Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-08-17

! if Zachsriah was such quick tempered
coward as all that, they did not want any
thing more to do with him.
That Zlchariah was very awkward and
green no one can deny; and by his wear.
ing old clothes, and going barefooted, not
only his schoolmates but all his neighbors
thought he was fool; and, after they had
got it into their heads that he was fool,
they were determined to have it so. II
Zachariah did anything that looked as
though he was not quite fool, they
would make long arguments to prove that
fool could have done the same. Every
word that Zachariah spoke, and all his
actions were carefully noted down, thor
oughly sifted and profound examination
m lde. They would say: /" lie doesn t
know enough to know when he is used
mean. You may insult him, you may
abuse him in every possible way; you
may fairly kick, and the next time you
meet him he will be just as pleasant and
good natured to you. and will shake hands
just as heartily rs though you were his
best friend; but he is fool-he does not
know enough to take an INSULT
But zachariah did not reason in that
kind of way. Zachariah knew that he
bad never given any man an insult; that
he had never given any human being the
least particle OF any slight in all his days,
and he could easily see the great difference
between his own true greatness and little,
hateful meanness, and, of course, an hour
afterwards cared nothing for the flea bites
of littleness; and the more they kicked
Zachariah the better he thought of him
self, for he saw by that that generous,
wnole-souled man was scarce article on
this earth, and was more valuable on that
account.
They gave Zachariah the name of Bare
foot, and he was called Barefoot by all
from the smallest child to the grayest
head. Those that were most anxious and
determined to preserve intact the heaven
born epithet, Barefoot is fool, when they
met Zachariah would call him Barefoot in
the most contemptuous tones of voice i'm
aginable, and, when they saw him in a
crowd, thew would bawl out to him, "Hal-
loo, Barefo IT." in the most sarcastic, dis
respectful and belittling manner possible.
All these things made Zachariah deter.
mined to put on boots. Now who ever
heard of any one that bad always been bare
footed, all of a sudden put on boots and
go right out amongst folks just as though
he was not any afraid of themp and es-
pecially a great awkward coward like
Zachariahp
Let coward show just little particle
of courage, or simpleton originality in
a manner that has never been shown be-
fore, and it is like painting your black
animal white-they will all go for him
They all went for Zachariah. Old men
put on their spectacles and solemnly dis.
cussed Zachariahs strange peculiarities
and old women spun "long yarns !" about
him.
Zachariah did have one very strange
popularity about him; but it was one that
was never discussed veiy much. 1t con.
sisted in minding his own business per.
fectly, and treating every one just as wei
as he knew how. 1t was at that time tha
the parson preached sermon in regard tc
Zachariah; and in it he said: Pau
patiently endured thorn in the flesh
Now if Zachariah cannot patiently endure
thorns in the flesh, it will dokhim good tc
compel him to endure them mpatiently;'
and after that very many of the follower!
of the meek and lowly Jesus thrust thorns
into the flesh of Zachariah, and, no doubt
they felt that it was great pleasure tc
serve the Lord in that easy way. Nor,
than once did Zachariah mourn, and fairly
ache all over, to think that those good ole
days were past and gone when all sucl
difficulties were settled either with tn,
sword or the fist; for Zacharah knew tha
if those good old days were at hand tina
not one of all that brave, heroic Grove
would dared TO have thrust a thorn ever
into his weak flesh.
But Zachariah was Just the kind to en-
dure thorns in the flesh; for he was jus
such great awkward, ignorant and COW
ardly gawky that you might have put hin
on the grindstone and grind him all up
and any time when you were grinding
ask him if it hurt any, and he would gooC
naturedly have said, 40 no that's al
right Up to this time Zachariah ha,
never thurst thorn in human flesh. Bu
now, that the good old days were past an
gone, what could he do only to thurs
thorns back againP But when the crow
saw it they said, "See this weakling, thi
quick tempered coward stand his ground
Look at the noisy imbecile; heretofore h
has always been glad to pacify us wit
kindness, he now almost looks as thoug
he was not afraid of any, or of ofeverybody.
They might have known that before
they had have been a little more obsery
ing, for Zachariah was always just sue
an obstinate kind of coward that he ha
not the least particle of any fear of all tn
inhabitants of the earth put them all tt
gether. After they had found out th,
little fact, and when they saw that Zach,
riah thurst thorDs into them, and whe
they noticed by Zachariah's looks and az
tions that he fairly ached for the slumbe
ing part to awake, they made halt, an
in horror they rolled their eyes as big ,
= peeled onions, over the tops of their head
and they drew in long breath. and whe
they breathed it out they said, "Well. if !
is such violent, headstrong, obstrepero,
' coward as all that, we don't want an
thing more to do with him." and then
was that the man of God preached anoth
sermon in regard to Zachariah, and th
: time he said, at was shame and a di