The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-03
THE LIVING BARRIER.


Uncle Jim, as he was called by every
one who travelled the northern trail,
sitting in front Of his house in the
afternoon in his great cane-bottomed
chair, with Aunt Polly alongide of him
in hers, the two holding each others
hand in the most unaffected and
simple way.
Uncle Jim kept the station al Indian
Well, and his house--as the rail was a
great ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS generally full
in the evenings with freighters, pack
ers, bull punchers," and those travel
ing for business or pleasure.
Outside the house his dominion was
complete, but inside Aunt Polly was
absolute, for as he said: polly me
greed to split up tn bossin', an 1
never interferes; neither does she. 1t
sonduces to peace, don't it, ole
wOman?"
1t needed but a glance to see that
nothing of this kind was necessary to
keep peace between these two, for if
ever there was a couple who lived for
each other it was that one.
Every afternoon Uncle Jim would
take his seat outside and light his
pipe, soon to be joined by Aunt Polly,
and there the two would sit, hand in
hand, looking out at the beautiful
scenery of Bald Peak canon. If n
n was there Uncle Jim would tel
stories, while Aunt Polly listened,
lighting a match for him if his pipe
went out, and when called upon giving
her testimony to his statements in her
soft voice and gentle way. l used to
think the sight a beautiful one, and |
was icy tired of watching them.
A story which Uncle Jim was never
tired of telling was that of his court
ship. When he was young he had
lived on the border, and had there
wooed and won his pretty bride, for
Aunt Polly must have been very beau
tiful when she was young, Judging
from her face when l saw her. Often
as he told it, Aunt Polly never failed
to slightly blush and demonstrate at
n point, and as invariably Uncle Jim
would chuckle and then gravely ask
her pardon. But the story itself will
be more interesting than my talking
about how it was told.
Long back in tn forties 1 were ez
s%trapping a young Teller ez you Guild
find on tn border, tho l do say it my
self, ez orter wait fur others to say
SIGH a thing. In them days the border
line were tn western edge of Iowav.
an my OF father, Elder Richard John.
son. had moved out a little beyond tn
most OF the settlers. In fac Their wer'
on'y n family further than ourn, and
that were the Beekmans. My Polly's
father wer' a curious kinder chap, an
he b1ieved eft he wer' nearer than
thirty mile to any one he wer' bein'
desperit crowded. N them days l
used t. farm a leetle an hunt consid-
er'ble, fur tn hull country wer' full O.
game. We didn't make no count at
all of wild turkey nor prairie chicks.
an deer wer' the smallest things we
thought with givin' any one. n the
course O. my hunts 1 came cross the
Beekman's cabin, an had a talk with
tn OF man.
"N course he 'vited me in, an thar
l met my Polly fur tn fust time. She's
kinder old, boys, now, but you orter
ha' seen her then. She wer' tn pref
test gal n that ar section of country.
an t my eyes tn prettiest 1 ever see.
i. me she ez pretty ez ever, amt you,
Of woman 7" .
And Uncle Jim gave Aunt Polly's
hand q most perceptible squeeze.
"Arter that ar fust visit | used to
go thar purity reg'ler. L allus lowed
fur to take some game with me ez a
present t Polly's mother, an t. kinder
keep tn OF man quiet. fur he was
monstrous fond of talkin' bout TIL
~degeneracy of tn boys an | used e.
think if he looked down on us that ar
way he'd kinder think / weren't fit t.
hev Polly ; an fur a fac / weren't,
nor no other man ever wer'."
"Now, JIM" said Aunt Polly, warn
ingly.
IAN right, my dear Tn fac air.
boys, Polly never w'u'd gree t. that
statement. I've allus thought she
kinder hankered after Pete Bartons'
the sto'keeper, and sorter GREETED she
didn't take him."