Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-06

I
resisted his advancesl tn'a,tea5 :
A few days AFTER he came, heard that
an old friend Of ours was visiting at a rela-
tons in Galoosa, place about fourteen
miles from the little settlement Of Maysville,
where our lot had been cast for the last few
years. was anxious to see Mrs St. Clair,
and TO hear news Of our friends 10 New York,
but there seemed to be difficulty in getting
to Galoosa.
One Of our horses happened to be lame,
and the other, though peaccable enough in
double harness, was apt to be skittish and
| ill-conducted when driven alone. II was
quite impossible for the captain to leave his
business at that time, and il seemed that,
unless could borrow or hire horse, the Wis.
it must be given up.
Now, it was not easy to get hold of
horse in Maysville. There were, to be sure,
three or four teams belonging to our saw
mill, but they were all engaged three deep
in their legitimate business, and, as il hap
pened oil the other horses in the place were
either busy or sick, l reluctantly resigned
myself to staying at home. just then, how
ever, our friend, Mr.. Calvin Bruce, a man
somewhat given to horses, came home from
Detroit, aud, hearing of my necessity, he at
once placed at my disposal what he called a
"pair Of colts" There was no trouble in
finding driver.
At that time, Dick Monroe aud his sister
Diana were staying with us on visit Dick
at II, considered that he knew all that was
to be known about horses, and would have
undertaken to drive the chariot Of the sun
with as much confidence as Phetou himself.
Calvin described the colts as gentle
enough only pretty spunky," and averred
that q it was easy enough to manage them,
if fellow only let them have their own
way :" and then Calvin made the colts the
subject of parallel with the female sex,
which will not repeat lest ! should draw
down upon my head some of those phials Of
wrath which are always ready to be uucork.
ed for the benefit Of any one who says q
word on either side Of the much-vcxed and
vcxing question.
The captain demurred little at letting
Diana aud myself go off behind the colts
with no more experienced guardian than
Dick, at which dstrust Of his powers Master
Dicks dignity was good deal hurt; but
then | hattered myself that |, too, could
drive little, and | was very anxious to see
Mrs. ST. Clair, and to be short, of course we
went. Diana and | were ready for some
time before Dick made his appearance with
the horses. Diana, at Is, was a tall, slim,
gray.eyed black-eyed girl very much of q
child in some things, and very much of o
woman in others Dick was also tall and
slim aud handsome, aud he aud Diana were
the best of friends. Dick was more full Of
himself and more self.conscious than his
sister. He was clever at his school, work,
stood at the head of all his classes, and ex.
pected in another year to 60 to college
Such being the case, Of course Dick felt ex.
tremely old, and capable Of sustaining any
responsibility whatever. | think his feelings
were rather hurt at the idea Of riding three
in buggy, and he would not have been al.
together sorry to leave Diana at home, buI
she and took no notice of the young gen
tleman's hints, and he was fain to content
himself with the thought that we were in th'
country, and out West and that it did moi
so much matter.
1t struck me when Dick did finally com,
! that he was in a remarkable hurry to start
! and FASTENED US away without leaving m,
time to say those more last words which
housekeepers are so apt TO bestow on theil
cabinet ministers when they set out on q
journey. Dick also demurred at our driving
around by the mill, and stopping to speak e
the captain, with whom wished to leave q
commission about some domestic matter. II
was not far out Of the way, to be sure, bu
!, we had been delayed already, and the after
noon was getting on and as the errand wa
one of no very great importance, gave W
the idea, and Dick turned the horses heads
toward the Galoosa road, and drove swiftly
out of the village.
! As we turned into the openings, through
which our path lay for some distance, W,
passed one Of tho teamsters from the mil
going up to the village with load Of boards
This said teamster, commonly known a
Dutch Jake, was an exceedingly slow man
; aud was never known, under any circum
stances, to adopt any plan of action on thu
= spur of the moment As We passed, he nod
ded by way Of salutation but after tho swif
colts had left the team far behind, we saw
that he had stopped his horses aud was look
ing after us, apparently bordering in hi
mind some matter with which we were con
; nected.
We heard afterward that Jake had hat
"a great mind to give us warning Of tn
danger that lurked that day in the Septem
Der woods but before his mind had become
) quite great enough for expression, W
l. had passed out OF sight
:" wonder what he wanted of US ~ sal
Diana
4; Z" | don't know anything that he coul
possibly have to say to u.s." | sail blu
yet almost wish had gone back to see.
"Oh, he only stopped to let his horse
rest" said Dick and yet glancing back
c though turn in the road had now hidde
= Dutch Jake from sight aud then suddenl
= Master Dick became very animated on th
9 subject of the beauties Of those opening
i through which we were passing.
. The road lay through rolling country
q among what, in Michigan, for lack of some
a thing better are called hills II was tn
q last Of September, aud there had been jus
% frost enough to turn the leaves. The OAK
Is in that part of the world put on ball drei
of rich, deep crimson, shading into brown
?, and semi-purples, and hecked and spotte
!, with the dark, CLASSY, unchanged green I
D. summer Here aud there among the GAL
s. stood brown beech, and now aud then
y scarlet and yellow maple, that lit up tn
:, forest arcadcs like pillar Of fame Fac
"a turn of the road showed some new vista
le wood. The clear, dark.bluc sky was hoode
with light and color, and the sunshine dance
- and hecked in the cool shadowy green an
brown of the grasses and ferns that covere
le the ground The air was inexpressibly swe
70 with the spicy smell of the oak leaves.
10 was one of those days, rare in the Mort
. which make one realize that there may be
D. state of being worth the having, and wherett
70 irrepressble conflict between man and natul