Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-10-28

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And so as we were sitting TRANQUILITY |
beside the Charles River, watching our |
lines, Sans narrative began:
"Ye see, boys, Parson Williams.-he's
dead now,-but when | was boy he |
was one of the great men round here.
He writ books. He writ a tract agin
the Armenians, and put 'em down, and
he writ big book on the millennium
Q've got that ere book now;) and he
was smart preacher folks said he had
invitations to settle in Boston, and there
amt no doubt he might "a he'd Bos-
ton parish eff he'd "a ben mind ter
take it, but he'd got good settlement
and handsome farm in North Billriky.
and didn't care to move though s'pose
that twas better to be number one in
little place than number two in big
un; any way, ne carried all before him
where he was.
"Parson Williams was tall, straight,
personable man, come of good family
father and grand 'ther before him all
ministers /; he was putty up and down
and commandin' in his ways, and things
had to go putty much as he said. He
was good deal sot by, Parson Will
liams was, and his wife was a Derby,
one O. them rich Salem Derbys. and
brought him a lot O. money, and so they
lived putty easy and comfortable so fur
as this worlds goods goes. Well now,
the parson want RELY what you call
worldly minded, but then he was one o
them folks that knows what's good in
temporals as we'll as sperituals, and al
lers Likely to hev the best that there was
goin'; and he alters had an eye to a
good hoss.
"Now thore was Parson Adams and
Parson Scranton, and most of the other
ministers, they didn't know and didn't
care what hoss they he'd; jest logged
round with these ere poundid' pot bel
lied. sleepy critturs that ministers most
ly hes, good enough to crawl round to
funerals and ministers meetin's and
associations and sich. but Parson Will
liams he alters would hev boss as was
boss; he looked out for blood, and
when these ere Vermont fellers would
come down with drove, the parson he
he'd his eyes open and knew what was
what. Couldn't none of 'em cheat him
on boss flesh and so one time when
Zach Buel was down with drove, the
doctor he bought the best hoss in the
lot. Zach said he never see a parson
afore that he couldn't cheat, but he said
the doctor really knew as much as he
did. and got the very one he'd meant
to "a kept for himself
"This ere boss was peeler, I'll tell
you. They'd call him Tamerlane, from
some heather feller or other; the boys
called him Tam, for short Tam was a
gret character All the fellers for miles
round knew the doctors Tam, and used
to come clear over from the other par
ishes to see him.
"Wall, this ere sot up Cuffs back
high, tell you. Cuff was the DOCTOR
niger man, and he was nat'lly dreful
proud critturl The way he would swell
and strut and brag about the doctor and
his folks and his things The doctor
used to give Cuff his cast of clothes,
and Cuff would prance round in 'em and
seem to think he was doctor of divini-
ty himself, and had the charge of all
natur'.
"Well, Cuff he RELY made an idol O.
that ere hoss, a reg'lar craven image,
and bowed down and worshipped him
he didn't think nothin' was too good for
him; he washed, and brushed, and cur
ried him, and rubbed him down, till he
shone like lady's satin dress; and he
took pride in ridin' and drivin' him,
cause it was what the doctor wouldn't
let nobody else do but himself.
"You see, Tam warn't no lady's hoss
Miss Williams was 'frad as death o1
him, and the parson he he'd to get her 9
sort O. low-sperited crittur that she could
drive herself, but he liked to drive Tam
and he liked to 60 round the country or
his back, and fine figure of man ht
was on him, too. He didn't let nobody
else back him or handle the reins bu
Cuff, and Cuff was dreful set up abou
it, and he swelled and Dragged abou
that ar boss all round the country. No
body couldn't put in word bout an,
other boss without Cuffs feathers woult
be all up-stiff as turkeys tail-ant
that's how Cuff got the doctor into troub
le.
aye see, there nat'ily was others tina
3 thought they ed got horses, and didn'
? want to be crowed over. There was Bill
Atkins, out to the west parish, and TX
, Sanders. that KEEP stable up to Pequo
s Holler; they was down a-lookin' at tn
r parsons hoss, and a.bettin' on their
0 and a-darin' Cuff to race with 'em.
! avail, Cuff he couldn't stan it an
!, when the doctors back was turned he
!. be off on the sly, and they'd have thei
: race and Tam he heat ,em ALL Tan