Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-22
THE VERMONT sCHOOL.,Us.
The Observations of a Lightning-rot
Agent.


The Observations of Lightning-rod
Agent.
In my travels with my lightning-rod bug
gy, l frequently had occasion to stop, es-
peCially in those densely shaded, CirCuitOus
Vermont mountain roads, and inquire my
way. l rarely found the farm-houses in
habited. That is to say, during week days
have passed by farm house after farm
house and have not noticed a single indiyid-
ual in the yard, at the window, or in the
road near by. There may have been some
one in the rear Of the house, but they always
kept themselves decidedly out Of my sight
and hearing, / do not say this from any de-
sire to reflect upon the singular absence Of q
desire tOpurchase lightning rods, nor do ], lin
this connection, care to 60 out Of my way to
praise the astuteness Of the native "Nar-
mOunter"-I mention it as a fact So 1t hap
pened that frequently drew up my gorge
Ously-painted buggy in front OF the school,
house, or " schOOl-'us," as il is more gener-
ally termed. The school. ma'am would come
out-generally pretty, fresh-faced little
woman Of two -and twenty, or thereabOuts.
She would always fail to understand me at
first, always say " Haowp'-always come,
after a little, and stand, placing one of her
chubby hands upon the wheel-tire, and end
by talking me half to death. well remem-
Der fresh June day in 1877; i had driven
my iaded horse down the river from Bellows
Falls, and desired to impress upon the in
telligent citizens Of little town TO the north
west Of BrattleborO the importance Of my
patent rod. / knew l should have to turn off
the main road somewhere, and exactly where
was what wished to determine.
The day was exquisite. The mountains
freshly and richly green. The grand old
river rushed full and strong with its spring
freshness The air was in itself inspiring. L
had driven at least forty miles already and
had sold but one rod, but l was fresh and
felt as jolly as the little trOut-stream which
danced in the sunlight down the hillside be-
tween the great trees, and under the little
rattling wooden bridge over which drove.
1 came to little red schOol-'us, with its
wOodshed attachment, and pulled up.
The children, only four, were breaking out
OtschOOl. They endeavOred to keep up the
traditional schOol-bOy custom Of rOmping and
shouting as they broke out. They rOmped
and shouted as II there were sixteen OF them
instead of four. One Of the four did not
shout, however; he was a tall, handsome fell
low, Of, l should have said, five and twenty.
He was considerable slicked up" as they
say, having upon his head a fashionable
round hat, carrying iaunty cane and wear
ing pair Of curious nee-breeches. He had
a very good natured, benevolent smile on
his face, and had, l discovered, been dis
tributing coppers to his three companions,
two little sun-burnt girls and a boy. He
blushed little, this old boy, when looked
at him. Perhaps it was because he thought
looked at him knowingly-in fact my face
was on n broad grin. l thought it was eX-
tremely probable that this was one OF the
school, ma'am's many "beaus, as was a court
i'm" her. He looked too genteel for the
schoolmaster himself. As he came near me
I could see he was a handsome, strong,
healthy sun-browned fellow, with faint at
tempt at a mustache. He was, however,
little short and curt with me. He said that
there was little demand for lightning-rods
that way, and directed me in as few words
as possible toward the road L wished to take.
] got out and pretended to tumble about the
harness a little, for l was very desirOus of
seeing the schoOl-ma am when she came out.
My waiting seemed to make the young fell
low irritable. "She is very prettyw 1
laughed TO myself, and indeed such was the
case.
Up in the Green Mountain State they boast
of three things; women, horses, and maple-
sugar. l am no judge at all Of maple-sugar,
fair judge Of horses, but If pride myself
upon any thing it is my ability TO appreciate
and rightly estimate feminine beauty.
The girl who came out from the schoOl-'us,
and stood for moment locking its thick
Oaken door, was one Of those bright, charm
ing persons who, If little out OF place as a
steady going school-ma'am, yet was decid-
edly interesting, as l could see. She was
blushing, too, little, or rather her face pre-
served steady healthful redness. 1t was
evidently love affair, this-out among the
beautiful hills and winding river. AS the
girl turned, l saw at once that should have
TO rank her high, as a very charming, beau
tiful person, with graceful, easy carriage,
q laughing face, with dark hair, dark ewes
and rosebud mouth. Not what, when
tended store In Boston, we used to call n
"reined beauty" but beauty nevertheless
healthful, gay, charming.
She rolled up her eyes, and laughed when
she saw me and the painted lightning-r rod
"0h," she said, at declare what mag
nifcent cOnveyanceW
l attributed these words to her "supe-
riOr" education. wished she had used
others. However, l said, in reply:
"les, 1t is rather magniicent-won't you
get in and try itY' / had not the least idea
she would accept my invitation.
Certainly, she said, laughing, " If you'll
drive my wayO
The young man looked angry enough to
kill me.
"There is a seat behind-for you, said,
desiring 10 mollify him little.
"0h curse your seat behind" he said.
"Then you can walk, 1 guess !" laughed
the girl-but she was little angry, too. She
evidently did not like his swearing.
"Ihanks ~ replied heyoung man. "That
is what intend to do" And he turned on
his heel and walked off.
The schoOl-ma'am looked little discon-
certed. However, she got in, and before
we had gone very far her Joyous, healthful
nature had reasserted itself. Before we had
gone mile she began TO tell me a good deal
about herself. She told me that there was q
aero IS the river. That the young man was
one OF them-the son, that he was a Harvard
student. That he was very nice, that he vas
a very fine Latin scholar, and that he was
giving her lessons. She told me that he advis-
ed her to take up Greek as well and that she
was debating this, and intended to ask the
advice Of the village minister. That she
was very fond Of sehoOl-teaehing, that II did
not take very much Of her time, and that she
had plenty Of time to devote to society.
She had hardly finished telling me what she
was fond OF in her quick, vOluble, pretty way,
when we came to an inviting looking farm
house by the side of the road; whose lawn
sloped down 10 the river. Here the school
ma am requested me TO stop.
81 board here" she said. 'Isn't 1t beau
tiful"
gazed down the valley upon the distant
smoky hills to the southwark. at is beau
tiful," l said; "but," resolved not to lose
my identity, " it's an awful place for thun-
der stormsm
% You're rightw she replied, "why that
reminds me. You spoke Of the way to