three hundred voters,
and some of them not very coppery.
| tell the farmers here about Vermont
sheep. They shake their heads and think
Vermonters are fools or knaves. Of
course | deny the charge and tell them
anyway they had to get Vcrmonter for
their minister. They laugh at me for
liking .fat horse. / tell them, Yer.
monters never drive horses that can not
tro: in three minutes. They think Ver-
mont joins Greenland. tell them the
thermometer bolls up there when it IS
put in boiling water. They are at the
end of their argument then, and are con-
vinced.
They ask me what college | graduated
front l tell them from Middlebury
College. Where is that On the banks of
Otter Creek. Where is that 1t washes
the feet Of the Green mountains, and the
students draw brawny strength from their
rocky ramparts. Ethan Allen was a
Vermonter. Who was he The man
who invoked Almighty God and the
Continental Congress when he demanded
the surrender of Ticonderoga Thus we