Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-05-24
Written for the Free Pres:
That Exchange on Snow Shoes.

NNs
That Exchange on Snow Shoes.
Not being invited to join the expedition to th'
e North Pole, embraced the next best thing thai
J offered, Arcticwise, and went to Maine 70 my
surprise found this New Englsnd state with
all its Csribous Moose, Indian Devils, and uu-
pronounceable aboriginal names, full as sunny
and warm a. any country ought to be for the
noblest purposes of life, and juat cs verdan and
varied SIS any country could be for the richest
beauty snl charm of natural scenery.
Such wealth Of resources. material and INNS
terisl, in field and forest and food, appeared on
every hand. that ny hopes Of any Arctic sdven-
ture and experience in this region instantly
vanished
But charmed by the unexpected beauty OF the
scenery, concluded to wsi; what the unkaown
year might bring forth here before esssying the
Frigil Zone Wien the wondrous autumn Of
purP and gold faded slowly away over the
brow 4illf, s1d frosty nights filed the woods
with rustlipg leaves, l noticed the people became
intent upon preparation for some approaching
event in the transition of the fessonr. Wishing
to be 81 provilent as the rest, ordered psiy Of
stout ample boots, sud ssid to myself, there,
they shall zee that Also aul reaiy to NEE. these
coming months. Ia ny limited travels hitherto
l have regarded boots a. the first sn1 moEt i'm
p1rtaat article of on outfit ia-eel they have
been sll things tc me on ilurney-s boat,
bridge To1d through sWSzps snd sloughs and
juuglss had fsith in boots, for they had new
er isilel me. Rain, snow, mGi, s,u,h, bogs,
brush and cbapparal al had bowed down before
the majerty Of boots Upon special o1ca,oa
they aye more reiil5le than s,sgei AMI s4ier than
railroads You neal not make sport sny more
Of the msn vhose only dress consists Of broad
brimmel bs: sui pair Of boots. II Aehilles,
tie son Of Pe,eus, hal been IS well clad at tie
riege Of Troy, ;ha lestinies Of the world might
have bsel greatly changed sul if cSrpet he
roes of cur time vulnerable IN the heel, woali
exchange their slpFers for b.ots, the milleuilm
might be hss.aHel
Allah blefs the u.aa vino invented b.o:s, as
health b'esseu the nan eho wears thenl Ger
,ainly thought l gas thoroughly furnished sul
equippeI ,or every emergency Of The weather,
with a strong pair Of d1uble-'olel c,lt-linel
high-top waterproof boots Let stern winter
come sui shake bis hoaly leczs let ;he tross
sprcs themselves, I am res ly f-r them!
/ Al. counted without ny hsy that time.
+ B ress soon came ~ ny challenge. greeted
/ him with a choe1y welcome aal trippeI gaiiy
over lis fret twelve inches managel to got
along through the next insta'mtrt Of twelve
inches more. I put on 4 hold front sal msle
ganau, dssh st the third and fourth sooumulA-
+ ton Ia; cooi gracious what are she tallss;.
most fearless boatt. il three and fur feet Of the
en;sngluc s-ud On dead level, u5erslly in
,ersrersei With huge irifis tina, voulI take
mar in al o7er2 There was D. use trying
Boots we're ta.kel-Fut at n,usa, aal deriiel
/ BY the uul,i,glin-g- host 7fthc's tiny a'ksi Of
fel.aery down.
: They 1earsi their diminatiye Lesls in CON-
pact rhs,suz and sctua,ly forl. rle the freedom
of the " God-mLie c.uary." Il v,s az bad
aai provoking rs tie Offensive police restrictions
and surveillance Of city pars5 with their great
slsring signs, " keep eff the grass" keep Of
the ersss.'' staring you in the tee q, every
turn, sul their rirz,ieal crew Of shouiie--hit-
ters srmoi with heavy ceb,. standing therclke
graa, o-rss watching flr 40 opportunity 20
knock you OIL ,h, rrsss.
Tie Sow, constantly re-oua.cel. seemei 90
say with ssly chuck'e O., exg.tLton IS There
is tia, little ia--Fay nr ylu-tAe toen is
obliged 20 koep th,t narrow track cpea-y1u
can trulce along there, hut don't sttempi 90
cone out here with your grssfy boots; il you 30
TIL sgs,ior you up sliye" The insult Ess
aauntei =, ae from both sides Of tie way /
vas treltei with disIain-daniel my divine
right Of roaming the vide realm OF earth waa-
ever might hold the title deeds had no
business to transact oa these rosls Ny bus
uess lust then vas over yonier smo1g tie p.nss
and sprucss-i55n through those evergreen
glsdes-aloug the margin o: the lake-hy the
SHORES @! the winllng riyer-uq On those com
mauiiug elevations. My busiuess uss 20 60
/ where listed through dells aui wo0is in quest
]
/ inspiration Of temples AID plSces lot made with
/ hauds The cruel sFsIw t1ok another ilt .riI
/ wts now utterly bslal. Nature .uiieuly be-
came harsh sad imperilus She hs' 70 tender
meas and winning smiles for the lover who fails
o. master her-quiie tie revesae. The noun
+ lain frovns the stream locke dark the for
est is gloomy the ocean Gppa's, when We
/ stand trem,liuEon the brink
Community appeared 70 be resigned and even
thankful for little path here sud there through
al. this bouufiess space; bat felt thar vas de-
priyel oi my liberty and walked up ami down
the prefcritei limits of my best, ss though it
weres prison ya.t.
About midwintcr | chsacel 70 f,ll in with 5ue
Of those old-timo hunters. who told II e he had
followed the chaSo here in Maine long years ago
over deeper tu0ws than these How, howl I
eagerly inquired. lie went 10 his closet aud
broleh; cut pair Of sHoir-,ilcs.
/ They we're the fret had ever seen. They hsl not
occurred 20 me IS among the possibilities Of this
genisl cline, and the ye-y scht Of them pro-
ducsd & sense Of relief SO thou n au sneel di-
rec. from heaven hal brough. ne psir Of wings
with whi-h 20 eScsTe an onerous thraldom and
enjoy the largest freedom and felicity Of life
IS Richard himself again " Ny lost con-
ilence returned. matched back my sceptre
Of dominion. Nature heamel f5raly upon me
/ seapei up barriers became 4 smooth highway
st ny back, and msie triumphSl march
through all my summer hsunta
About this time au acquaintance uego;is;el
an exchange for me with a neighb0ring minis
ter. The appointed Sabbath vas ushcred in
with the sevegest snow s1rn Of the winter All
Saturday night i; rosre1 and howlei and poured
down and still continued with uuabstel fury sni
violence in the morning. Every sgn Of road
vas obliterated, the very country itself Tas
blotted from Eight by the thick dense whirl aud
sgrl Of driving snow.
There WAS nothing solid and substantial visi-
bic in the murky Landscape. Oaly a vast con-
fused mass Of heecy stoms darting and dashing
about in a mad dsnce Of chaotic commotion,
croEiing, c'ouding snd filing the whole hesv-
eas What should 90 ? What could DO ? L
was a settlei fsct thSt horfes could not 60.
sleishs could not 90, railroads could not 70. aud
boots could not go. Th SC we're all the ordins-
~ me.us OF locomotion-all the town thought
OF or could furnish. Nobody will venture
cut such day a. this suggested my landlord
Bu, was in no mood to heed suggestions.
had al unconditional engagement to fulfil The
queutions in NY mind were, where is M ex-
ohanre-wll he come to time ? Psrhsps he
toos time by the fore!ock and is even now snug
y ensconced next door to my church in the vii
lsge, laughing at the storm and sll resdy for the
hour of meeting to strike. VIVA: will biz con-
gregstion expect of Inc What are the customs
Of the country | WAS s strauger to minister
people and ussges. o how the blasts shrieked
Snd the dsrkliug storm lowered and shook eve
rythng from turret to foundation stone! |
gszed cut Of the window and pondered
paced my room and pondered, but not long, for
looking up fsw ny conquering snow shoes
hanging there against The wall, light and grace
ly al these savage demonstrations outside lost
their terror But for my snow shoes / would
IS toon have thought Of daring one of those
tornado swept prairies Of the Vest, or padding
3 canoe out of Portland harbor into the broad
Atlantic in the teeth Of the wilder; nor,hea.te-