Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-10-08
CURSED.

Col. Imlah Holland was a wealthy
New York grain dealer, who had come
up into New England, and bought for
n quiet summer retreat for himself and
family large and picturesque hill farm,
whereOn were trout brook, n pickerel
pond, partridge coverts, and a substan-
tial, rOomy house, quite comfortable, al
though somewhat old, and large enough
to accommodate the parties he annually
brought up with him from the city for
the hunting and the fishing.
Mr.. Holland was a pleasant, social
man, who always had CHEEKY word for
his new rural neighbors, and asked so
many questions about farming-stock and
crops that he became very popular.
One mild April morning, as his neigh
Dor, Farmer Stoddard, was driving past
Holland Farm" as the rich grain mer-
chants country residence was called, lie
was surprised to see the owner come
bowling and smiling toward the gate
81 ran up from New York last night to
see if it was beginning to thaw out here, :"
he said, "and to carry out little pro-
ject which have had in my head all
winter. / have thought that, in place
like this, some sort of business that
would make local market for the pro-
ducts of the neighboring farms, would
be blessing to the owners. 1t has oc.
CURED to me that l would put up two or
three cider mills and a distillery or two
over on Stony Brook. That would use
up all the superfluous grain hereabouts,
as we'll as all the apples which / hear are
frequently left in great quantities on the
ground to decay here in these immense
orchards"
There were cider mills and distill-
cry in town when | was 4 lad" said
Farmer Stoddard, glavely.
'1s that so?n queried Col. Holland,
still chirk and pleasant in his manner.
'Did they do a good businessP"
81 will show you what they did if you
will step into my buggy and ride with
me two or three miles out to my
brothers."
"All right" replied Col. Holland, 81
am glad to go with you. thought !
would speak to few of the leading far
mers about it, and you are the first one
l have met since my return. l don't
know that have ever met your brother
whom you are taking me to see."
"Quite likely not" replied Mr.. Stod-
dard. "He owns a farm in retired To-
cality in the north part of the town. He
was chosen overseer of the poor at our
last town meeting, and all of our pau
pers are now quartered there. Here We
are," said the intelligent, thrifty farmer,
as he drew up his sleek bay filly in front
of Il long, low red house, on the south
side of which dozen wretched samples
of humanity were out summing them
selves. They all looked clean and well
kept, but were very decrepit, and looked
out from sore, red eyes set in very sodden
and blotched faces; two, one man and
one woman, were insane. The woman,
who was known as "Aunt Huldah, was
greatly taken with the handsome, finely
dressed portly city man, and ran after
him as he with Mr.. Stoddard walked
through the door yard toward the largo
barns, calling on her companions to "seC
what beautiful lover" had come fol
her.
Poor demented creatmem said Col
Holland pityingly as he passed through
gateway and escaped from hel
vehement protestations of affection.
at is q sorrowful sight indeed" sale
Mr.. Stoddard. "She lived near the
distillery l was speaking to you about
In those, her younger days, she used tC
board and help those employed about it
BY degrees she came to like the cidel
brandy made there, and of which nearly
everybody drank rs freely as of water
Finally the doctors said her brain hat
become paralyzed. She is harmless, an(
so is kept here rather than at the asylum
where for a year or two she was home
sick and very unhappy. She has no nea
relatives and, of course no property.
"This is Capt. Ball, one of our forme
leading business men," continued MI
Stoddard, pausing before thin, bent
pallid- faced old man, who was sawin
wood in weakly way before the wood
shed. "When I was boy the captai
carried on driving business"
YES, yes" spoke up the poor creature
in Wheeling voice, endeavoring t
straighten himself up. Il owned til
distillery, and did do a thriving business
to be sure, but somehow | lost none,
My wife used to say that | was the be-
wholesale customer / had. Perhaps
was, for | never went dry in those da.
although Eve had to since came her