Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-05
On the very day, as it happened, after

On the very day. as it happened, after
this show had lett the town, traveller
entered it and set up quiet peep show
near the market-place. He had no music
with him, but he sang simple tune or
two, which seemed to please the children,
for they began to gather round his show.
1t seemed also to please a beautiful
maiden, who listened at gable window.
with the tears in her eyes. But the
grown-up folk appeared inclined to laugh
at it, and they openly scoffed at the show
itself
"What makes you bring that stupid
thing here ?' said the butcher We had
a show here, yesterday"
You would never think of calling that
a show?" cried the cobbier, laughing
aloud.
By this time some of the children had
got close to the show, and looked in at
the goggles.
Why, it is our town. exclaimed a
coar e, rude boy, who was tie hobgobin
of all the good children in the nelghbor-
hood. q can see the pump and the
chool-house, and the church, and the
wnd-mi on the hill, and the butchers
shop
What! put my shop into a penny
show" cries the butcher.
Il did not ask you to pay penny or
anything else," said the Snowman, with a
smile.
That makes it worse" says the
butcher, ''for if you do not do it for
money, you must have some bad motive.
| declare, there is my shop" cried the
butcher, looking in at one Of the goggles.
And there is my forge" SAID the
blacksmith, peeping too; " can distln-
guish the very sparks"
Nothing in the world but our town,
Just as it is. Who ever saw such a
show ?" asked the school, master, who had
now taken look, Why, when l was a
young man, | remember show of the
Seven Wonders of the World, that beat
this hollow"
Really, my friends, you have not got
the focus" put in the sho man. "Our
good town.
Our good town" broke in a woman
with a shrill laugh. "You are no towns
man of ours
L" Our good town is there, indeed" con.
tinued the Snowman, but when once you
have got the right focus, you will see
much more than the town, and something
better
Here the people all burst out into d
confused uproar.
Focus focus! Wen teach him tC
focus US :" cries the schoo-maSter
Let us make an end Of MS show =
saws the blacksmith, Furnishing his ham
mer
The very children entered into tn,
spirit of the tumult, and danced furious
around the show and the Snowman.
81 can make many another such ;
show" said the Snowman, under hi
breath
At this moment the damsel who had
been listener and spectator at the gabl
window came hastily forward, leadin
Goody Gracious, now blind with age, By
the hand.
Stand back, men Y said the dam,
waving her staff, and let the girl have
peep"
Aud then the Snowman drew nigh t
her, and whispered something in her cal
which made her start and fling up her dea
old mittened arms to heaven. La the near
while the damse peeped in at one Of tn
goggles. 1t seems that she got the tocu
that the Snowman spoke OF at once, 10
she said:
Il see our town, but beyond it [ Sc
something better. | see
4 wizard, wizard shouted the mol
or else how can be make thing 50 thu
Z one person can see what another cInnOt
; \ wizard, a wizard! Down with the show
How can there be anything better tina
our town ?''
And in few moments the show was
heap of shapelesS fragments. The sho v
man looked on with a grave smile, tn
maiden clinging to his arm, and Good
Gracious shaking her staff in vain at Ii
rioters.
That night Cd Dame Grlciou, wa
found dead in her bed, with a smile
heavenly hope on her wlthered face.
was not long before the snowman anl tn
damse quilted the town together. 1t w
done so quietly that tae first person
. assure the rest of the people OF the IA,
was a shepherd boy, who came III to r,
port that he hh seen them, hand IN hanJ
crossing the hills toward the Orient.
was early in a morning Of ripe sPr'ngju~
passing into summer. There were ros
: buds ready to burst, the sun was warm,t tt
, brook ran full aud fresh down into tt
> valley, and the whole world was que
J. with beauty and glory to come.