Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-26

intoxicatiou in it to give vitality and color;
wisdom, with sparkling vim of folly. The
simple game carries sheaf Of virtues on its
head, which many prouder pastime can
not offer.
Jack Frost generally manages 70 arrive
with his brushes and ice.bridges fewiweeks
before the deep snow. How busy the spry
old chap must be the rest of the season
Here are dozen windows in neighbor VOL
colts house to be etched and figured tonight
before he can skim the big pond, besides
the glass-ironts of the village store. And
the Dcacon's nose has been destined from
the beginning Of time to be frozen at precise
ly six o'clock, as he rides from town so
Jack will have to be promptly on hand at
the corner, with chill gust of north wind in
his cap to do the job Meanwhile all the
boys are camoring after him for Just two
more inches of ice on the rver-what will
the poor fellow do2 "Well, III take 'em
in ORDER" he cries, with a shrill chuckle of
his cold voice. The Deacon's nose is of FORE
most Importance, Of course; and Jack must
keep up to his profession however willing
his unconscious victim might be to dismiss
the services of his unengaged practitioner, if
he only knew the barbarous operation about
to be performed upon him. The tinklc of
sleigh bells, muffled "Get-ap," .and the
Deacon sweeps round the bend. Now's your
chance, Jack-let at him! The frost.king
fnmbles in his icy pockets with momen-
tary rustic Of preparation, and then let's
loose the wind.dogs of--practice. With
feet bound they fasten themselves upon the
devoted fortress Of the Deacon's personality;
and so sudden and irresistible is their attack
that he is compelled to hang out immediate
ly the Ohite flag of surrender.
Jack has departed to the river.channel,
and is there busily engaged in Strengthening
his ice-bridge for the immediate use of the
boys, who are Willing away the winter eve-
ming in fitting new straps to their skates,
boring holes in their boot-heels, and teasing
stories of adventure from grandpa. After
the irost.king has added a sufficient thick
ness to the ice, he proceeds to give his atten-
tion to the countless window-panes of the
village houses, painting here tree and there
castle, according to the size of his back
ground. The glass-fronts of the store repre-.
sent wonderfully delicate forest.scene. A
huge pine rises above maze Of messy tex
ture, and extends across the whole face of
both fronts. Amidst the white foliage of
this fIost-tree one may trace weird shapes
and combinations, aud goblins,
three-headed monsters and beasts, castle -tur-
rets ending in sharp-nosed, bearded face.
horses tails suspended from some distorted
figures outstretehed arm-in fact, it's an IL
lustrated fairy-tale from designs by Jack
Frost, the famous north pole artist, asd
was executed by himself. See this clear,
bold tower, glistening with its own refract-
ing purity! 1t is positire delineation--
no suggestiveness, no passive merging away
into blended background it is an AXIOM
selEevident, characterized without COMPARE
SOD, so simple, so strong
And this foliage in front and overhead,
Praying its tendrls to u thousand floating threads.
For Jacks foliage differs from natures in
pattern-hers is broad and full, his is fine
and wavy. When the old frost painter took
his brush from that etching, I'll warrant
you he said to himself, "Well now Jack,
you've really done we'll, if do say it my.
self that's as fine picture as ever you set
eyes On-hi!" and away he goes Catching
his old gown on the corner of the house and
rending it fearfully) to try his skill on a
fresh pane.
Morning lights up the fields of snow and
the rivers long ribbon of ice with such
dazzling radiance that it wakes all the boys
in all the houses, and manages to hustle
them down to the breakfast-table full hour
too early. No school to-day-it's Saturday
and what fun there will be River and
pond as solid and tight as drum-head, and
not an inch of snow on the smooth ice. AZ
ter all are seated at the breakfast table the
farmer says; "Boys, I'm goin to want you
to-day" Three chns fall audibly at three
different corners of the table, and three cups
of coffee commence to grow cold. 1t is too
vexatious to realize. Why is Saturday to
pass over such grand skating uueujOyed ?
What 4 combination OF the fates to most eff.
fectually dsappoint three boyish hearts On
the one hand, the CLASSY ice, the crisp air,
the ring of skates; on the other, the dirty
cow-Stable to be cleaned, the manure to be
drawn monotonously to the frozen meadow
the scrape Of shovels, the uninterestiBg cat
tle.conversation Of the men. But the mother
sees how deeply her boys are grieved, with
that wonderful ken of maternal instinct,
which can read the tightest.clasped heart Of
a child as truly as if 'twere opened to her
sympathy. "Father," (hOw plainly are her
child-feolings and reverent love for her hus-
band shown in this word y "Father, can't
you get along with William and Charley
to-day 2" she ventures to ask. "The boys
planned to go skating on the river; and it's
such splendid time, it does seem almost
too bad to spoil their sport. Can't you
possibly spare 'em ?-even half day2"
"Well, they can have the art'noon," is
slowly conceded in reply, Then three cups
are passed back, "to be warmed up little,
and three faces begin to brighten once more.
'Tis the storm after the rainbow, the clouds
after the thunder, both melting into new sun
shine. Oh barometrio boyhoOd!
Skating is the most exhilarating Of all