Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-07-31
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN,
Misfellang.
White ChrYsanthemums.


spring comes early, and the summer love
to linger, and the autumn dreams AM
dalles, 10th to leave the lovely scene, it
not an infrequent occurrence that the ,a
of the great national feast comes Will
yet the golden glory of the Indian summe
lights all the wide expanse of fertile val
ley, teeming hillside, and woodland riff
with manifold forms of animal life.
Sparsely settled lis are wide tracts of thi
most lovely region. there are yet neighboI
hoods where are homes whose comlorl
and luXures are but slightly inferior t.
those of older and more densely populate,
states. The ground, tickled with The hoe
laughs with II harvest. The wooded val
leys abound in game. Nowhere may tn,
comforts and delicacies of the table b.
more easily or abundantly secured than il
this section of the
" State whose bosom treasures for the world ex
haustless store es."
In one Of the most beautiful spots of the
fairest county Of the southwest, IN HON,
that, for substantial elegance and evidence
of thrift, plenty and refinement, wour
well compare with many an eastern farm
residence, lived Coonel-all men are tilleu
in that locality Lars Everard. OF his
large and handsome family. the colonel
in his jocOse speech, was wont 10 say thai
the SOUS were promising and their daugh
tiers paying. Certainly they were both
very popular, and Tor miles around the
talent and gallanlry of the young Everards.
and the beauty and grace of their sisters,
were alike recognized and commended.
As in all the southwest the social element
preponderates, and neighbors widely
separated by distances meet often about
each others iiresdes as in one family, il
WAS not strange if, with 50 many attrac-
lions, The Lyc'ard home became social
centre that gathered To itself the choicest
company.
TnunK>giving day in the southwest is
not the great, glad day Of the north and
east. Many families pay no heed to the
proclamation of either governor or presi,
dent, and look upon the observance Of
the day rather as Yankee notion.
VI such, however, were not the Ever
ards. Mrs. Everard was of New England
birth. Her SONS had been graduated from
Old Yale, her daughters from Mount Hol-
yoke; and strict us the strictest Puritan
was she in the celebration of the feast OF
1t is VI on this day, at the homestead of
Everard farms, known throughout that re-
glon us The Oaks, that our story opens.
lhe spacious rooms were filling with
guests Friends from far and near were
gathering TO share in the hospitality that
was famed fJr miles around. Aunt Zerl-
ly, Mrs. Everard cook, WAS unequaled in
her department, and the Everard servants
we're the best trained of any in the country
10 dine and sup at The Oaks meant to en-
oy good living and good serving, which
s something that they only who have liv-
I'd well and have been well served, Can
lightly appreciate, and such most surely
1an.
If since her graduation, two years pre-
7ious to the opening of our story, Lima
Gvernrd had worn an air of penslveness,
deepening al times to melancholy, it had
loL detracled from her beauty, nor tended
o dlu. inish her charms. Eloise anu
Maud were brilliant creatures, who dazzled
while they attracted. Lima, by Il sweet
and ten er womanliness and general dig
llty OF speech and manner, won the hearts
oi young and old, lofty and lowly.
tor the past year IL chastened air,
sometimes pathetic In S silent eloquence,
had distinguished The youl ger sister from
her livtlier seniors But ii she had il Sc
1ret sorrow or desire she guarded it well.
and even Il tender m, ther-love had not
discovered its HUNG place.
"4ou seem SO absent and diStraI my
lear, said Mis-. Everard to her when. for
| few moments after the guests had retr
I'd from the DINING room, the mother and
laughter fingered to give some drec ions
o tile Servants. "One might fancy your
leart were not here"
" Do mammal she replied. :" | was
of t"o years ago at Aunt Annie's
n Northbrdge. 1t was such II happy
ime. The party was SO genial; and after
he feast uncle hitched up the old gray
lurse and the queer little wagon, and
unite sent baskets of good dinner to so
many poor people. You know the mills
we're stopped, aud there were many opera
ives out Of employment, and the need
vas very great. One or two of us young
Olks rode with uncle, and assisted in the
distribution and it WAS such Il pleasure To
&c The delight Of the children when
uutie's nice baskets We're handed out. I'll
5 always auntes cust IN TO send dinner
o the poor on J thanksgiving day. ] think
is beautiful, too"
Yes" said Mrs. Everard. 1t was
.lways the custom in my early home.
hngs are different here. Our hangers
n take their gratuites rs matters of course,
ut most of Them would resent any offer
# bounty. They prefer to borrow with
10 idea of ever paying. l should quite
njoy packing II basket us in the good old
INES, if could think who there is in
his region that would be likely to receive
I in good part.
Why. mother" said the youngest son,
Who CHANGED TO re-enter the room IN time
o hear part OF the conversation, there
ire those campers over yonder in the edge
If our timber. They are ON that unfre-
luented wood road, and they've been
here Tor more than II week. i thought |
last night AS saw their camp-fire that it |
would be no more lhan civil Tor some one
!" rldt over and sre if they were in any
ronble. Iisn't usual for movers to tarry
% long IN one spot, particularly so late in
he SEASON as this. A lot of us-six or
even OF the boys and young ladirs-are J
,oinS out for II drive; perhaps Bert OF
NaIly would ride around that way and
cave a basket. I've promised 10 escort
Altty May on horseback or Id do it my
eli. lIere comes father; see what he
links" and the young man passed on.
he colonel, being consulted, agreed with
is son that it would only be civil to in
ulre n,o the condition of their tempora- ,
y neighbors, and at once proposed TO order
he blrouche; but Lima inlerposed.
Not the barouche, papa; the young
Iks are pairing off for II ride. Let Dick
nd Win take that. They'll want the
,merson girls, you know, and they four
ike to be together"
Well. WELL" acquiesced the good ma
lred colonel, "my buggy then,
oh, if you phase, papa. let Bert have
ne buggy. III 90 with you over 10 the
ampers, and I'd just as soon ride in the
prng wagon
What a sly little puss!' exclaimed the
tther. How sue plans and contrves
II these lovers and engaged couples.
Why hasn't she got some good knight of
er own, wonder! Heigho wiley, the
oys and girls have the coaches and pairs,
nj SO the old daddy must be content with
heir leaviDgs, it seems. Well, run and
rap uD nv pretty one: your turn will |