Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-09-08
Slnnth' q Column.
GREEN COVERS AND BROWN

"neh was very small boy, was
rummaging one day in closet in nv
mothers house. and came upon little
book with bright green covers. l thought
that must be treasure indeed for there
were not many books in the house, of
any kind, and there were none at all
that would be specially attractive to
child. This seemed to be just about the
right size for little boy, and its cover
was certainly very pretty.
Speaking of covers, | learned better
than to judge of book from its outside. |
by severe lesson which came few |
years later. A lady visiting at our
house asked me what school l attended,
who was the teacher, and what were nv
studies. In answer to the last question
| mentioned, among other things, philos-
ophy. "What philosophy do you study ?"
said she. Now it happened that the
particular book which | used had been
covered with brown paper to keep it
neat, and this, of course, concealed the
title, for which I had never troubled
myself to look. So gave the lady the
only description in my power, by answer
ing, Drown covered. The family were
greatly amused at my simplicity, and
have not yet heard the last of my new
science, of Brown COVERED Philosophy.
Well. to go back to the little green
book. If l had been attracted by the
outside, what was my delight on opening
to the title-page. 1t seemed to me that
no subject could be SO romantic for
book as 1.-THE Deserted Village" and no
name so beautiful for an author as Oliver
Goldsmith.
l sat down on the floor, and turned
over the leaves, but was disappointed.
1t was poetryl l had an idea that poe
try was always very difficult to under
stand, and l took it for granted that it
would be great folly for little boy to
attempt it. So l did not even try to
read single line, but promised myself
that when l grew up, and was learned
enough to understand poetry, would
read that little green book.
| did not know then. what [ have
learned since, that some of the finest
poetry we have is among the simplest
things in the language, most easily COM
pretended and longest remembered. This
very poem is case in point.
/ had grown up, and had read it
great many times in other editions, when
one day, as / was sitting in my Office,
the little green-covered copy came to my
mind. | wrote home to have the old
house searched for it, but it could not
be found. Then | wrote to sister who
had moved to far Western State, and
to my great joy she found it among the
things she had carried to her new home,
and sent it to me.
When it arrived, my first glance in
side of it was at the bottom of the title
page, and 10 the little book had been
printed and published in that very office,
five years before was born, and by the
gentleman who had occupied before me
the chair in which l was sitting.
The little green covers are sadly faded,
and the leaves are yellow with time !,
but it is the most highly priced of any
volume on my shelf of poetry. Time
cannot dim the beauty of the poem, and
the memory of its author will be forever
green. He was born about three years
before Washington, and has been dead
almost century; but the number Of his
readers has never diminished. He was
very much laughed at and ridiculed fol-
his personal oddities, and his life wa,
unhappy and unsatisfactory but he die
great deal to make other people happy
He would give away his money, his din
, ner, or his clothes, whenever he saw
anybody in distress, and he wrote SOM
of the most enjoyable books that eve
were printed. One reason why l lik
3 him is because he didn't write long, tie
s diOus things, that you have to sit u
/; ever so many nights to read through
:, and forget the beginning before 20
s reach the end. t
v If you open your geography at th
# map of Ireland, and put the point c
= your pencil exactly in the center of tina
= island, it will not be far from the seen
|, of 1.-The Deserted Village" which hop
e you will all read without waiting I
s. grow up first. The poem calls the vi
n lage auburn" but its true name ws
&c "Lissoy;" and it was the place whel
N the poet lived in childhood. -Rossit,
1t johnson in st. Nicholas. 4s
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n WHAT Boys SHOULD BE.-Be true