Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-05-29
For the Y
A Query.

Glancing through column of agricul-
ture | found this-Question How are we
to kill out brakes in old pasture lands ?"
AnsUer-"We have found no sure exter-
mination except plowing and planting, but
in hill pastures, where this is not practicable,
moving once in June and once in August
is the best plan we have ever seen tried"
Just here my reading was interrupted by
the sound of the door-bell. laid aside the
JOURNAL, and hastened to receive callers.
I met three ladies at the door, and ushered
them into the parlor. We were scarcely
seated before Mrs. A began TO exclaim at
the beauty of my wardan case "Oh what
lovely ferns What is that bright little
vine2 Mrs. B, just see these cunning red
berries Where did you find such choice
collection ?" "These are choice" | said,
for they were sent from very dear friends
far away" "Oh Oh I do so admire
ferns. Oh Mrs. G, just look here" point
ing through the low window; edo you see
this rockery? 1t is one feathery mass of
ferns, and surely, surely, real wild blue vio-
lets p Let's not stop to repeat the hum of
admiration, questions, and what not. / sat
by the window looking away at the sunny
bluffs, where the pink flush still clung to the
young oak leaves, and shaded in with the
soft, misty green of the walnuts; watched
the shadows of the white clouds chase over
the deep green meadows, and the cattle graz
ing on the island pastures. watched dream
lily, thinking OF the brakes on the hill pas
lures" What did they not bring back to me2
All the happy days of childhood, when l
had brushed them aside to gather the red
strawberries. Well knew that among the
brakes grew the berries, on long, white stems
and who could go strawberrying without
carrying mother great handful of the
finest to be found2 How | have sat in the
green, fragrant beds of sweet fern and
strung raspberries on stalks of Timothy
How many times | have lined my white
apron round and round about with the
sweet leaves for an impromptu basket
Memory runs along the silver thread of the
years, and / see quiet girl sitting among
the checkerberries by the brookside, sol
emnly counting "friendship-love-in
ence-hate" and, let me see isn't there a
bit of fern leaf in an old book somewhere
the precious little bit that ended the count
at "love?" Then | see the old home
adorned; and by-and-by | see a new home
decked with those same brakes from the
hillside pastures. "They are lovely: where
can you get them?" questioned Mrs. b. 81
always supposed they must grow in the
shade, but yours are in the sun; how do you
have such successp" | left the cloud
shadows to their meadows, and the tiny
white specks that l knew were skiffs dan
cling OH the waters. 81 will answer by tell
ing story" said. "This is the way stories
used to begin, / believe: 'Once upon {
time, a great many years ago, in far distant
country a gentleman asked his little girl Il
| IL - 10 tba bau ~ and ba xyou1f
show her quantities Of fine black caps; anC
while she gathered berries the men cut a loaC
of brakes. Then the little girl was tossed OIL
to the load. There, Midget, you can hold thu
load on so we won't need a binder said thu
papa What splendid ride it was, ant
how wonderfully fragrant the brakes wer'
in the hot afternoon sun. what will yol
do with them?' she asked. 'Why, make {
nest for the piggies, he answered. and h
did so. Perhaps you will think that | an
taking you from the sublime to the ridicu
lous but TO me this wardian case is not NOR
pleasant than the memory OF that day ant
ride But what | wished to say was, thos
brakes were all street ferns, and if once started
will grow almost anywhere, though with u
they are treasured as rare, while with then
they were regarded as troublesome weeds
So query which-a nuisance, or thing o
beamyr"
Couldn't I tack on moral right here
Perhaps so but I've come to know that tina
part Of the story will come soon enough il
Ve--no need to put it on paper. So watc
the sunshine and shadows, and the smilin
blue waters, and wonder if it is all peac
and rest TO those who have gone down
sleep beneath, and if it matters to them
this sunshine and the lull of waves if tn
gate that shuts them in is as dark and hig
as that which shuts us OUT and when wi
that "gate" swing open that we, too, ma
pass through and when the green curtain
spread above us, will the happy days com
, back and the Joy and trust that were oul
! when we played on the " hillside pastures