Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-14

tnIousn all inc nlsht under The hand of pain,
May in the morning Of glad forever
Wake meath God's touch to melody again.
National Repository,
Little True Blue.
Doe Thatcher stood by he kitchen win
dow, thinking about the letter that had
come that day from her brother Billy. He
was working with their father in the " Big
Woods, Il hundred miles away from this
prairie home. Letters had always been
Billy's abomination, and it naturally
caused Il sensation when one appeared.
addressed in his unique, if not beautiful
handwriting But whatever you might
think Of the chirography, the matter "
Of his letter was not to be shifted at At
least Doc thought so and she knew almost
! by heart his description of the glorious
woods in the early morning hung all over
with that wonderful feathery Minnesota
frost, with rainbow lights wavering
through and through the redant white
ness everywhere, sometimes tangled in u
great shimmering bunch, sometimes fall
ing in a long soft sweep across an open
space, like IN angels wing, while from
the rising sun went up a distinct tower Of
golden light The frost in the trees look
ing just like the long, dangling moss in
the Mississippi forests, that Aunt Katy had
read to them about; only this frost-moss
was white, aRd full Of cleaning and rosy
/ lirrhI And Ibnsa t,r,nl,kn,nn,.r
with their helmet caps and immense nit
tens, and stout belts, and big warm
packs on their feet. marching out in n
| long line, with axes cleaning over their
shoulders, and beard and eyebrows hoary
with frost. Best of all was that magnii-
cent Minnesota ax-chorus, when the chop
ping began.
You could tell by the different whacks
Just what sort Of tree was struck, elm,
or maple, or hickory and ring ring
ringm went the chime of the steel resound-
ing in regular rhyme and rhythm.
Billy helped to cook at the boarding
house, which was huge shanly in the
middle of the woods, with Il log roof
And if anybody wanted something good
to eat, let him come up there and get
some of their beans when they had Il
grand kettle Of them roasted in ashes over
night, ard seasoned with a piece of good
pork. That was truly royal dish, in
Billy's opinion. But the wages were very
small, and no money had yet been paid
ut least Billy said nothing about having
received any,-and it made Doc feel rath-
er gloomy, though the letter was so bright,
to think Of the long cold days ahead and
the storms, and Murray almost barefoot,
and the hour-chest nearly empty. Worry
ing over these things had sent their moth
er to bed with headache, Doc knew, aud
she resolved to keep her own blue thoughts
to herself, as she stood by the kitchen win
dow, looking out at the night.
The very sight of the sky, with the
golden moon hanging in that clear space,
and the great earth lying under it, softly
radiant with frost, was enough to make
one breathe freer. 1t was such delight
to look ut the outlines Of things in that
pure atmosphere. The clean, dark, wavy
line of prairie was restful to see against
the low, western sky. The brown stacks,
and hay-thatched stable roofs near ut hand
oomed up with clear contour and fresh
color; and away across the lake, the
windmill and the little sation-h0use by
the lonely railroad stood out distinctly
against the starry blue.
Dorcas was this little girls name, but
nobody ever thought Of calling her Dollie
Or Dottie, or anything soft and pretty.
Even when she WAS Il mite of u baby, peo-
pie used to smile queerly when they turn
ed aside The little white cradle blankets,
and saw such a sturdy, square, red face,
with unblinking grey eyes, and bristly lit
tie head Of black hair. In those days
= some waggsh uncle had dubbed her
= Doc and DOC she has been ever
since. Somehow the funny little name
Just suited her, such busy little cook-and-
botte-washer as she had always been,-
such real little hen-wife and cat,misress
and busy-body.
When she used to make visits TO Grand
mother Dingle 5, in the flr-away home
State, there were never any goose-piel
ings, no cider-boilings, OF marmalade-
makings, or carpet weavings in which she
didn't " assist, us the French would say,
even if her fingers weren't really poked
; in. ara sorry to say that Doe never was
- fond of her book that is, of any book
) except the almanac, of which she was
quite fond, and her mothers Old Cook
ing Receipts and the Bible. She really
loved the Bible, but, am afraid only as a
sort of Wonder-book, the war of the kings
and the mysterious poetry of the old pro-
phets being her especial favorites
tn, Thutobarg b.,I I,1tt hnaV b,,t,,.,
sick family till they came up here to this
great clustering north-land.-lor "A
Home" you know They never before
really had one of their own. They never
longed for grand one. think they had
taken delight in longing for a humble
one But it was TO be steadtast as the eter-
nal hills, with II fire place, and Il garret
chamber where the children could lie snug
: and warm, listening to the raln-music on
the roof ri night. Who ever likes to hear
the rain on any roof but his own, won
dcr2 just fancy how y0a would like to
have all your gray old trumpery carried
through the streets every six months, on
, the same old dray, till people knew by
heart the very chink of the boilerfu ol
tin things, and the very tint Of the old red
bureau that used to be your grandmoth-
er's! 1t had come 10 such pass that
/ Docs cheeks would burn under her sun
. bonnet, as she and Murray and Tim carried
along the little old oil-painting, and the
best lamp, and the little curly corner what
not, Just to show people that they had
something bright and pretty as other peo.
= pies things. And we can believe, when
) they had taken that last final move, and
stopped one day away out there in the
; silence, Doc drew some huge breaths Of
| delight, and doubled her little solid fists
, just to feel the strength in them, and
thought, rapturously how one could run
and run, and run here, and 60 bare head
ed, and feel the wind in ones hair, anC
play dress parade with the boys, anC
build. fires outdoors
5 There were only three sides and part o
l. the floor built to the house when Doc ant
her mother and the little boys got there