The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-10-31

Ter protecu0n,
Don't let him lay his big hands on
me !" "Mcrciful heavens !" exclaimed
Mrs. De Scott, "wbst is it? My darling
my darling. Don't dear, don't, do Oh,
Aramantha, speak to your poor ma !"
"Oh, that dreadful, awful man -
moaned the girl "he pointed a gun at
me, and oh, he was $3.50 ragged. His
under garment showed right through his
other clothes. Dear me | shall faint -
My poor lamb 1t was terrible,
Therey, don't take it SO hard Mothers
here--your own ma she'll take care Of
you And Aunty Plumripc, too.,'
"What have you seed? asked Mrs.
Plumripe.
"a dreadful man out there, below the
garden, with gun in his hand,' replied
Aramantha, shuddering.
"She's seed the scarcrow father put up
in the ten acre lot," grinned Sam. "Gol-
ly. it'll be the death of her My old
ragged breeches and fathers coat, onto
a notched stick Bully for her !" and
Sam tossed up bis cap.
Aramantha sprung to her feet, and
gave poor Sans long hair such IA un.
merciful twist, that he was glad to evacu.
ate, followed very closely by two big
books, cricket, fower-pot, and several
other miscellaneous articles, hurled from
the lily hands Of Aramantha.
Just then Jerry came in for the time
of day, but the clock was not in its &C.
customed place. They sought for it, high
and low, but without success, till at last
Alphonsonby looked up from his employ.
ment of cutting humble bees in two, to
vouchsafe the information that Gerald
had thrown it into the we'll.
"What for, my darling son ?" inquired
the fond mother.
ooh, to see how deep the water was -
"The love come and kiss his ma this
moment ~
But Alphonsonby. instead of obeyinQ
the maternal mandate, threw handful
ofgravel stones at the looking glass and
pulled out the longest of the parrot s
tail feathers.
Mrs. Do Scott sighed, and subsided to
her novel; Gerald arrived about the
same time, with the larger part of his
clothes scraped off him--he had been
creeping up through the sugar house
chimney. AS soon as he came to, he
espied butterfly on the top of the
window, and mounted chair to secure
the prize. 1t was a cane seat, and the
sharp heels of Gerald's boots broke the
slender threads, and down through slid
the boy-fast wedged in the ruins. More
frightened than hurt, be dashed round
the room in his novel cage, upsetting
everything with which he came in con-
tact, including the one.legged centre.
table, two high.backed chairs, a light.
stand, and Mrs Do Scott.
Jerry was finally called to the rescue,
and after numerous hard tugs, succeeded
I in releasing the prisoner.
Thereupon. all the children left the
house, and directey terrible sound of
heard in the direction OF the woou-su-u.
Mrs De Scott and Mrs. Plumripe both
flew to the scene Of distress. No wonder
Mrs. Plurnripe lifted her hands in amaze.
ment at the sight.
Amarantha was hanging by her long
skirts fast to the great cheese press, while
her two brothers were working with a
will to "press" her, to try the strength
of the machine. The poor girl was pur.
pie in the face, and the cries she uttered
we're enough to have frightened a more
courageous set Of women than Mrs. De
Scott and Mrs. Plumripe.
!; The latter seized bean pole, and few
at the boys with such gusto, that they
were glad to leave her vicinity, and Ara.
mantha was released. Poor girl she
passed the remainder Of the day in hel
chamber, smelling camphor, and having
her face bathed in buttermilk, to romovt
a couple Of freckles that had unfortunate
ly located themselves on her charmiu;
little pug nose.
The boys continued at their investigat
ing. Toward night, they let the hos
into the poultry yard to see the fowl
fly, and the consequence was. the quad
ruped devoured Eve of Sans favorit,
chickens, and winged two more. San
arrived on the scene of action just il
season to behold the tragedy, and with
out more ado he seized both the boys. an(
flung them over to the hog. 1t was wei
nigh the death of them.
The animals temper was none OF th,
best, naturally, and the shouting an,
screaming of the new comers did not hell
to improve it. He few at them. AM
when at last, Jerry with the pitchfork
aud his wife with the mop, managed Il
conquer the four-legged assailant, tn
De Scots were very nearly done for.
) Mrs. De scott was in strong convul
sions, and Mrs. Plumripe couldn't re
member whenever she had taken such
. sweat. Sam was the only self-satisfie'
, one about the house.
The next moaning, having exhausted
all the resources Of the Plumripe farm
. the De SCOTS wandered off to the prem
4 ises of Miss Spitkins, which we're adjoin
ing. Miss Spitkins was a spinster, of
, very certain temper, though uncertai
3 age, and woe to the individual tina
: crossed her track in hurry!
0 She was proprietress Of large blac
cat, to which she was inordinately a,
= taohed as so as the boys reached he
: barn, the first object they espied was th
e aforesaid cat, basking in the sun. Geral
caught her up, and held her under hi
d arm, while Alphonsonby twisted her ia
d in imitation of hand organ grinde
# The shrieks she emitted were hideou
l. almost instantly. She was making soaI
i but she left everything to see after he
l. cat. Her quick eye took in the state G
If things at once, and she was prompt
act. Selling Gerald by the heels, 81
It plunged him head first into a barrel {
e melted pitch that was to go into be
l. soap, and the next moment the oths