The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-10-21
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ugbt Lex of pair of uumentiouab'es
o. Bo,tiugi was the re,p3use, Uttered
ln tone 81 concentrated sarcasm which,
rightly Interpreted. meant that iu TBS
opinion q Jobn Thompson, Al the
worId aud ,he rest 81 mankind were o.
,be blsb-roa1 to destruction.
Nov Minerva jasIided her name, for
.ho was wise woman ed held her
peace, well knowing ihs, she woald not
long be kept 10 gnofan,e a. 70 the cause
of her high lord's disturbance
While John j. silently chewing the cud
Of ms bitter fancies, aud Minerva heals
the rent IN Joe's pants, LET US make tbeir
acquaintance.
The Thompson homestead comprises
some two hundred acres, and Is one Of
the finest farms 10 the Empire state, l.
has descended 70 ils present owner FROM
father aud grandfather, the latter having
been a soldier 10 the revolution. John
loves 10 boast that bis aueestor "came IN
with the conqueror,n and is won't to dis
play with no little pride a document
bearing General Washiugtou's signature,
certify Ing that "the bearer hereof, Joua-
than Thompson. having faithfully served
the United States six years aud five
months, is hereby discharged from The
American army" Said Jonathan also
received badge Of merit, aud six hun
dred acres Of bounty land In what was
then "the far West" to which he duly
transferred himself aud household, and
proceeded TO make a home in the wilder
ness. So in the course Of time il came TO
pass that grandson John found himself
proprietor Of goodly patrimony over
looking the sparkling waters OF the beau
iful Cayuga. But he did not receive bis
/ inheritance unincumbered, for the
| Thompson family were numerous, and
many legacies must be paid of before he
could be styled, 10 country parlance,
"iudepeudent.n But with stout hands
aud heart, and the help Of faithfal low
ing wife, the task is at last accomplished,
aud now he can sit serene IN the assur-
auce that, let the winds Of financial panic
howl their fiercest, his bark, at least, is
safely moored aud out of danger
When Minerva Hyde, light-hearted
country lassie of twenty-five, with no
nonsense about her, consented to become
Minerva Thompson, she knew, as well as
any woman who married ever can know,
just what she is undertaking. Born and
bred farmers daughter, she had no ex.
peclalions of ease or elegant leisure; and
now we see her, although the mother of
five children, and the mistress OF farm
house for twenty years, as wholesome,
CHEEKY malron as can well be found,
looking at least five years younger than
the record in the big family Bible war
rants. Perhaps this is owing, in some
degree, TO the fact that having been
trained in habits of cheerful industry,
and endowed with a goodly share Of
shrewd common sense, she has troubled
herself very little about any other mission
than that OF doing faithfully the nearest
duty. But she is by no means a mere
household drudge, with no idea beyond
baking aud buttons. Her father, Captain
Hyde, who fought. bled aud died for his
country on the battle field Of Fair Oaks,
came of staunch New England stock
and was a man who did his own think.
ing, trait which was transmitted 10 hi;
children in no small measure, Being 8
great lover of books, he possessed, whai
was rare among farmers thirty years ago
very respectable library; aud it wat
uot uncommon for the Yankee peddler
struck by the sight Of a well-fiiled book
case IN a farmhouse, TO inquire If ID,
"old gentleman" was doctor or minis
ter, lie was an aboltionist from tht
early days when to bear that hated namt
4 implied little less than social ostraeism
and his son Tom, who stood by bis ia
lher's side when he Tell, aud himseI
came home from the war with one ara
aud coonel's uniform, fought bis fir
battle for freedom from behind the 81,
brown school-hohse, where he admins
tered a sound lhrashng to graceles
companion who had ventured to poin
the finger Of seorn at the dauntless bO
Who would "hnrrah for James G. Biz
ney z, during the exciting presidentia
contest OF Al.
Growing up 10 the atmosphere Of sue
!. house, il is not strange that Mnerv
) occasionally INDUCED in progressive nc
ldns which were sometimes rather start
iugto the steady-going John. who b.
ouged 20 more conservative race. Bu
he was not pig-headed, and although ih
leaven Of new ideas, which fteqaenll
found lodgment 10 bis mind through th
fundamentally OF bis wde-awake wifi
did not always produce It's legitimate II
7 suit without considerable spultering an
dzziug, yet be generally ended BY 81
- etPihe tnF 'tt"H "a hts HtitF H'Na'B ~
Be whose opinions he entertained a mot
profound respect.
At last Joe's neither garment Is 10 0
: der for another days campaign, aud Nj
= erya takes up The paper. With the il
sginct OF true house mother, she tar
iirsl to the page devoted TO family inie
ests After few moments silent perus
she suddenly exclaims, Good | wi
every msn could see this, at the san
=. time reading aloud the following Sc
lences:
Even The most perfect family life e
Z, never entirely swallow up the feeling
81 Individuality II IL hardly fair 10 ascFi