The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-06-13

time"
at will be five tomorrow. Yet
your face is one that | have seen
thoughitwould not be strange, such has
been my alright, should l see thee i'm
thy winding-sheet walking by my bed
side, tonight. What say'st thou,
Bess? Am 1 compos mentis or not?
Fit to charge a grand jury, or, what
is just now of more pressing necessi-
ty, able to do the honors of Christmas
eve in the hall Of Templeton?"
"More able to do eithsr, my dear IA
ther," said playful'Voice from under
the ample enclosures of the hood,
ethan to kill deer with smooth-bore.
A short pause followed; and the same
voice, but in different accent, con-
tinued-"We shall have good reasons
for our Thanksgiving to night, on more
accounts than one."
A slightly scornful smile passed
over the features of the youth, at the
archness of the first part of this speech /;
but it instantly vanished, as he listen
ed to the tremulous tones in which it
was concluded. Tbe Judge, also
seemed to be affected with the con-
sciousness of how narrowly he had es-
capped taking the life of fellow-crea-
ture, and, for some time, there was a
dead silence in the sleigh.
The horses soon reached point,
where they seemed to know by instinct
that their journey was nearly ended,
and, bearing on the bits, as they toss
ed their heads, uneasily, up and down,
they rapidly drew the sleigh over the
level land, which lay on the top of the
mountain, and soon came to the point
where the road descended suddenly,
but circuitously, into the valley.
The Judge was reused from his re-
Elections, when he saw the four col
umns of dense smoke, which Aoated
along the air from his own chimneys.
AS house, village, and valley burst on
his sight, he exclaimed cheerfully to
his daughter
"See, Bess, there is thy resting
place for life ! And thine too, young
man, if thou wilt consent to dwell
with u.s."
The eyes of the youth and maiden
involuntarily met, as the Judge, in the
warmth of his feelings, thus included
them in an association which was to
enfurn, so lono.: ard if - dennpninr
color, that, Notwithstanding her hood,
might be seen gathering over the face
even to the forehead of Elizabeth, was
contradicted in its language by the
proud expression Of her eye, the scorn-
ful but covert smile that again play
ed about the lips Of the stranger,
seemed equally to deny the probabili-
ty Of his consenting to form one of
this family group. The scene was
one, however, which might easily
warm a heart less given to philanth-
ropy than that of Marmaduke Temple.
The side Of the mountain, on which
our travellers were journeying, though
not absolutely perpendicular, was yet
so steep as to render great care neces-
sary in descending the rude and mar
row path, which, in that early day,
wound along the precipices. The ne
gro reined in his impatient steeds, and
time was given to Elizabeth to dwell
on a scene, which was so rapidly al
tering under the hands of man,
that it only resembled, in its outlines,
the picture she had so often studied,
with delight, in her childhood. I'm
mediately at the foot Of the mountain
lay one of those beautiful lakes which
are numerous in this mountainous re-
gion, and on the bank of the lake,
stood the village or Templeton. 1t
consisted of about fifty buildings, in
Guiding those Of every description,
chiefly built Of wood, and which, in
their architecture, bore not only strong
marks Of the absence of taste, but
also, by the slovenly and unfinished
appearance of most of the dwellings,
indicated the hasty manner Of their
construction. TO the eye, they pre-
sented variety of colors. A few
were white in both front and rear, but
more bore that expensive color on
their fronts only, while their economi-
cal but ambitious owners had cover
ed the remaining sides of their edifices
with dingy red. One or two were
slowly assuming the russell Of age
while the uncovered beams that were
to be seen through the broken windows
Of their second stories, showed, that
either the taste, or the vanity of theil
proprietors, had led them to undertake
a task which they were unable to ac-
complish. The whole were grouped
together in a manner that aped the
streets of city, and were evidenly SC
arranged, by the directions of one
who looked far ahead to the wants o
posterity, rather than to the conven
ience of the presnt incumbents. Some
three or four Of the better sort 0
buildings, in addition to the uniformi
ty Of their color, were. fitted witt
green blinds, that were rather strange
, ly contrasted to the chill aspect Of th'
, lake, the mountains, the forests, ant
the white fields of snow. Before tn
doors Of these pretending dwellings
, were placed a few saplings. eitherwith
, out branches, or possessing only tn
: feeble shoots of one or two summer
t growth, that looked not unlike tai
Z grenadiers on post, near the threshol
+ of princes. In truth, the occupant
. Of these favored habitations were tn
nobles of Templeton, as Marmaduk