Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-07-09
An Old-Fashloned story.


]
An Old-FashiOned Story.
There were six gigs, and there were six
couples Edmund Burt aud led the way
in the first gig. He drove an iron.gray
horse. | remember all this perfectly well,
my dear, although it happened sixty years
ago
We were all Methodist young people.
II was Tom Grigg who first proposed this
riding party the week before, when Ed
mund was walking homo with me from
Wednesday prayer-meeting, Tom Grgg
and Sallie Eliot overlook US, and they had
been talking about it, aud asked US how We
would like it. | fell in with the notion
right away, and Edmund thought too that
it would be right pleasant, aud that was
how the affair started. | named it to four
other girls, and Edmund asked four young
mem these were all members Of our class,
and knew each other intimately. A pleas
anter party couldn't have been got togeth-
er and it was in the month of May, aud
the Spring was very forward that year.
We left Trego at three o'clock in the
afternoon, and drove nine miles to Luther
vile, where we had supper. Tom Grigg's
brother-in-law kept a temperance house,
and very quiet, genteel tavern it was,
though Luthervlle handn't very good
name among Trego people. Trego had
not been made city then, but it was a
good-sized town and held its head pretty
high and, though there was some drunk
enness and card-playing and such like
there, it compared favorably with any town
to be found anywhere. But Lutherville
people generally were pretty rough set,
though some good families lived there
abouts. But We did not 60 to the village
to see any Of the people; we went because
it was a pleasant drive There was no
bills Of any size between the two places,
but there is gradual slope all the way,
Lutheryille lying low at the month Of Tay-
lor's Greek.
Oh, that ride down there 10 the sunlight,
and that ride back in the moonlight It
was my first sight of the country that year
We skinned along the edges of green fields
tho roadsides were bordered with dande-
lions, buttercups, and mayweed the air
was sparkling, and the grass was Of the
early spring green that has yellow gim-
mer through il. could not help breaking
out into singing
Ye fields OF light celestial plains.
Where pure, serene eitalgence relgns,
Ne scenes diYinely fair
and all the others joined in. Then we
went through the woods, and they were all
green above and all pink below, for they
we're filled with honeysuckles in full bloom,
and the sweet scents blew all about us
Out in the open again, we went round
marsh where the tall blue flags stood in
rows alike an army with banners" Then
we were in the pines, where the air was
strong and spicy, and we all stopped to lis
ten to the strange, solemn sounds among
the tree.tops that we had been told was
like the roar Of the ocean, which none of
us had ever seen. Then we drove through
Lutherville to thequiet little tavern where
we had a nice supper. The ride back was
pleasant, too, but in different way. We
were not so gay; moonlight is very SOL
emnizing to the feelings, | think The
night was not very bright, for the moon
was past the full, and things were little
hazy and indistinct.
You know what strange shadows the
moon makes, and as we drove pretty fast
they seemed to be fitting about in an un-
earthly way, but, of course, always towards
Lutherville, because we were riding to.
wards the moon. [ enjoyed the nights
strangeness and sweet solemnity. But af-
terwards this ride up from Lutherville
seemed to me like sort of prophecy, such
as we have in dreams, and to this day, if /
am belated in a country ride and see the
moonlight streaming in under the trees,
and the shadows fitting about my mind
goes back to that ride, and to Lutherville,
and the dreadful sights - but I'll tell
you about that bye and bye. Now | will
finish about the ride.
Was engaged to Edmund Burt2 o,
no. There had never been anything like
courting between him and me. was an
only child and an orphan from three years
old, and l had always known Edmund;
and for seven years past he had been like
brother to me. We both experienced
religion at the same revival, and made our
public profession at the same time, when |
was only fourteen years old. He was then
eighteen, and we had both continued in full
church-membership ever since and when
we took this ride | was just turned twenty
one.
What did we talk about2 OF the things
around US q good deal about church mat