Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-10-28

mixer or been adiscrminatin' judge o. corn
and 'taters from any part o. creation. But
to set down to tell who brought the putti-
est worsted wuck 1t beats mel wonder
if Sabrina hain't got somothin ter do with
the plowin' match?"
"Lor, now, never mind, pa 'Taint half
so queer as some doins hate known at
fairs" said mother Rustick, running a
thumb and two fingers into her glove, that
being as far over her fat hand as gloves ev-
er went. "Why, last year they made old
Billy Wollot, the Middleton butcher, judge
of flowers. l cum around an there he
stood right in the middle of lilies an lark
spurs, chiny orsters an pansies. He look
ed red as the reddest berberrry, an hot
enough to sizzle. He bruck out when
he saw me an ses he, 81 yum 1--we smolt
of every one of these lettle blows an l
can't tell for the life of me which on 'em
smells the strongest. 1 kinder conf rted
him up an passed on, thinking there wasn't
nothn' like the right man in the right
place only Billy hadn't got there. found
out afterwards that he gave the premium
to n bunch of sun flowers; but sakes alive
you can't expect a man TO live among beef
creeters and pass his time in flower bed"
"Well, l don't care" burst explosively
from the back seat, "if my hair work don't
take premium, I'll be just mad r. 1t
was Sabrina who remarked that she did
not care, for which we hope she was for
given.
"Yes said Cynthia, I'll be revoked if
| everything we carry don't take a premium
from Reuben's cattle to mothers biscuits"
Reuben gave a prolonged whistle, as if
he doubted whether merit always received
its reward. Nate stopped stirring up the
pigs long enough to count over his money.
1t amounted to twenty-five cents; and he
meant to spend twice that sum.
"Talking thus, the Rustick family jog
ged along toward the Liberty county agri-
cultural fair, and finally reached its
grounds. Nate began to experience emo
tions he had considered as belonging ex-
clusively TO Fourth of July. The sight of
the great tent, the smell and dust of tobac-
co smoke the odor Of mashed water mel
ons, and the noise of the brass band, all
these were most exhilarating. Nate re-
solved Immediately upon alighting TO take
the side-s shows in regular succession, be-
ginning with the two-headed calf and end
ing with the snake charmer. Moreover,
hearing Iumors of an Indian war dance, he
made note of it, and meditated selling
his jack-kniie in order 10 attend. The ell
der members of the family made haste to
enter their goods and then see them right
] DNhillifipn hon of
Jims wife's pictures took Il long time.
First, she had a "Prairie on Fire; !" it was
a vast vermillion confagration, singeing the
tails of retreating bufialoes and frighten-
ing them out of all Proportions. That pic
| ture was so large, ordinary canvass was
too narrow to paint it on so that the stretch
er had to be covered with sheeting sized
with glue. We tell you this that you MY
know what Jim's wife was capable 4.
7 Then she had thS sweetest pink faced $.i-|
| by, saying its prayers in n ruffied pillE.
TO be sure IT had six fingers on one haH,
but you would scarcely see it. AS to Ter
"Study of Heads after Raphael, every
body said they never saw anything like It
they never did.
Jim's wife was not too proud of the sens
alton her pictures produced, but being tired
she sat down near them, and, staying there
all day, naturally heard a good deal said
/ about them.
As for Sabrina, you must know how as
tonishng her hair work was. There was
curious little black walnut case, which be-
ing shaped rather like a coffin and lined
with white satin, was calculated to make
your flesh creep. In the box was-what
was il? Well, something like bramble