Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-06-27
John and Becky.


Aunt Becky was mined She hadn't felt 50
really put out since the day John voted the Wing
ticket, when all the days Of her life at home she
had been brought upa straight out-aud-out JEFF
fersonian democrat rs had all her progeptors for
generations. But long since had the old couple
learned to eschew politics M they would evil and
by the aid Of their spectacles each read the full
limitations Of their political idols in the columns 4
the Polidijgm Of LibertD and the Registerof Free
dom without inaictng their own peculiar senti-
ments upon the other.
On the whole, for going on forty years, things
had moved on quite harmoniously in their house
hold-to he sure trifling discussions would arise
from time to time Becky thought that the cart
had hest he painted blue econoinizing the color
remaining after painting the sink room floor while
John insisted that red-and vermon red at
that"-was the only hue for carts. The setting
of a hen event Of extraordinary proportions
and provocative of an infinite amount Of discus
sion John did not believe in early chickens. Aunt
Becky fairly dotted on them. John could not I'M
derstand how it was that every two or three years
Becky wanted new bonnet, while his stovepipe
hat had lasted him for Sunday -go-to-meeting
training and town meeting days and end Of
funerals, for twenty years. Minor topics as they
were, they served to relieve the monotony Of cir
quiet farm life
What was it that put out Becky which we have
been too long coneealing from the reader
John had sold old Dobbin, the gray mare, the
very animal which had been born the farm
twenty years ago, and had dragged the plough,
early aud late, all the years. from its frisky colt
hood ~ its sedate old age. She cried from vexa-
| ton as she thought of all the years that Dobbn
4 a 4. Al. !. Al n
and how patiently she had waited in the horse
sheds, behind the Westinghouse, while Parson
| Brown advanced his doctrina tenets as far
siXteenthlv. without other exhibition Of dsappro-
val than kicking of board and whnnying for
her master "a very indecorOus proceeding was that,
too, to transpire in a Westinghouse horse-shed
Becky always insisted that John barely escaped
being horse jockey and John knew that Becky's
weakness was that of Mrs Toodles-the auction
| room
| John hardly dare face the music after dispensing
Of the old white mare and he felt half ashamed
after he had made the bargain, but he never had
backed down and he never would So he strolled
down to the blacksmith shop, and talked about the
finances and the temperance movement, and the
coming town meeting, and criticised the action of
the board of selectmen and the county commits
|
But, despite this, and the fact that the price of
Dobbin would come in handy" the ensuing Sab
bath to meet the pew rent and renew the sub
scriptions to the Tenont Chronicle, he wished the
old mare back again in her stall or turned out to
pasture and the greenbacks returned to the pock-
cts of the horse jockey.
While John was discussing affairs of state,
Becky was revefting to the day when John,
irl a oil sI.I, q e
July procession and looked for all the world
mounted ON Dobbn-she was a prancing and
capering young creature then--like General Tay-
lor at the battle of Buena Vista, as pictured in u
print in the spare ROOM which she had pur-
chased at auction at bargain
Suddenly, John and Becky were both aroused
by strains of music In his position at the black
smith s-shop he was enabled to see from whence
it came and the cause thereof but to her ears tile
sweet sounds were more distant and she looked
down the long lane which led from the farm
house to the village, and could with the aid of
her glasses, distinguish three magnificent golden
cars which, even at that distance, struck her with
alnazement at their grand appearance. Therein she
saw three bands in gay grey uniforms, and such
music she had never heard-not even when their
society had united with the South church Sunday
come up from the city.
She threw shawl over her head and, with all
I the enthusiasm of schoolgirl, ran down the lane
to obtain better view Of the pageant. and drink
d in the rs,vshing notes of Kauffmans three bands
and to admire the beautiful Arabian horses, 50
n skifuly driven and delight herself with looking
: upon the great elephants, the homey ci,inels and
: long line of cages, and the mules she knew every
| ,I,a ha ~ ,I,. IJoJ
o iadium Of Liberty every week.
After watching the procession until it was out
of sight down by the saw-mill, she turned home
+ with hurried step for fear that during her alb
g seuce the cat might have poked its intrusive nose
into the in the battery; but that villainous
feline had no taste for cream, for not Thomas
/ fast asleep in the hay-mow, gorged with three o
y Biddys plump chicks, captured and devoured
y during the absence of the cautious housewife.
= John came home to dinner, but he ate his mea
s. with silence and never found fault with the
bread or grumbled at the shiftlessness of Con
gress After dinner, he lumbled about the clock
" shelf for the last issue of the Register Of Freedom
p for the purpose Of perusins the advertisements
= OBriens Six Shows, which had caused such
70 commotion by its entrance into town that morn
lie ing 1t WAS not until he had read it line for lint
|, ing himself through the columns OF the mucl
n hated Paitadim Of Liberty, to the no little salts
= faction of Becky who had been watching hin
is through the crack of the sink-room door.
John drew out his well-worn cal'skin wallet
and transferred therefrom to his yest-pocket
II haf-doar and looking about as if to see if hi
id movements had been noted by Becky, slid out o
70 the door, much as would school-boy after repri
ID mand from his teacher
D. Beckys "spunk was up now; she had rea,
i'd OBrien's Illustrated Pilot and the advertisement
g in the Palladium Of Liberty, and she was goin
" to the circus if she did have to make AN inroa
I'd on her egg money, Hastily dressing herself il
lie her China sk-another auction bargain-sh
he found herself seated in good time under the vas
y pavilion. She not long in discovering John
y who WAS industriously shucking peanuts at tn
III candy-stand, and persistently getting in the wa
y OF the polite ushers.
IL ANY one who has o. Briens Show cal
T. comprehend the excitement which filled the mind
of John and Becky the sports of the aren;
of TRANSFERRED in all their marvelousness The gran,
Rs entree seemed like the encampment in the deser
is of some tabled knights of yore, and the riding o
r. Mile. DE Comsey by far the best lady rider eve
Or seen and her only rival Mile. Adelaide, seemed
|
G. charming ladies achieve the most perilous q
feats At first Becky was bound to keep he
H. eyes closed while the magnificent Spanish belle
nj Lizzie Marcellus preserved her position way N
~ in the air the slight bar of the trapeze but tn
H. dark-eyed girl herself devoid of fear, inspired 81
Il much confidence, that Becky dropped her reticul
IL between the seats in enthusiastic applause tn
Queen Of the Air " made her descent in safety
st Her reticue was recovered by an usher, who ha
nd his hair nicely combed and pomatnmed that
ne fly would have slipped of on 1t" AS the oil
of lady afterwards said. John in spite OF the hors
is trade, laughed immodeately at the Jokes of Jerr
he Hopper, the clown, and the debates of Congress
Sc were lost to mind in the applause which greete'
ed the happily rendered songs Jones chidre
" almost split their sides at the absurdites Of VII
IT, Stow, and the purchaser OF Dobb halloed so lou
he when Davenport flew around the ring on hi
er naked horse and rode for mad on six horses, tina
he he was cautioned for his breach oi deeorum b.
he the usher with the Amounted aud perfumed ca
m pilaries.
es Go it, by iingol" exclaimed John, almost up
he setting the candy -stand and swallowing mouth