Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-06

IL was training day. you know" and no great
odum attached to a man who only got drunk on
military davs, and among some there was a r.
va,rv IN acc who could do the oueerest things on
muster niebts On the morning after the muster
c,,vens were not surnriaed To and their possessions
In anv Of the following abnormal conditions: a
wagon vheel on the ton Of n chimney wooden
p,ou in the crotch Of n willow tree; a hand-cart
DANGLING from n vell-sweep: n heavy. two-tined
iron pitcbfor, driven into one gate post, and sur
moun,ed nv n dasb.churn. and ON the other a
fre-poker and an oveu-broom; /; a pod-auger bored
iu,o n horse-block. and ornamented with hog
yokes. n bear.trap on the typ Of goose-house;
a ahovel with comic chalk pictures on 1t;
coy.bell hanging on a stack-poe; a bake-kettle
attached To n cows neck and long-handled
frv,no.nan hound across her horns; a hornets
nest tied to cothesp pole horse tied to the rear
Of his stable. with a winnowing-fan filled with |
swinvlnp tow before him; saddle and bride on
a aay- y-brealx. n tow-hetchel adjusted on the sad
de and a hat on the swinging board pins in the |
seat Of n basket-bottomed chair by the grind |
stone. bits of shoemakers' wax on the milking |
stools. snake hanging from the latch. string; ora /
buttipg sheep, with tin lantern attached to his |
tail, tied to the door-latch.
One afternoon gentleman aghted, and hitched |
his horse to my fathers gatepost. The steed was
q large chestnut-colored animal, with black poirts
and white stripe in his face He had long and
graceful neck, and q short, square dock, which,
from having been nicked he was incapable OF
lowering below right angle; for this was before
there were societies for the prevention Of cruelty
to animals Had there been, 1t would have been
too barbarous custom to have been tolerated,
and more humane generation will regard the
present cruel custom Of deprvng horses Of their
God-given protection from cold in winter as no
less savage practice. His Roman face was set of
by an ornamental head-stall and sver-plated curb
bits with tasty double reins His rider was at
tired in accordance with the fashion OF the times
and the Importance OF his mission; his curled
faxen locks were surmounted by tall, narrow
trimmed hat 1auntiy tipped little to one side;
DIS lace bore no suggestion OF beard or nous
tache, Tor fashion forbadeany hirsute adornment;
spotted purple and white kercbef was tied in
large double-bow under his chin, his shirt front
was adorned with delicately crinped rufiie his
vest was light straw color ribbed with dark
orange, and was fastened with four gilded net
work balls about the size OF bullets, which de-
pended from the button-holes by chain an inch
| IN length; In the right pocket the top oil nat,
ornamented snuff-box was visible, which was
carried for fashion rather than for use; broad
| steel chain, terminated by steel key and a large
| globular SEAL was attached to a silver watch
which made a protuberance in his waistband
corner OF a highly-perfumed yellow bandanna
protruded from his coat pocket; his coat and pants
were Of nice homemade "hunnen brown" his
lustrous boots, worn outside of his pantaoons
had two scallops on the tops and in the depres-
sions beneath them hung two graceful silk tassels
His business with father WAS to read warrant
man in his company to appear on a specified day at
Barre where his regiment was to be mustered,
armed and equipped according to law, there to
await further orders" After delivering his or
ders he politely bowed, and rode away to warn
the remainder of his company, and then to meet
an appointment with his sweetheart" who was
sitting in the "square room" awaiting the ed-
vent Of her "spark." Father cherished an un-
conquerable aversion to all military parades, and
never answered the roll-cal in person when he
could obtain a substitute There was one man in
our neighborhood not subject to military duty.
with whom he often exchanged work on training
days, working himself and oxen, furnishing him
with horse and equipments, and spending money,
which consisted of change enough to buy few
sheets of gingerbread, or muster cake" as it
| was sometimes called. How delicious it was
large, thick tender, light, oblong sheets, yellow
| within and light brown without, a little sticky
| on the top with condensed sweetness, and marked
crosswise with indentatons suggestive of generous
slices. have tried to buy, and have tried to
make gingerbread like that, but in every in
stance have signally failed, and have come to the
sad conclusion that the secret of its production is
one Of the lost arts. On one occasion that sub
stitute knew that father had a counterfeit dollar
bill in his possession, and asked him for it, Father
took his pen and wrote counterfeit on the face Of
It, in large, bold hand, and gave 1t to him lie
took it, saying 81 shall get some fun out of this "
| and he did for wbap tho crowd xyas nost dams.
| -. "
ABOUT the gingerbread wagon me- peihg very Tall
reached over the shoulders OF the others with the
| bill in his hand and said "Here give me a sheet
~, a., h,r.,, 80 IN -. a.. -,
" !" uiS no"' anu WIN '"Ao 'ho en"nse
| when come back. lie said he might Just as
| well have got a dozen sheets but all he wanted
was % ,aaoh ,h. ,o,,o., ., Lao,, IA. 80.
" 'e"'n ''' i'"o" :" Aeop MS eyes oPei
when ne traded
Being unable to procure substitute, father
| .. t,,., A.. ..,,. ...- :. 49,, ~.
p' "ppe"' ~ '"o ""'''
muster to which he had been warned. All neces
sary preparations having been made very early IL
| tho mor,i,, ,,i,h soma oats Gov h.s h horoa ,,a ,
" 'A.
inncheon Tor himself IN one SIDE oil his saddle
| bags and his cartridge-box powder-horn and
canteep in the other with bis knansack nm hi
ri, =. ,,a.... -. -. - -
oach' he houhteo hohest oiu ioii' aho' ayint
his gun across the saddle, disappeared in tn,
woods beyond onr clearing Grandfatber wh,
.s ina, ahla bohh,a ,av, s,ans an hi, crn,oha.
was jus. "o'o W noo''o 10" e'ep' on MS ofu'ehes
Aunt Emma, a plucky girl of fourteen, were lef
N attend IN home concerns Father did not ax
os. ~ Al, .r -. ~ %
pect 10 re'ufh until inc next uay' as those from
distance usually remained on the field over night
The day seemed long for father was not ofte,
ou.v ,,on, homa crand,o,har .., ,,o,r,,.,,,,,.
away 'o" "o,no, "'"nu'"'"or sa' 'nouRn'iui''
looking out OF the east window lot long time
then he said II would sit IN my little chair an'
keep stiil, ne would tell me what musters wer
ior lhen ne told me ABOUT the keyolutionar,
war now the men had 10 leave their homes, an'
nght and DIE 10 save our country, and how har'
the women haa 70 WORK, ana now young ladie
went out 70 moving and reaping, and how the.
fattened their best cattle and sent them for tn
soldiers TO eat, and lived themselves on bean por
ridge and anything that would support life. The
ne told what a glad day II was when the war wa
ended, but ne SAID II lett everybody poor, and tn
whole country was so poor that lts paper none
was nearly worthless said he gave a hundred do
lars OF u Tor hand-saw, and more than that 10
pair OF leather oreeches' lie ended with sigh