Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-12-22
.7E5sceyFaHeoafs ESoading.
rHu pEAcoNs' corRTsurr.

The hands 1ncs, and richest woman iu oil
the countryside wa, the widow Adams. The
seirning toast and belle at sixteen, bride at
eighteen. a widow NJ twenty, endowed Wih
Tie largos. and best farm in the upper parish
with outlyin. pasture and woodlands, and
thousands In bank stock. little wonder that
though her Grape bad not diminished one
-lta. and her rosy cheeks and bright eyes
were still shr3uded in the widows val. that
manly eyes and manly hearts should he dl-
rected towards her. les, wonder that when
q sleighiug party from the Port should
visit he- on "a bright moonlight evening, that
the rrettv widow should look her best, and
he t5asted as never before. over her Thanks
Giving cake. sweet cider and choice old ia
iuaica: or that when the hcaaz and bellies
the next evening were c0ngr2gated no the
school house on the "Grecu, 20 practice
choir singing. which was Just beginning t1
4uuersede the oli-lashi0nci "tclcouing ont.
that the handsome widlw and her surround
mos should become matter i0r discussion.
Deacon Clua. nc the Pines. had a holy
horror Of this new stylc Of singing. Though
a man only little past forty, hc held m
sacred disjain an infringement cf bis saoati
eaI rriy,leres. Is made him q person OF
mark 10 stand In the de3c0n's seat before
the pulpit and read two lines Of the psalm,
for those In the singing gallery u turn
into melody. So the deacon, chat evening, had
determined 10 90 over to the school house 70
stop the tisordcrly proceedings. Six weeks
a Wii5wcr. I dare not aver how strongly
other reasons urged the step. Let no one
infer that the deiunct Mrs. C.uH was for
gotten, on the contrary she was remembered
every hour IN the day. lie was lonesome me,
his house was at skies and scyens' ms emit
dren unruly- Then be was conscious o' u
strange sense Oh llee,l9 '''1 .1--.'i''' i.
was again open to him; 10 was pleasant 10
gaze at the lovely maidens oI e. society
lie was high in the social SCALE Ia9- year
oycrsecr Of the poor, this selectman oil tne
town, spoken of as being llke-y 10 De SEM ~
The high and mighty General Court on l,i5
following. With bis standing IN the chuieh.
surely be might aspire 10 the Ii!ie't anu
richest Of the land
4 huge fire oi green ioss Wa lu''e- ',-
and sizzling in the wide stone hrep-aee Oh lte
rude, half finished temple ei learning ,ue
taiiow candles, stack INTO square b-3c1s,
whitfield from pine stuck cast q "eltu i'-'5
over the clumsy desks ana seats h'aAe1 anu
disigured by their various occnli c's'7
ing ghosty shadows over IHe 1liho '..-i 7-..'il'i
and smoke enDTo"ned N1--T. - ~
around the smoking ure anu p04'-0
and thithar upon the ueneN'7 anu 1'9As,
were some thirty lads ana l-.7e7' s'n-1l7 at
the screen, ana ie" ifien's' ''-'' u
assist in the requirement oil saefe' H".ll'
Deacon Clut was no aru9t-i lel' l'o
scarcely understood the ian meaning ol 'H0
term-stll, as he pushed ASIDE 11e clumsy
tufar d Dor and stood IN the ltle Nt>-lhult-
the pictaresquene5s o- the scene arIesteu ms
steps, and caused him ID stand un'o7or' e1
in the half open entrance TO the larger 4o'h'
= merry laugh rang round the group as
the deacon paused; curly haired pine eyel
miss, pcTched upon the front desk eA-
claimed
"Elhridgc Clifton expects 70 marry tae
rich and handsome widow We visited last
nirbt. but the lady is good Godicarlng
Federalist. and would not look twice at sach