St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-09-08

| Mother.
JUNE :}d.
Il am quite safe in saying that h I'VE
written to yom say forty letters on my
birthday: and whatever WAS defective
aS to number in my letters was made
up 10y your love. Now | begin to think
the whole affair is getting stale to you.
In short, You anticipate all can say,
am likely to say, or ought to say and
having done 50, You begin to read and
t" laugh and cry time about. and to
praise me to all my unfortunate broth
erS and sisters, until they detest me
till June 18th.
''Dont Nou feel grateful | WAS born /?
Are lou not thankful | know You are.
and n" wonder. | need not enumerate
all those well-known personal and do
meStic virtues which have often called
forth your praises, except when You
are beaten AT back CANNON. But there,
Is another side of the question with
which | have to do, and that is whether
| ought t" he :" very grateful to YOU
tor the event with which June 3D., lsI2.
Is associatcd. As | advance in life,
this question becomes more Interesting
Ia me and II seems due to the interests :
"t Truth and justice to state on this dav.
when | have had fifty six wears expert
Al Ii 4
that am 10y no means satisfied with
I"ur conduct on that occasion. and
that If You fairly consider it. | feel as
>urcd y"n will justify me in demanding
from You the onl rrpaIation possible
an ample apology. and Il solemn
promise. never To do the like again
You must acknowledge that You took Il
very great liberty with Il man of my
character and position, not to ask me
whether | was disp">cd To enter upon Il
new and important state of existence
whether | should prefer winter or sum
should hr a Sc"tchman. Irishman. 81
En@li>hman or even whether | should
bc man or Woman born each of thc>,.
alternatives involving To me most i'm
p"rtant consequences. What a good
John Bull | would have made what Il
rIttlln", roaring lriShman What Il cap
ltal mother "r wife, what Il Jolly ah-
hrSS But You doomed me to hc born
i'll Il trnth-ratr provincial town, half
Scotch. halt Highland. and sealed my
doom a. t" sex and country. Was that
fam Would l"u like me to have. done
that I" N"n suppose through my fault
You had been born Il Wild Spanish pa
pist. what would You have said on Nnur
fifty seventh birthday. with all ynu
Protestant convictions! Not one Man
we'll "r Dnntro"n related t" YOU, lou
Yourself Il nun called st. Agnc>r, and
all. tor>onth. hccau-c had w.llcd that
You should he born at Toledo on June
I'd. l-l2! Think of it. mother. seriously.
and say have Nou done to me as You
would have had me d" To Nouo
"Ih"n again. pray VIII" is I" blame
t" all have suffered for fifty SiN Years
VIII" but H"u This reply alone can he,
made I" Il thousand questions which
press themselves on my memory, until
the past seems Il history of misery en-
dnr'd with angelic patience. Why. |
might ask. fol example. did live fnr
weeks on im>ipid 'llthingS.' spending
days and nights screaming. weeping.
hlcc"ughing. with an old woman swath-
ing and un>wathing me, whose nature
rciIre> from such attentions Why had
| toI Years To learn tu walk and speak |
and anu>c auutS and friends like a
Young parish fool, and wear frocks
fancy me in Il irock now addressing th,
Assembly and Vet had to wear them
for Years why have suffered from
mumpS. who"ping- cough. measles, Scar-
let fever. tnothache. headache. lumba- |
90, govt. >ciatica. sore back. sore lcgS,
sore sides, and other ailments: haXin"
probably sneezrd several thousand |
times, and c"ughed as often since
christencd Why Because | was
born because Nou. and none but Won.
| should bc born WHY have
| had to hc tossed about on every sea
and ocean. and kept in perpetual dan
ger from icebrrgS, togS, storms. ship |
wrecks You did it, Why have had
my mind distracted, my brain worn, my
heart broken, my nerves torn, my frame
my life tortured with preach
InSS and preparations. speeches, lee
tureS. S.m"tl"ns, ,resolutions, programmes :
with sessions, presbytelies and assem-
blieS; with all Churches, bond and
free; with all countries from west to
east with good words and bad words
with Sunday questions and week -day
questions: with all sorts of people,
from Trembling Jock to the Queen
with friends and relations, Jews and
lircekS. bond and free ! Why all this,
and Thousand times more, if not sim
ply and solely because of your conduct
Dn June 3d. 1872. No wonder if is a
sad and solemn day to you, No won
der You sigh. and-unlcSs all good is
pHt OF Nou-weep. too. | was told my
poor father. on the day was born. hid
in Il hayrick from sheer anxiety.
He had some idea of what v,s J,;nr
But, dear soul he always gave in to
lou, and it was in vain for either of lis