St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-11-14
About Almancs Generally.

There are very few men no do not
rcmcmhrr. or cannot recall the impor-
lance the almanac enjoyed III his boy
hoods home. remember it used to
hang hy Il string to the kitchen wall ::
and the member of the family W no took
il down for reference. was required to
hang it up again when through with it.
1t WAS generally Il medical almanac,
with Il yellow cover and Il very bright
looking cover it WIS that winter; but
10y the next winter the corners of the
cover were rolled up. or gone. and there
we've ronVcnicnce> for telling pretty ac-
cuI;ltrly how many flies had enjoyed its
refinement.
over the leaf wa- Il picture of It man
clothed III the fantastic garh OF Il S"uth
Sea Islander, with Il trap door III his alb
doncu. and coCkroachcS and scales and
other appliances of the grocery business
around him.
Then there WAS the calendar. where
thr weather Nas handled. and where
Misunderstanding moons. and impr"ha-
hIc suns and highly Impossible tides
were made 10 go through performances
that we've Intensely cdifN in" to the
family.
lntcrSpcr>cd We're grIuimatically con
StIurtcd letters from uugramniatiral
people located in unhcald-uf towns in
III" distant West. " no had been raised
from the grave 10y pills. OF drawn from
eternity 10y pla>tcr>. and having been
restored to perfect health. and HAY ing
no further need Of either. send on and
order 4 ton of both. Also Endorsements
from we'll known physicians in I'M
known localities. the whole set of with
recipes t"r making buildings that II"
one should dare To eat. and cake that no
one would care to. And when recipe
for either was hcdycd i'll 10y the details
of Il fever sore on one side. and the
graphic particulars of a hcm"rrhagc ON
the other. the Symmctcry of the whole
was undcniahlc.
When ! WAS il boy lived one winter
with an uncle and an aunt. and they
did not keep their almanac hung up
Aunt never cared to look ut an almanac
anyway, ;" my uncle took care of it.
He kept it III Il drawer where he did his
shaving apparatus. and hinges, and
nails, and screws, and Il weasel skin for
Cramp. and Il cOVerlr>S novel, and two
equally dccrcpid song books. That
drawer WAS il museum. 1t WAS the fam
| lily drawer, and the receptacle of every .
! thing handy. | don't really believe
/ either my aunt. OF uncle. OF the kitchen
stove had ever been in that drawer: hnt
about everything else had. There WAS
Il hank of black thread in among the
contents. OF, to he more exact. the con-
tents were in among that thread. and
whenever anything WaS taken ont. that
! thread had to he consulted.
Sometimes the drawer would come
all the way ont. and very unexpectedly
and nearly bury my uncle in the con-
tents. lie WAS not il profanc man, and
So he did not swear. He merely OBJ
| served that II WAS Il sealed book to him
! why woman never had any system.
and then left me to pick up the things
and continue the argument.
He had three or four Years ilmamars
i'll the drawer. and when he went to
consult about the weather. he was lust
as likely to pore over Il thrcc-year-o old
almanac us the current number Not
that it made any particular difference.
only there was something especially in
StructiVc to me to see him looking over
the wrong almanac, and dcducing facts
that appeared to be of great comfort tn
him.
But then. You have had just such cx-
perience Yourself, and there is no need
of dwelling upon them.-THe Ddnbug
NeTS Mans almanac for 1874.