Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-03-27
My Grandfather's Story.

panels OF the doors, sitting it through the
crevices of the messy roof and heaping it
up into broad ridges all along the pathway
and over the garden beds. But indoors all
was bright and of summers warmth, the
generous hickory fire blazing high and ruddy
on the ample hearthstone, casting a genial
light and glow into the farthest corner of
the large room, and scinctillating on the
dark ceiling like polar flashes on mid
night sky.
1t was pleasant, cheerful picture, that
od-fashioned parlor, and have but to close
my eyes to see it just as it looked to me
then, with its rich, pearl-tinted paper hang
ings, its low, oaken ceiling with its heavy
and highly polished beams. its crimson win
dow curtains closely drawn, its quaint ma
hogany furniture, its soft, flower-patterned
Turkey carpet its massive silver candle
sticks, with their tall, snowy, waxen candles
its blazing fireplace, with its flashing fen
der and sparkling andirons, and my dear old
grandfather in his carved armchair, wrinkles
upon his brow, crow-feet about his eyes,
furrows upon his cheeks, frost upon his
head but smiles upon his lips and a CHEEKY
look in his gray eyes.
lie had known many sorrows, the dear
old man, but he was now very near to heaven.
is no more weeping, and so he seldom spoke
of the saddened past, but often of the bright
to come.
was the only grandchild left him. The
rest slept here and there, in nearly all parts
of the wide earth, for he had had many sons
and daughters, and they had gone out from
him and found homes in other lands homes
aud graves, for not one remained to cheer
his declining age. The "auld wife had
gone too. Hand in hand they had climbed
the hill of life, and hand in hand trotted
nearly to its foot, when she grew pale and
weak and left him to go down alone
was his only comfort now, he said; his
only stay, and dearly did the old man cher
ish me, his only eve lamb.
You can remember one, can you not,
grandfather ?"
"What shall it be about--say, darling"
40, something horrible tonight; some
thing about your early days. about the
times when all this country was a wilder
ness; something that is true, grandfather"
-" Let me think, Carrie" and he covered
his eyes with his thin brown hand, and was
for some moments lost in thought. didn't
hurry him, for | knew that he was looking
into the far-off past, and what he saw clearly
there he would tell me. He spoke at last :
| was about eight when my parents
moved here. Not AN axe had ever rung then
in this country, and where this house stands
Ghe trees grew so thickly together that the
sunlight could scarcely find its way to the
grass upon the ground. There were about
dozen families in all, who emigrated here
at the same time and scattered themselves
over the township. There were miles be-
tween each cabin save ours and my Uncle
James. We lived close together and his
two little boys and myself We're, of course,
fond playmates.
1t was three years after we came before
we had school. Our fathers were too busy
telling trees, grubbing stumps, building
fences, poughing and sowing, TO take time
to think of an education for their children,
Button the fourth summer there came ayoung
lady into the place, the sister of one of the
emgrant's wives, who had been a teacher in
her old home, and who offered to open a
school here for low wages. So the men
dubbed together one time in May, and got
out logs and threw up school-house. 1t
was rough affair, with its puncheon floor,
its little square holes for windows and its
| hard slab-seats. But we children learned to
love it very dearly, for our pretty Anne Lee
was fond of us all, aud knew how to make
lilS SlA uOuIs lulI VI iiedSuIc dS well tS IIOHl
1t was three miles from our cabin, but
thought nothing of the distance in those
days aud never once missed going through
all that summer time Indeed, rather en-.
loved that walk through the dense forest
there were lovely wild flowers all about our
path, gay singing-brds forever floating oven
us, little, nimble squirrels chattering from
every tree-top, while now and then a spotted
deer would leap Just before us, and turn
around and look at us with his bright eyes
so strangely human. Sometimes, too, We
met Indians with bows and arrows, and
curiously wrought blankets and leggins
and dusky squaws, with little pappoose,
strapped to their backs, but they neve
frightened u.s. for they were all friendly anC
accustomed to visit our cabins and exchange
their moccasins and baskets for corn anC
meat.
My two little cousins always accompanied
me, and many merry play spell did W.
have in those old woods.
1t was the last day of school and we haC
fingered later than usual beside the teacher
knee, listening to her farewell words. Sh'
had given us little primer with coloreC
prints, and our hearts were very buoyant
though our eyes We're wet, for such gift
were then rare things for us children,
We had hurried home, for we were quit
tired ont.
Let us sit down on this old log and res
u.s." said | TO my cousins. My feet ach
and they are very hot, too. | mean to hol,
them in the brook awhile" and seating my
self on the messy oaken tree which storm
had laid low, dipped my feet in the coo
waters of the running stream, and as i
gurgled over my dusty toes opened my neN
book and looked at the pictures. Tomm
and Harry leaned over my shoulders, AM
many minutes passed quickly by, so inten
: were we on the colored fruit aud flowers
suddenly there was a slight noise in tn
underbrush on the other side of the brook
> We looked up hastily, thinking it might b
deer, but, to my surprise and joy, it wa
my good dog, Keeper, beautiful littl
spaniel with soft, silky ears of dark brown
tipped with white, and speckled coat whic
, it was my delight 10 keep smooth and glossy
Leaping the water, he jumped upon u
playfully, and we soon forgot the new boo
in caressing him. But in the midst of ou
wild merriment he started from us, and run
ming little to one side, began TO bar
, fercely. We turned our heads carelessl,
thinking to see some frightened rabbit bu
, instead we saw the mad eyes of a panthe
glaring fercely upon us.
How we sprang from the log, splashe
into the brook, and clambered up the oppo'
ite bank, you may guess. We were nc
| long doing it, but, quick as we We're, tn
J beast was after us, for we were choice moi
| sells and he had rated on our boyhood for
: dainty feast.
: AS we ran, Keeper kept up his noise-a
angry, defiant bark, as though his will wa
, pood IL his flesh was weak Right over hiI