Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-09-17
From IIarper's Weekly.
q Dramatic history :
village Tyrants.
By J1.EPlI IIATT0N.
AIT I.
SCENE 1.-THE BELLE or TIE VILLAGE.

/
Conbe Dingle ought to be sacred to
romance. 1t is valley Of cottages, with
stream running down the centre and
turning a mill. The brook is full of
crosses, and in summer it blooms with
flowers that rival the buds and blossoms
on its banks.
One OF tac pretticst objects in the valley
not long ago was the cottage Of Luke
Meadows, with its rustic garden seats, its
cluster OF monthly roses over the door,
and its windows fall Of plants. At the
opening of our story Luke was little better
than laborer on the farm Of NJ. Peter
North but in his day he had been pros
porous man, cultivating his own land.
Partly through bad management and
partly from i'll luck, Meadows had lost
his property, and gradually sunk into
the position in which we now find him.
Though philosophers may urge that ad.
versity brings valuable experience and
adventurous gain, few who have struggled
hard tor one darling object eau calmly ac.
cept the mere logical theory. Luke
Mea1ows was struck down not so much or
account of his own fond ambition bcin,
frustrated, bu: because his affiicion came
upon him at time when he hoped tha
he would have amassed fortune sufficient
to secure competency for his on y child
But all these hopes were ruthlcssly de
stroyed. The once happy homestead wa
new in the possession of another; anC
Luke, at an advanced age, having beel
accustomed for many years to the com
forts of on ample income. had now to hav,
recourse to manual labor, which was tn,
more humlliatipg in proportion as it con
i, trasted with the position Of respect ant
importance he once occupied among hi
naighbors. lie obtained employment from
- Farmer Smith, political maguatc in tn
village, and rented frsm him the httl
d cottage which, even among the carefully
kept honscs of the village, was consYicu
GUS for the spotlcss wtiteness of its wall
:. and the luxuriance of its garden.
}. Kate was the belle Of the village--nc
= that this acknowledged honor was difficuI
to secure in the secluded hamlet of Comb
Dinele e-indeed, she would have con-
manded attention in any social assemblag
where health, beauty, and uaassunin
grace elicit the admiration of men or a
tract the Jealous comment Of womel
8. Though the features of her face might NJ
Y have borne the closest criticism accordIn
: to aesthetic canons, yet their combinatic
made up the highest effect of beauty. ~
ery detail of her dress was arranged wit
y a simple elegance which suggested thi
perfect result of art which is said to col
v sist in concealing it. This might be a
Is tributed in some degree to her education
q for Luke Meadows was intelligent enous
: to understand the Importance Of schoelln
R, even to q woman who locked no high
j, than the hope of some day being an no
] est farmers wife. She was usually dresst
: in a ligat print, and as she tended her Ii
tie garden she looked more like the villal
maiden of domestic drama than the slI
ple daughter of Luke Meadows. She W
as amiable as pretty, as useful as she W
lovable. On Sunday she played the ha
moniun in the village church. and once
twice week assisted the mistress OF I
Parish schools in her educational dutl'
With such charms and Accomplishments
was not surprising that Kate had ma
admirers. She might easily have ma
on el;c;ble match: but, like many 9th
good women, she had indiscreetly dispos
n Of her youthful affections. The forum: I
- youth was Tom North, the son OF the 7
mer from whom Luke Meadows rented
cottage. -.
Tom was gOod-fo--nothing Perh'