Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-08


formed police carrying double barrelled
shot gun, intended especially for his race,
he sees the canal running the entire
length of the city, the recepticle for ali
things unclean, and across the way he
beholds, oh with what horror? the sau.
sage dealer plying his daily calling
With cruel muzzle to smother him, and
such associa tions to destroy his peace OF
mind, what wonder that poor Tray ex-
hibits lankness painful to behold. Let
him behave ever so we'll and there is
trouble. II he frets under his troubles he
is mad dog and shot. If by great effort
he manages to be composed, his very
method is counted madness, and all of his
previous good character is forgotten in
the one unseemly act of his life, and
through the logged persistency of the
police, as "Artemus" would say, his tail
is ended.
To stand by our thoroughfares leading
to the public cemeteries one would con-
clude that humanity suffers in greater
proportion, if not in like, manner with
the rest of the world. The aged who
could escape the vicissitudes of winter in
the chimney corner, find but one escape
from this burning climate. The con-
sumptive finds the little strength which
he had SO carefully nourished gone at the
approach of the trying seasons, land the
child of two summers, especially if OF
northern parentage, fights life's hardest
battle: if it lives it will hardly meet an
other so critical period in an ordinary
lifetime; they are to be seen at twilight
hour drawn or carried about the streets,
the emaciated form, haggard oountenance
and purple eyelids telling of the direful
struggle of young life with the grim
monster.
Altogether there was heard llalmost q
continued tramp as the city OF the living
was fast transporting her subjects to
people the city of the dead.
After having viewed this for month,
and looking forward to six weeks more at
least of the same thing, and feeling my
own hold upon terrestrial things begin
ing to relax, what wonder that cordial
ly embraced an unforeseen event which
placed at my disposal six weeks of time,
and setting my face as a flint (anything
less resistent would have melted) l sought
the cool hills of Vermont-but more of
this hereafter.
The present aspect of Washington is as
widely different from the foregoing as is
possible for the same place to be in the
short space of six weeks. In no city of
our land would it be possible to effect
such a visible change in the time, Then
it was crowded and busy, now it has nei-
Their the symptoms of life or business.
Last evening at six O'Clock there was not
half dozen teams to be seen upon Penn
sylvania avenue between the capitol and
the treasury lone mile), and doubt if 80
persons could have been seen upon the
sidewalk at that time.
Then, disease was doing its work, and
what wonder that my first impression on
returning was that of a city swept of its
inhabitants by a pestilenee, and that the
graveyards had swallowed up the people.
I saw in the distance a well known hotel
with dozen or so upon its front versnda.
Here at least was remnant of other days,
and thither l went, hoping to find an &C.
Quaintance or SO. On approaching /
found one gentleman, apparently guest !;
the rest were porters, walters, bootblacks,
etc.
Trade in general is perhaps little better
than hotel keeping, Marketing, should
say, would be the best business of the
tune, as servants left in charge of houses,
etc, have to live, and generally manage
to live we'll at such times.
A stroll through our markets and fruit
stands will convince the most skeptioal
that the "patient waiter" is no loser," and
that the husbandman who barred his brow
to July's sun has his reward. Having
borne the burden in the heat of the day,
he now, ''under his own vine and peach
tree" recounts his labors and enjoys their
consummation in such harvest as is sell
dom reaped.
Peaches that both feast the eye and de-
light the palate, grapes in luxuriance and
so cheap that all may enjoy them, while
melons of all kinds lay in piles around
stands to be enjoyed for the paltry sum
of ten or fifteen cents for ordinary quail
ties.
Now that the trying time is past, and
already there is heard in the immediate
future the sigh of autumn winds-that
cool nights invoke the soft-winged angel
sleep, and morning breezes seem to watt
back the tide of life and vitality that sum-
mer's breath had chased away,-the re-
creant children of the sunny South" find
little to lure them to other lands.
Mountains, lakes and seaside all lose
their charms as they remember the God
given bounties of their own land. Once,
the desire of all seemed to be to escape
the city; now, all avenues of approach
are pouring in tide of human life that
will soon raise Washington to the dignity
of live city.
The professional man returns recuper-
ated in mind and body, refreshed for the
conflict before him.
The poor clerk having figured small
margin from his limited stipend and
spread it over the largest possible space,
in the few days leave granted him, re-
turns to his routine duties,-to contend
with the petty jealousies of his associates,
to tread again the political vortex of his
position,-if happily he may keep his
head above water feeling as if the
weight of years upon him had been light.
ened still questioning if in his pastime be
has not almost wronged some one, eithe,
himself or others
sit is the early bird that catches the
! worm" and none understands tho poora'