Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-11-16

j
what people you've got acquainted with.
Get to bed now: the matters settled
| will have it so.''
They rose and walked across the
meadow to the house. Jacob had quite
forgotten the events of the evening in
the new prospect suddenly opened to
him, which filled him with wonderful
confusion of fear and desire. His faith
er said nothing more. They entered
the lonely house together at midnight,
and went to their beds; but Jacob slept
very little.
Six DAYS afterwards he left home, on
a sparkling June morning, with a small
bundle tied in a yellow handkerchief un-
der his arm. His father had furnished
him with the promised money but had
positively refused to tell him what road
he should take, or what plan of action
he should adopt. The only stipulation
was that his absence from home should
not be less than a month.
After he had passed the wood and
reached the highway which followed
the course of the brook, he paused to
consider what course to take. South
ward the road led past Pardon's, and
he longed to see his only Aiends once
more before encountering untried haz-
ards; but the village was beyond, and
he had no courage to walk through its
one long street with bundle, denoting
a journey, under his arm. Northward
he would have to pass the. mill and
blacksmith's shop at the crossroads
Then he remembered that he might
easily wade the stream at point where
it was shallow, and keep in the shelter
Of the woods on the opposite hill until
he struck the road farther on, and in
that direction two or three miles would
take him into ameighborhO0i where he
was not known.
Once in the woods, an exquisite sense
of freedom came upon him. There was
nothing mocking in the soft, graceful
stir Of the expanded foliage, in the
twittering Of the unfriehtened birds, or
the scampering Of the rustling carpet
of dead leaves. He lay down upon the
moss under a spreading beach tree and
| tried to think; but thoughts would not
come He could not even clearly re-
call the keen troubles and notifications
he had endured; all thing, were so
peaceful and beautiful that portion Of
their peace and beauty fell upon men
and invested them with 4 more kindly
| character
Towards noon Jacob found himself
beyond the limited geography Of his
life The first man he encountered was
a stranger, who greeted him with
hearty and respectful, How do you do,
sir -
Perhaps" thought Jacob, Il am
not so very different from otherpeople,
if | only thought SO myself
At noon he stopped at a farmhouse
| by the roadside to get a drink of water
| \ pleasant woman, who came from the
door at that moment with Il pitcher,
allowed him TO lower the bucket and
hawl it up dripping with precious cool
ness She looked upon him with good
will, for he had allowed her to see his
/ eyes, and something in their honest, ap-
pealing expression went to her heart.
~We're going to have dinner III five
minutes" said She; won't You stay and
take something's"
Jacob stayed and brake bread with
the plain, hospitable family. Their
kindly attention to him during the meal
gave him the lacking nerve; for mo-
ment he resolved to offer his services to
the farmer, but he presently saw they
were not really needed, and, besides,
the place was still too near home.
Toward night he reached an old
country tavern, lording it over an incl
pient village Of six houses The land
lord and ho>tler were inspecting 4
drooping-looking horse in front Of the
stables. Now, if there was anything
which Jacob understood. to the extent
Of his limited experience, it was horse
nature. He drew near, listened to the
views Of the two men, examined the
animal with his eyes, and was ready to
answer " Yes, | guess 50" when the
landlord said, 'Perhaps, Sir, You can tell
me what is the matter with him.
His prompt detection Of the ailment,
and prescription of remedy which in
an hour showed its good effects, install
led him in the landlords good graccs.
The latter said "Well, it shall cost
you nothing tonight > as he led the
way to the supper room. When Jacob
went to bed, he was surprised on re-
tiectin@ that he had not only been talk
ing a full hour in the bm-room, but had
been looking the people in the face.
Resisting an offer Of GOOD wages if
he would stay and look after the sta
bles, he set forward the next morning
with a new and most delightful conf
dence in himself The knowledge that
now nobody knew him as "Jake Flint"
quite removed his tortured self-consci-
BUSINESS. When he met person who
was glum and ungracious of speech, he
saw, nevertheless, that he was not its
special object. He was sometimes ask
ed questions, to be sure, which little
embarrassed him, but he soon hit
upon answers which were sufficiently
true without betraying his purpose.
| Wandering sometimes to the right
and sometimes to the left, he slowly
made his way into the land, until, on
the afternoon of the fourth day after
leaving home, he found himself in a
rougher region-a rocky, hilly tract,
with small and not very fourishing
farms in the valleys. Here the season
seemed to be more backward than in
the open country; the hay harvest was
not yet over.
Jacobs taste for scenery was not
particularly cultivated, but something
in the loneliness and quiet of the farms
reminded him of his own home and
he looked at one house after another,
deliberating with himself whether it
} would not be good place to spend the
remainder of his month Of probation.
He seemed to be very far from home,
about 40 miles, in fact,-and was be-
ginning to feel little tired of wander
ing.
Finally the road climbed a low pass
of the hills, and dropped into valley
on the opposite side. There was but
one house in view-a twO-story build
J ing of logs and plaster, with a garden
on the hillside in the rear A large
: meadow stretched in front, and where
the whole of it lay stretched before
him, as the road issued from a wood,
!, his eye was caught by an unusual har-
vest picture.
, Directly before him,a woman, whose
face was concealed by huge, Tapping
sun-bonnet,was seated upon moving
5 machine, guiding a span of horses
4 around the great tract of thick grass
which was still uncut. A little dis
tance off, a boy and girl were raking
|. tho drio,, c,r-n nth, 4ro.n4hn,n a q. Ln