The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-06-28
Hancock.

season, IN our picturesque, sccludeu VAL
ley, than we have ever known them. At
an early hour last Sabbath morn, we were
awakened from profound slumbcr, by
their delightful concerts. The valley
seemed alive with the tiny songsters,
while strain after strain of sweet music,
pushed from the throats of seemingly,
hundreds of the bright-eycd, and swift
winged, little darlngs, minglng in one
harmonious and beautiful whole. Before
becoming fully conscious Of our own iden-
tity, and where we were, it seemed to us,
that if we were not in Elysiam, we were
at least, in more delightful sphere, than
this world Of sin and care. We could
not dispel the pleasing illusion until we
opened our eyes, and recognized familiar
surroundings. With sigh we turned
our head upon the pillow, and were much
inclined to wish the sweet vision a reali-
ty. And indeed it was, so far as the
birds and their melody was concerned.
For some time after our awakening, they
confined their grand seranade, then grad
ually subsiding, though heard IN lesser
numbers, during the day. We have often
heard the question asked, "what becomes
of the birds?' 'Tis said that sportsmen
seldom if ever, find them dead, unless
killed by their own cruel hand; and to
their honor, be it said they do not often
take the lives of these fragile, little Great
ures. Is it not possible, that in some
way unknown to us mortals, they have
found an entrance to some farer world,
without suffering the pangs of death A
world where summer always reigns were
not their wings given them for some wiser
purpose, than we mortals can know Of?
Can we not imagine, even heavenly skies
to be wanting in beauty, if the melody of
birds is not added to the great and uni
versal anthem? We are not so visionary
as to suppose they have souls. But we
have often thought, that the higher order
of animal life. were endowed with more
than instinct. Our household pets, how
much they add to the pleasure Of man
here below Is it for us to say, that we
may not at least, recognize their SEM
blance in that fairer better world =! We
will close this strain of sentiment, by
quoting the language Of a friend, who was
the owner of noble, or fine looking dog.
On being asked if he supposed his dog
had soul? he replied, "My dog knows
more than some people, we never knew
him guilty of meanness, nor did he ever
betray us" And that's more than we
can say of some persons, protesting to he
our friends.
As we remarked. the birds in lesser
numbers are heard much of the time
throughout the day; at its close, the
crckets, and various other insects, join
their notes, perhaps at times little dis
cordant, but all have an equal right to
make their own peculiar noise, chirp or
warble, even to toads and frogs. The last
named gentlemen take the night for their
grand sonorous concerts, when at given
signal some hundreds or more according
to the number Of the population, break
out into sublime, or sonorous, or to some
excruciating strain of melody; at times
entirely drowning out the smaller fry Of
the night musicians, even inanimate ma
ture joins the vocal choir. Its rivers
ever onward, Jashng, gushing, murmur-
ing sounds, has for us a peculiar and
never tiring charm In our opinion, it
greatly adds to the beauty as well as con-
venience of our secluded valley. 1t is
quite shallow, save at high water. with
pebbly and rocky bottom, and rapid cur
rent. Flowing eastward through the
western half of the village, dividing it at
the center, then for half mile serpentine
in its course, from thence flowing east, so
far as Rochester, and so onward, till its
waters mingle with those of the Connec.
ticut. Our village numbers some eigh.
teen private residences, not including
some half.dozen buildings short distance
cast, consisting of saw-mill, grst-mill land
private dwellings. This miniature vii.
age is quite overshadowed by our more
pretentious one, which aside from the
above named residences, boasts of hotel
pretty, and recently remodeled church
blacksmith shop, and variety store
Our village, or the valley in which it is
located, is some forty or fifty rods in
width. surrounded on all sides by lofty
mountains, some two or three nights, may
not properly speaking, be termed noun.
tains, but very high and precipitous hills
The greater number are of the principal
range of Green Mountains. The only
accessible outlets are the east and west
roads, and one in northwest direction
communicating with the next village
some two miles distant. Natures God
has made this little nook a charming resi-.
dence in summer. If man would only dc
his share; not physically but morally
and intellectually, our valley would be
far nearer heaven than it now is. You
may think dear reader, that the retired
secluded place We here portrayed, one SC
far apart from the strife and temptation.
of the great mess of humanity, ought tC
be reverential, high minded people, Ad
mires of the grand scenery by which they
are surrounded. This was our opinion
before intimate acquaintance. The great
er the culture, the intelligence, and nat
ural refinement Of a people, the more sus
ceptibe their souls to impressions of ma
lures beauties, in all her wondrou's forms
The great majority of our people, or rath
er the people of this valley, cultivate tn,
soil Were you a stranger here reader
you might exclaim, "surely the people il
this vicinity do not live by farming !" W,
again repeat, they cvtivate the soil, wha
little the valley can boast, not the noun
tain sides, they are too PERPENDICULAR, bu
the mountain tops, very many of then
have ine farming lands. IL we judg,
correctly, there are but few farmers il
this town who live independently from tn,
proceeds of their farms yet they do live
so far as We know, until their time comes
We heard shrewd person, not long since
remark that when hard pressed for maen
"they hired upon one another.