Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-08-04
A Story for Farmers,

A Story for Farmers.
Fred Mayhem was that rare growth upon
New England soil, farmers son who took
kindly TO farming on his own account, lie
received as his little patrimony fifty acres of
land, part of the old homestead, slopiug
downward from a wooded hilltop to "a green
andsluxuriant meadow. 1t was in the merry
May-time, when birds were pairing aud build
ing nests, that Fred having chosen as his
mate pretty Alice Brown of the next hamlet,
first broke ground upon the spot that was 90
be their future home. 1t was Just 40 the
base Of the hill, hardly ten feet higher than
the flags and cowslips that bloomcd along
the water-course below He had, indeed, pre-
ierred green plateau half way up the slope
until he found, on slight examination, that
misplaced rock must be quarried out before
he could open a cellar on that spot, and that
no prudent contractor would undertake the
job for less than fifty dollars That fact was
decisive He had neither money nor time to
lose, so he set to work whore the spade moved
freely in the soft alluvia soils, and making
the most Of the brief intervals between plant
ing haying and harvesting, he was ready for
the carpenters as soon as they were ready for
him And as result of their joint and
several efforts, Alice and the cdlblcs were
snugly housed before winter had fairly set ia.
Nor were those fresh walls absolutely bare
Mrs Mayhem was endowed with thrifty in
stincts and her quiet madenly savings took
the shape Of furniture, simple and cheap in
deed, but abdul alike to comfort and tastc.-
And when the pair sat down to their cosy
Christmas dinner, Fred remarked with par
donable pride, We've begun in a small
way, Alice but everything on these premises
is good Of its kind and it's all fairly paid for.
and that's more The statement was unhap.
PLY not quite true The cellar so cheaply
dug was not good one Of any kind, and it
was far from being paid for, as the sequel
will show. The pudding was followed by
heaped-up dish of red-cheeked greetings
1t is lucky for us, remarked Fred, "that |
some of fathers best apple trees came within
our lines. | have put twelve barrels Of
choice winter fruit in the cellar. We can't |
use them all, Of course, but those we can
spare will command round price in the .
spring"
Alice smiled. 81 think you had better
take your share while they are going said
she. Il never saw apples speck so fast III
they will be gone before the snow
She was right The cellar was damp in |
the coolest weather, and the soil was sur
charged with decayng vegetable matter, not
recent for it was kept scrupulously clean but |
the rich growth Of the hills above washed
down by the rainialls of "A thousand years. -
The potatoes stored in it sent forth long, deli
cate, purple shoots, carrots and parsnips firing
ed themselves with green, and cabbages APP
peared in second edition, by DO means an
improvement upon the FIRST. As for the APP
plies, they rapidly changed in hue aud flavor,
and by the first Of March they were not
" don't think much of cheap cellars, 3"
observed Fred, who was ready to take hint
of natures giving, though he had little idea
how much it meant. He was in the way to
learn, however.
All through the mild spring days Alice
suffered from neuralgia her pretty face was
often disGgured with hop poultces and mus
tard drafts, and night after night she walked
the hall with muifled steps, lest she should
awake her slumbering spouse But youth,
hope and energy carried her through. She
rallied with the sweet june weather, and
gave herself checrfully to the care of her
blooming garden and neatly kept dairy. Two
fine cows brought to her door the fragrance
and fairness Of the hillside pasture where
they fed the butter was abundant and de-
liclous, but the price was low. So she fol-
lowed tho rules of her thrifty breeding she
packed the surplus in sound, sweet firkins for
winter use or sale. Months afterwards. when
she lay Frustrated with intermittent fever
during the long September rains, Fred offer
ed the golden treasures to the physician who
attended her One after another they were
looked at and admired and tasted and set
aside. The trail of the serpent was over
them all. Pure, rich butter is great abb
sorbent, and this having stood through the
summer in an unwholesome cellar, was rank
with its pestiierous breath. 1t was not abso.
lutey spoiled, but sold for much less than it
would have brought when new.
Fred and Alice learned lesson from these
facts. They sold their surplus fruit as soon
as it was gathered, and sent fresh butter to
market from week to week, at considerable
trouble and loss. They perceived that these
delicate products lost their fine quality by
being kept in tainted air, yet they breathed
the same air freely the whole year round tin
II robbed the blood Of its color and the nerves
and muscles Of their tone. They lived where
fuel was cheap, and in winter the house was
kept sweet by ample fires, but as the spring
advanced the mercury rose and vital force
went down. Alice had given birth to a prom
Using boy, and sank into a state Of weakness
from which she was long time 10 creeping
back. The child was scion from vigorous
stock, and made the most of his limited sup.
plies, lie throye apace till the summer heats
came on, fought hard for his first teeth. and
won the battle. But August was sultry, with
frequent rains the meadow reeked with ex.
halations aud with them came cholera in.
tantum. The boy struggled brayely for the
life so new TO him aud 10 which he had taken
so kindly; he survived the first attack, aud
might have been saved by a timely change
of air and when at length he was lifted
from his crib to his casket, and lay there
among the rosebuds, waxen white as they, he
looked like hope transferred, that should
yet be realized under new and improved con.
ditions. The parents bowed beneath their
loss with only dim perception Of its cause,
yet 1t was comfort TO them that the grave
was IN an upland country, swept by fresh
breezes from the wholesome hills. They were
uPliited, purified and refreshed by their fire.
quent visits to the spot. They had, too, their
daily round Of healthful tasks, calling them
with imperative kindness from thoughts that
dwclt too much upon their loss And some
minor misfortunes had similar effect, break.
ing Ia upon the tyrannous persistency Of their
one great sorrow. Fred's low.lying garden
was too damp for early culture and i was
bitten by frost that spared his ncighbors
when il was lust In its gucculent prime