Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-10-31
P0intG D'Alenc0n.


POinte D'Alenc0n.
Mrs. Rutherford was looking over her
laces. There were many choice pieces of
pointe purchased in Europe Mechlin and
Brussels pointe, Limerick pointe. with 9TH
er Irish laces, HoniOn delicate D'Alencon,
and one precious piece of antique pointe
de Venise, for Mrs. Rutherford was CON
nOsseur in laces, and threw away her
money in Il recklessly eXlravagant way
whenever a fire piece was concerned.
Hope Rutherford, | wish You would
tell me how you happened to take the
lace MANIA said, as lifted from the
handsome Japanese caSkct an old piece
mixture Of lace and embroidery, which l
fancied she had picked up in some out,of
the-way corner Of Switzerland.
[ believe | was ten years old,' she re-
piled, " when | began my study of laces
The strip which you hold in your hand was
my first acquisition. 1t has rather curious
history. Would you like to hear it?"
And then Hope Rutherford told me the
following story which proved to be not OF
quantity costumed peasants in some Swiss
Naais or of some prncely lady of the
court of Francis l., but of her own stormy
childhood and first love.
The daughter of Il pioneer judge, Hope s
early life had been spent on farm in the
West, five miles from the little town Of
Conflict. Their nearest ncighb0rs were
the Anoines. A shrinking little woman
with light hair and washed-out eyes was
Mrs Antoine, but she had II furlive way of
gllnring from them that seemed to tell
that she might have had ideas of her own
before they were crushed out by the Colo
mel, who had never been in the army, and
held his title only us II mark of respect.
OF French descent, and of IL fiery Gallic
temperament, he united to many heredita-
ry vices others for whose distinctive orig
nality he might have taken out patent
Life with him coul not have been pleas
ant under any circumstances. The two
dwellings stood within few rods Of each
other, but u long detour was necessary to
pass between them, for, dividing the wool
ed knoll on which Colonel Antoine had
reared his strange structure from the
broad acres of corn-Iield, scarcely over
topped by Squire Mays stockadc of logs
and mud, ran II deep ravine, the bed of II
fierce little stream called the Wild Cat.
Another gull separated them, for though
their positions rs settlers in new Kansas
offered many points of resemblance in the
trials an harcshipS which both met, so
bravely, yet the heads Of the families
when they met, as they did on their way
to and from Conflict, never recognized
each other. Mrs. Antoine would have
explained this in her mellow accents,
''''raint to be helped s'sposr, scnce you
uns are from the Nawth and we uus from
the Saouth.
The very houses with their surround,
ings spoke the differences between them
Squire Mays farm had been us thickly
wooded us the ColonC's estate, but with
his ownrght arm he had chopped down
the trees, built his home of two rooms and
u loft above them, pried up the stumpS,
ploughed and sown his eorniield. After
three years Of labor rs II farmer he was
beginning to reap results. The deserted
law books stood upon rough shelves
against the log wall Of the " front room;"
Il good library of miscellaneous literature
kept them compmy. Above the books
hung the Squiress carbinc, only used
against the prairie chickens, for he was II
man of peace. A rag carpet of Mrs Nays
Workmanship covered the floor, Every
thing bore marks of thrift and industry.
Colonel Antoine ha preempled his
claim the year previous to the coming OF
the Mays. The Wild Cat joined the Mis-
souri, River near the site which he had
chosen for his residence, and the reason oil
his choice of This particular spot had been
the presence ut its mouth of "a sunllen
steamboat, its upper cabin just emerging
from the muddy water. A band of the
Colonel's companions, sympnIhlzing in the
noble cause which had led him TO leave his
plantation in Missouri, that Of helping to
drive all " free State men from Kansas,
had come over to hpp establish him in his
new home. They brought Il gang Of ne
groes with them, and had Il " raising in
which great deal Of whiskcy was con
sumed, and the cabin of the sunken steam
er was raised and dragged to the top OF
the knoll. Its side faced the road, pre-
sentng the peculiar spectacle of II house
with twenty front doors After this it
needed not II great deal Of work on the
Colonel's part to render it habitable, and
it was not long before he removed toi hi-
family and chattes. The former consisted
of his gentle little wife and four boys. and
the latter of one mule, one COW, and one
" niggah," faithful Aunt Pollyonthus. The
Colonel made no attempt to improve the
place, but proceeded daily to Conflict,
mounted on his mule and armed in the
most ferocious manner, his business being
politics and gambling.
And vet in spite of this chasm between
them, human nature asserted its claim,
and The women folks of these two
homes became earnest friends. Though
Mrs. May disapproved of the shifllessness
of Mrs. Antoines housekeeping, of the
dirty ruflled pillow cases, of the painted
plaster paris parrot on the clock-shelf, ol
the number of the ColoneI's empty whiS-
key bottles and old boots that strewed the
ground opposite the front entrance, and OF
the cnlmness with which Mrs. Antoine re-
oardetl the confusion of her kitchen and
the ragged condition Of her sons clothing
while She worked endless bands OF very
dirty but very fine embroidery, yet she
loved the little woman with all her heart
and had done so ever since the night thai
qhe had locked the drunken Colonel in one
of The state rooms and baltled death VIII