Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-02-21

LOVE ME, LOVE NY noe.
a s,oEy in Six Chapter..
CHAPTER I.

In Farmer Applegartlls lower meadow
bull was being baited and from all the moor
and fcll-side huts and villages around miners
lad come trooping in, with dogs at their
heels, to enjoy the sport. Nay, boys and
women were not wanting, for those were
rough times, and unless the poor beast had
been duly tortured his flesh would not have
been esteemed sufficiently tender for a gen
tleman's table. Beef was wanting for ban
quet ut Derw,ntsde Hall, and hence there
was a call for the bull-bait Women then
worked in the depthsof the coal pits, not mere
ly on the banks, aud were naturally Amazons
of coarse and brutalizcd type, mmeling free
y with the men in their rough games, Just Ms
they shared their aborS
strong stake being driven securely into
the ground, a hna' young bull, with sleek
brown hide and fiery eyes, was fastened to it,
with length of chain Just sufficient to leave
him free to throw himself about in impoteut
attempts to break away. Then, one by one.
thick-set, black-muzzled, strong fanged bull
dogs were let loose upon him-dogs trained
20 the sport, and expected to grip the bull
firmly 10y the nostrl and pin him to the
earth.
But the proud animal, already chafed by
the chain and the vociferous spectators, was
not likely TO brook this onslaught and they
who venturod their dogs were prepared to see
them caught on the ready horns of the bull,
and tOsst high IN mir over his head, gored
mnim d, and bleeding, to lie down and die,
or return to the charge more furious from de-
frat while the chained beast champed and
beloved, and bending down its strong and
massive head brought it's defensive horns
low enough to catch his foes one after anoth-
er on their formidable points, and fling them
to their defeated fellows; or wild with pain,
strove in vain to shake his tOrmentors from
frOthy lip, or blee ding flank aud dew-lap, till
he sank exhausted, the dogs were choked OF,
aud the butcher with his pole-axe put an end
TO the brutal sport.
Common Ms were such scenes, it is not to
be supposed that the whole of the community
cnnutenanced or upheld them. They were
sanctioned by custom and long usages but
humanity and intelligence shrank from such
spectacles and tender hearted women shud-
drrrd Mt the very thought.
Such. though reared on the moor-side, with
none of the educational advantages Of the
present day, was Hope Walsingham, dairy
maid on the Applegsrth farm, which was sit
uated near the confines of the Derwentsde
woods, sheltered and almost shadowed by the
oak crowned rocks, below which rose and fell
with many curves the mile-long by-way to
the river and the hall. Between the woods
and the farm, round which it swept, ran the
broader lane common to the scattered popu-
lntion, and was cut up into deep ruts by the
wheels of coal wagons and farmers carts.
Not far away was side gate into the woods,
and any one crossing thence to the moors
must pass the farm-yNrd gate.
At this moor side farm Hope Walsiugham
had been placed by her grandmother when
she was little over nine years of age. Her
father and mother had both been killed by
choke damp IN the bottom of coal pit where
they worked together, and Betty Wolsing-
ham-rurse and doctress to the whole moor
side thought she had done well for her or
phan grandchld when Gilbert Appegarth
and his wife agreed to take the little one and
fluid her work on the farm. She pattcd
Hopes fair head as she left her standing by
the oak in the big kitchen, and bade
her be "gude BARN" but she had no oppres-
sive forebOdiugs of how the little back would
ache with STOPPING to pick stones and weeds
all day long, week in and week out or how
lonely and monOtonous it would be to stand
in a field all the sunlit hours to frgLten birds
from the farmers crops with capper, voice,
and wild gesticulations, till arms and throat
alike were weary. Indeed, had any philan-
thropist, born out Of due time so much as
limited that growing child's strength should
not be oyertuxed, Betty, wise in her own gen
eration, would, no doubt, have asked in in
dignant response; "Wey what div ye think
lads and lasses wor myed fur, but TO wark
Wark's guide for tn BARN, and wark she mum,
iy she myens to live"
And really, judging from appearances,
work did not seem to have done the girl much
harm She had had good and sensible mis-