The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-06-03

Silverton is quiet, old-fashioned New
England town, lying in as charming bit
Of country as one would wish to see.
Soon after leaving the village, the road
towards the south passes an old stone
house, which has been standing there
since revolutionary times. and still looks
strong enough and ample enough to be
the future homo Of generations yet un.
born.
About and beyond it lie broad fields Of
grain, growing yellow under the August
sunshine, and acres Of corn rustling in the
summer breeze.
And all this is the property of one for.
tunate man. Standing upon the broad
balcony OF the old stone house, be can
look toward the east and toward the west,
and call it his own almost as far as he
can see.
But, some years ago, the farm had two
owners, and Richard Dean, who lived in
the stone house, and John Marshall, who
owned the land opposite to it on the other
side Of the road, we're no friends. There
had been some ancient quarrel about
landmarks, and, like true Capule.s and
Montagues, the families had nursed their
enmity, and transmitted it from father to
SOD, along with the family acres.
There had been Deans and Marshalls
in Silverton almost from the time when
the town first had name but they were
from widely different walks in life. The
first Of the Deans was an English gentle.
man of fortune, who, in travelling through
the country, was charmed with the natur-
al beauty of the place, bought large
tract of land there, and built the stone
house of this story The first of the
Marshalls came into Silverton with all his
worldly goods in the bundle which he
carried under his arm, and tho bundle
was not heavy. He came as hired man
to one Of the farmers in the neighborhood.
After years service he married tho far.
mer's daughter, who being an only child,
in process of time dutifully inherited her
fathers acres, and handed them over to
her lucky lord.
Since those days there had been great
changes. None of the Deans had ever
added to their original inheritance, and
one of the race had SO crippled his re.
sources by extravagant living that it be.
came necessary for him to sell q portion
of the estate. The Marshalls, from father
to son, had ever been frugal set; and
the grandfather, old John Marshall. was
by this time able to buy the land his fast.
living neighbor was forced to part with
1t was from q dispute as to landmarks
arising from this sale, that the quarrel
which We have mentioned sprang. The
case was carried to law the Deans came
off victorious, and the Marshalls never
forgave it.
Moreover, it Was rumored that wher
Richard Dean Of this story married the
beautiful daughter of the old Silvertor
clergyman, it touched John Marshall very
nearly so that. between the old wound
to the pocket and the new wound to the
affections, the family quarrel seemed il
no way likely to die out.
1t reached its climax when the two
farmers, who belonged to opposite partiei
in politics, became rival candidates fol
election to the state legislature. Johr
Marshall was beaten, and choosing Il
consider his defeat as direct injury, in
ficted bysbis neighbor, vowed that b,
would be even with him. And Richard
Dean, when he came homo at the end o
the season, found it had been no idl,
threat
Across the road directly in front Of ih,
house. loomed up before him the frame o
a hugh barn. Workmen were busy
plying their noisy hammers. oos
timbers we're scattered about, grea
heaps Of boards lay piled up here an'
there ready for use, and all the dirt anC
rubbish Of building defaced the once beau
tiful meadow.
MI. Dean stood sghast, and ooul,
scarcely believe his eyes His prett
daughter tripped out upon the balcony h
meet him ; but almost before the kis
with which she greeted him was off fror
her pouting lips. she exclaimed : "Ot
papa, is it not q shame? Could you hav
believed that any man would be SO mean
Is there nothing to be done Must W
have that horrid barn always before ou
eyes ?"
} Yes the barn was there aud stayeC
Mr.. Dean found himself powerless.
man has right to build where he vii
) on his own land, and the law cannot pre-
vent him from putting himself to an
amount Of trouble, expense and inconvs
nience for the very laudable object OF o,
ccuting his spite on his neighbor. In th
eye of the law the barn could not be mad
TO appear a nuisance, whatever it Nigh
be to the dwellers in the stone house. s
! there was nothing to be done but to pool
al thas. u..sL ..I 20 Pnn..fka A.