Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-06-23
A Tale Of the Revolution.

1hc Souuu VI lne SLtSe norm HOWeu IN
sweet mournful currents in and out of the
holows, and the echoes among the hills
caught them and tossed them back and
forth through the forest, and they ran in
long, silvery eddies up the turnpike, over
The meadows and across the orchards, till
they reached the ears and gladdened the
hearts of the quiet little village of Wood
stock whose farm houses sat in the valley
at the foot of a long range OF hills, like a
company of pilgrims gathered to worship
before the shrine of Il vast temple. 1t
was Just at sunset, and somehow those
long, mournful minor tones seemed the
fitting close of the days service-thc au-
tumn day which had arisen on the noun
tains in garments of sunshine, and
marched through the hours in beauty
and rejoicing, a living "Gory to God!"
the Creator of its good and perfect gift
But it was day fraught with dread and
foreboding to thousands of homes and
hearts in the land, for the voice of war
was abroad in the earth, and mothers had
strained their brave sons for the last time
to their bosoms, and seen them go forth to
the battle and husbands and fathers had
laid aside the plow and scythe and shoul-
dered their muskets, and taken their lives
in their hands for the sake of freedom,
and in the name of the God of battles.
So deep shadows lay on the quiet coun-
try thresholds of almost every home in
New England that autumn day, and
almost every hearthstone was an altar,
where anxious, loving hearts sent up a
cry to God for their beloved.
Mrs. Palmer, wife of Deacon John
Palmer, of Woodstock, stood in the wide,
old-fashioned kitchen of the dingy, yellow
farm house, which she brought her hus-
band on their marriage morning. She
was an ample, motherly. pleasant faced
looking women, whose whole physiogno.
my corresponded with the room. Strings
of red peppers and rows of dried apples
we're festooned along the ceiling, while a
swinging board, fastened to the beam
which divided the hall overhead, was
burdened with herbs and berries, hams
dried beans, seeds, and II motley variety Of
domestic wares. Mrs. Palmer's life had
slipped over its fitieth summer, and her
black hair was thickly sifted with gray
and there were lines about her forehead
and the smiles in her faded eyes had
something sorrowful about it,for Mrs. Pal
mer had walked with grief many times
and of ten fair boys and girls who had
been gathered to her maternal heart, only
two remained to her old age. 1t was Il
small family under the roof of the old
gray homestead on earth, but larger one
in that golden upper homestead whose
blessed threshold is never darkened by the
shadow of death.
Mrs. Palmer paused as her ear caugh
the faint, sweet echoes of the stage horn
and she deposited half dozen freshly
boiled doughnuts in the pan on the table
murmuring to herself: ''Now. for all tn,
world, if that isn't the mail coming in
Who knows but what there may be som,
news from Reuben?" All! if you hat
heard how her voice fingered over tn,
name, you would have known she was hi
mother. II wonder if that boy'll take
any sort of care of himself" continued
the fond mother, dexterously convolvinc
severel strips of dough, and placing then
in the large iron kettle which hung owe
the fire, filled with boiling fat which ndig
nantly snapped and sputtered at thei
intrusion. IF there was fray, he'd b,
sure to be foremost, for he's al'ays pokins
MS nedu lntO dll hOTJS uanger, ant
never seemed 10 feel quite SO content a
when there was chance o. setting hi
neck off his shoulders! never coulC
exactly see where be got his harum, scarun
turn, for his father was always n sober
!, minded man; but it was amazn' how he't
, be sartain to come out straight. ! neve
had an easy hour for the first ten years o
his life, for fear he'd be brought hom
with broken limbs; but after he'd gon,
! through with what would a killed dozei
ordinary children, kind O. gave up.
concluded be bpre charmed life. Bles
his heart! my brave, handsome boy, neve
gave his mother cross word in tn
world and saw the tears a-shinin' unde
his lashes that morning when he kisse,
me goodbye, sfore he started for tn
army. though he talked SO bold and cheer
about his coming back a cap'n or
} colonel. Poor fellow! ] hope he won
get the rheumatis campin' out nights
and they say they have to put u