Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-07


the PRINCE or ERIE AMONG THE oREEN MOUNTAINS.
Now that the daily press has become so
familiar with the name Of james Fisk, Jr.
at this day when no chronicle of bulls and
bears is complete without him, when every
American retina carries an image Of that
rolicking, plump figure, and Saxon physique,
il is amusing to witness the sensation which
this hero's notoriety has caused among the
dwellers in the rural sections of New Eng
land. In Vermont particularly, from South
Vernon to Derby Line there is not busy
village, or remote farm house where this
man is not known, where those gay peddlng
wagons and prancing horses.are not matter of
social history. Along quiet roads where
every hay cart was an event, past hillside
school-houses where juveniles were scolded
for stretching their necks out Of windows to in
vestigatc the movements Of a nomad COW or
noisy wheolbarrow, lin such localities the
advent of an ambitious chariot luminous
with varnish, and brave with paint and gild-
ing, drawn by quartette Of mettlesome
steeds whose drivcr,--favored mortal, sat
aloG, arrayed in all the gories of a city
tailor, and from his elevation beamed down
upon the gaping children, distributing smiles,
pea nuts and peppermints in equal measurc,-
this, ah, this was an event worth notice, a
sensation second only to the arrival of the
annual circus
The writer recalls one buxom matron, Of a
sturdy will who harborod sovereign con-
tempt for peddlers in general and for these
ilnshoy fellows in particular--"l never let
EN- step over my threshold, tell you !" aud
the good woman shut her lips as though she
would never open them again But before
the echoes had dismissed her asseveration
there was sound of wheels, a flourish Of
whips, neighing Of horses and Fisk's carriage
stops the way. With a Spartan front the
matron opens the door. There is an appari-
ton of figure bowing Iowa face all
smiles the most affable of greetings and be-
fore the good woman remembers to slam the
door, she is back in the kitchen, and the enc
my is inside the beleaguered fortress. Once
there and success is assured. Ii wasn't a
bad school for any man. Common sense is
coin current the world over, and as a general
rule the man who can 90 up and down those
Vermont hills, and carry his point with those
close judging, far sighted, farmers wives, can
60 anywhere.
In this case, before she knows it, the stran-
ger has detected madam's vulnerable point.
{" Don't want to trade7 Bless you, man,
nobody asked you to trade You won't OBJ
ject to looking, though, perhaps There's
that pretty daughter of yours she wants to
see those silks now, I'll wager anything
Here glance over his shoulder to where a
pair Of black eyes are fixed modestly upon
soma sewing Now I've got the loveliest
pattern of blue silk just the thing for a
wedding dress !" Eyes cast down lower, and
checks pinkier than ever. The mother looks
grave, and eacuates " Phoo !" Phoo !" "Oi
course, my dear madam Fact iss you're SO
young yourself, aud it's such a little time
since you got through with your own wedding
dress, that you can't realize that you've got
daughter old enough to need one. But,
gracious how these children do grow Yes,
that blue silk is just the thing for a wedding
dress - Bushes again. 40, you can't
cheat me Beside Tom Aleck rode up the
hill with me- There Didn't tell you
knew Mrs. Judge Mac just bought seven
teen yards off the same piece. Ofcourse you
don't care for that, but you just let me bring
it in to show you. Don't cost anything to
look, you know
And forthwith, the agile salesman rushes
out the door, leaps over the cats and kittens
asleep on the stone step, whistles to the dog
cackles at the poultry, and, in twinkling
comes dancing back under the lilac bushes
head and ears just visible above pile of dry
goods of every sort. IL is needless to say
/, - Il q l..
matrons kitchen table when the merchan
left. 1t was something to see, not to tell, th'
way in which this man promenaded up anC
down the tidy kitchen, gay shawl throw
over his shoulders, Anging the blue silk il
| rayishing folds across the lap of the darl
, eyed daughter, and even holding up the dra
peries of thick black lusterless against tb,
skirt of the non-resistant mother. For Mrs
. b had long ere this laid down her arms
surrendered at discretion, and was no more t
be ranked among belligerent powers. An'
so the peddler drove away in triumph leav
ing the chest till empty and the blushinl
damsel at liberty to dream Of going to he
, own wedding, attired in blue silk, seated in I
! gay painted chariot, with a rollicking yender
! arrayed in crimson shawl and officiating a
parson. As for the mother, she surveys tn
bazar-like kitchen, sighs as she closes tn
chest till, and Don't see how upon earth tn
creetur did IT,"
, There wasn't shaded ribbon road any
e where among those hills where these wagon
Q did not penetrate, and for once the orlole
. and yellow birds peered out from the thicke
, at something gayer than themselves. Wher
they went once they were welcome to g
! again. Indeed. il was not uncommon for
: poor woman to be trusted for her children
: outfit until they came the next time, and, +
I the credit of these men, be it said, they wer
D never held to be hard paymasters. Probabl
no one knew better than james Fisk, Jr., th
, value of small favor graciously bestowed
] The three-cornered remnant of silk, yalueles
( In that great wagon, thrown into the bargain
I and serving to cover buttons for the goo
4 wife's gown, or, better still, making Sunda
Y neck ties for the boys to last until the ped
s dler's next visit such transactions as thi
were not without their influence. They tol
s then, they tell now, aud they will tell agai
!. If James Fisk, Jr., ever aspires to run 10
: Presidents and IL is not unlikely that he ma
T desire to add this to his list Of titles, as II
T stated he now desires to do that of " deaco
: Of the church in Bristol, X. |"
| suppose no man was ever mere emphatic
q ally call things to all men {" and there ar
those in Vermont who hold private opinion
) as TO his abilities, whatever may be his fl
) ness for filling such an office. For example
, the minister's wife, with whom he talked re
1 ligon, lamented the coldness Of the church
, and their stinginess in paying her worth
; husband 80 small salary in consideration Q
which latter fact he threw oft--or appeare
| to--a liberal percentage from her new blac
, silk; likewise the superintendent who dis
, cussed Sunday schools with the stranger, an
found himself the possossor Of new and strik
! ing ideas with reference to New York institu
/ tions of a similar character. Everywhere tn
man had a new phase. From the parsonag
1 he drove like Jehu, son Of Nimshi, TO th