Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-29

whenever he visited Washington, and as
said in a former number, was the toast and
the star of the night. He gave literally to
the Union cause, without being Republ-
can. Though he did not unite with US when
We sung I" John Brown none could have
been more graceful and ready in contributing &
to the general pleasure. One dramatic night
L shall never forget. Forrest was in royal
condition. He came early and stayed late.
He seemed prepared to make everybody hap
py. lie needed no solici alton to display his
varied stores of humor and of information
Sketches OF foreign travel; photographs oil
Southern manners, alike of the master and
slave; his celebrated French criticism upon
Shakespeare; his imitation of the old clergy
man OF Charleston, South Carolina, who, deaf
himself, believed everybody else 10 be so; his
thrilling account Of his meeting with Edmund
kean, at Albany, when Forrest was boy
his incidents of General Jackson; ho meet
ing with Lafayette at Richmond, in 1925
Few that heard him can ever forget thai
night. But nothing that he did will be re-
membered longer than the manner in which
he recited 81 Ihe Idiot Boy" production
up to that time unknown - every body in ths
room except Forrest and myself, and to m'
only because | heard him repeat it sever
yearg before, when lived on Eighth street
IN the house lately known as the Wayerly
/ These lines are so beautiful and so unique
that | print them for the benefit of the read
ers of these hasty sketches
THE IDIOT BOY
1t had pleased God to form poor Ned
a thing of idiot mind,
Yet, to the poor unreas'ning boy,
God hath not been unkind.
Old Sarah loved her helpless child,
! Whom helplcssness made dear;
i And he was everything to her.
Who knew no hope or fear.
he knew his wants, she understood
! Each half-arculate cali,
For he was everything to her,
And she toihim we ALL
And so for many a year they lived,
Nor knew wish beside;
But age at last Sarah came,
ANA she fell sick-and died.
He tried in vain to waken her,
He sailed her DER and DER;
They told him she was dead
The words to him no import bore.
They closed her eyes and shrouded her,
While ne stood wOnd'ring by,
And when they bore her to the grave
| He followed silently.
They laid her in the narrow house,
They sung the funral stave;
And when the funral train dispersed
He fingered by the grave.
The rabble crowd that used TO jeer
Whene'c cr they saw poor Ned
Now stood and watched him by the grave,
And not a word they said.
They came and went and came again
Till night at last came on
: Yet sun he fingered by the grave
Til every one had gone.
And when he found himself alone
lie swift removed the clay,
Then raised the coftn up in haste,
And bore It swift away.
: lie bore it to his mothers cot
And laid it on the hoor,
| And with the eagerness ofJoy
lie barred the cottage door.
Then out he took his mothers corpse,
: And placed it l a chair;
And soon he heaped the kindling hearth,
And made the fire with care.
lie put hIs mother in HER chair.
,-nd IN her wonted place,
Aud then he blew Ihe fire,
Which shone reflected in her face.
And pausng now, her hand would feel,
And then her face behold:
"WHY mother do you look 30 pale,
2 And why are you cold?"
: It had pleased God from the poor wretch
r Ills only friend to call
Yet t1od was kind to him, and
+ In DEATH restored him ALL
And when the neighbors on next morn
! Had burst the cottage door,
Old Sarahs corpse in the chair
And Neds upon the floor