Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-08-04
Che family Circle.
Ny Little Gentleman.
EY MRS MARY CHANDLER MOULTON.

For u year the great house rising on tn,
summit of Prospect Hill had been an objec
of interest and observation. and chic
subject for talk to the quiet country neigh
borhood surrounding it. IIillsdale was III
old toWn-a still steady-going farming
| place-Wherc the young men plouThet
the unwilling fields, and coaXed reluctant
crops out of the hard-hearted New Eng
land soil, rs fathers and grandfathers haG
done before them. But in all the genera.
tons since the town was settled. no one
had ever thought of building on Prosper
Hill. 1t had been used as a pasture
ground till now, when a man from Boston
had bought it, and had 4 road made to its
top, and Il house built on its very brow
This house was :; wonder ofarchitectural
| beauty
"Wlth its batt!ement> high in the huah OF the air
And the turrets thereon"
1t was built Of kind of mixed stone, 50
that its v;lriegated coloring had an air of
brightness and gayety very unusual. The
farmers about, were exercised III mind
over the amount of oN-tle>h and patience
required to drag stone enough for the
great building up the high hill but that
did not trouble the architect who gave his
orders composediv, and went on with his
business quite unheeding comment The
house, itself, puzz.ed the neighborS, with
its superb arch DINING hall, its lovely
freScoed drawing-room. its wide passages,
its little mu>ic-room. and its great library,
all lined with clrvcn oak Then, why
should there be SO many chambers, unless
indeed, Mr.. SALISBURY had very large
family?
But it WAS when the furniture began to
come i'll that wonder reached its height
Such pleni>hings had never been seen be-
fore in llillsdale, The carpet on the draw
ngroom must have been woven in some
loom OF unhearl-of size, for it seemed to
be all i'll one piece. with Il medallion in
the centre, Il border round the edge, and
all over soft velvet-into which Your feet
sank rs into woodland moSs-the dainticst
flowers that ever grew. Marble statues
cleaned in front of the great mirrors. and
pictures of lovely landscapes, and radiant
sunsets, and handsome men. and fair wO-
men, hung on the walls. In the music
room Were placed II grand piano, Il harp
and Il guitar. The shelves which ran
around the library on all sides half wayfrom
floor to ceiling, were filled with substan-
italy bound books, and above them were
busts of great men by whom immortal
words had been written. 1t was dream
of beauty all the way through-and when
1t was finished, and 4 troop of servants.
men AMI women, came to make all things
ready. expectation reached its height.
A Presidential progress could hardly
have excited more interest tnin did the AZ
rival of Il quiet, gentlemanlv-lookin man.
dressed i'll gray. with iron gray hair and
beard. ut the little railroad station. where
4 carriage had been sent down from Pros
poet Hill to meet him. This, of course. was
Mr.. Salisbury. He was accompanied, in
spite of the many chambers. by Il family
OF only two-a lady much younger than
dressed with elegant simplicity
with a face full of All womanly sweetness.
and Il boy, about twelve or thirteen, ap
parently-a high-brcd little fellow in his |
appearance. but somewhat pale and deli |
cate, and in need of the bracnr air of
Prospect Hill.
They drove home in the sunsct-this
little family OF lhree-:nd looked for the
first time on their new abode. Mr. Shafts
bury had selected the location, and bought
the land. somewhat more than wear be-
fore; and then put the whole matter into
HE hands of Il competent architect, while
ne took his family to Europe, SO that the
lcw residence had as entirely the charm
Of novelty for him us for others.
For Il month after that he was to be seen
'u>ily experimenting matters about his
olace in the forenoon, while his wife and boy
along, never far away from him.
II driving with them in the pleasant MAY
ltternoons-;tlways these three only, and
always together.
t;,.-t e q
he district school began. 1t was an intense
urprisc to the scholars to find, first of all :
n his place, young SALISBURY from the .
MI, " Robert SALISBURY, thirteen years
ld, y he replied to the teacher, who asked
i'm his name and age. He studied quietly {
i'll recess, and even then fingered in his
eat, with evident shyness, though he |
watched the others with look of interest {
II his face. They stood apart, and talked t
f him amorg themselves, instead of rush /
~ out to play, rs was their won't
At last, after 4 good deal of wonder
lcnt and talk, one boy, holder or more d
'ckle>S than the rest. marched up to him.
g say, Velvet Jacket, how came YOU O
erc?" was his salutation. Seems to me
on re too much of 4 gentleman for our I
lks' e
ii'tSii III iilC'i .'litltSDllfN u
lie checks, but he answered with frank t:
ass rs absolute rs his courtesy was per f,
ct: n
- have been taught at home, up to now, p
It my father wants me to he with other /
US of my own age; and he says true p
ntlc:nan belongs everywhere" :;
The boys all heard what he said. and in IL
ute of their boyi>h rudeness, it inspired
ON with 4 certain respect. That was the g
ginning of the title which they cave ei
III among themselves, of . little gentle IL
an only among themselves, at first s.
ouch afterwards, when they grew more &C
mlliar with him, they used 10 address Il,
N by it. ca
If there had been :; philosophical olser ~
/ to take note of it, it would have been ~
rlous to watch how unconsciouSly the AZ "
vs. were influenced by my little gentle vi
th-loW their manners grCW more zen -
how they avoided coarse or unclean or - =
fame words in his presence, as if he W.
It been Il woman. He led his classes 'h
lily IN their >.udic~. The teacher had :.
Yer to rerrove him for c1releSSncss in IL,
du,IeS. or Tor broken rules His ftthe;. ",
| SAID, y true gentleman be,opps ~
~ where, and h. was quietly proving vi
Il c scholMs liked h.m-they could not