St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-30
Her Thanksgiving.
THE sTAGE-DRIvER's STORY.

THE STAGE-DRINER'S STORY.
eyes, I've driven stage for forty
odd year amongst these mountains, and
did sort of hate to give it up and set
tie down to keepin' summer boarders.
But rheumatic is any mans master
when it gets hold of him and as for
holdin' six hosses in with lame
shoulder, it can't be DONE"
'Im some better now, and do drive
folks up an down Washin'tOn once in
while, but regular stagin' of it I've
give up. Railroads too has set in most
everywhere, so't there isn't any great
call for coaches mOre'n up and down to
the Glen"
"You must have had a good many
adventures" | suggested.
adventures Land What could
happen to feller drivin' along the
road and mindin' of his business
steady 2"
Evidently had been too direct in my
question. | must try another bait.
'!You didn't drive all winter, ] sup
pose ?"
"NO, you better believe didn't! |
took mail contrack one year, and
after snow come carried the bag on a
pung, or hossback, as the case might
be. Once in while | footed it, when
there was II thick crust. | had snow
shoes, and | didn't weigh in them days
as much as | do now.
'"Twan't but once week ther' was
any mail, and folks was skerce up here
winter times. Now and then ther' was
house in the intervales, and the folks
were no great letter-writers at that.
Newspapers was took, for they give us
all the news we had. There was the
Plymouth Journal and such like come
to one man and another, and was lent
around considerable to them that
couldn't pay for 'em."
GLOW early in the year did snow be
gin to stop the travel here ?" asked.
"Well, we generally calc'lated to
stop stagin' about Thanksgivin' time.
There was most always some to come
home for that, and to go back Sat-
day. So we called the Sat'day after
Thamksgivin' our last trip, and most
years we got through without II real
heavy. drifting snow. Once ! got
ketched, though"
He settled himself down into his arm
chair, crossed one leg above the other,
laid down his pipe and took hold of his
foot with one hand, while the other
firmly gasped the arm of his chair.
knew what that meant. He always
took that attitude to tell Il story in.
Then his ragged face grew thoughtful,
and his dull gray eye lit up and seemed
to see the past.
'"Twas thirty year ago come next
November; bless you! twas forty
Seems us though the years run by us
quick as IL fast trotter. Well, to begin
at the beginnin', ten miles below here,
a piece up the Saco Valley, there was
IL feller by the name Of Mills had Il nice
little farm set i'll amongst the noun
tins, Jest like birds nest into a tree
ale hadn't more'n fifteen acres
countin' the hill pastur', but ten ont
was medder-land, so he made what ht
and his folks eat, and they used to spII
some and knit some, and buy some %
the old pedler t come along twice !
year and they was well off for thu
country and them days.
"Mis' Mills was a smart woman anC
IL good woman, with lots of natnr
about her But he was ruther hard
hard favored, hard workin', and some
said hard-hcarted but dono as h'
iCaS, and | dOnO as he was. He wasn'
a man to tell everything to everybody
nor he wasn't one of the smilin' sort
but he want the worst that ever was
nor yet the best.
"There is folks enough like him
guess most everywhere, but most al
WAYS they have one soft spot i'll 'em
and his'n was his girl Nancy. She wa
about as slick -lookin' a girl as eve
you see; straight as spruce ant
lively as a bobolink, red cheeks AM
red lips, big brown eyes, as soft am
shy-li as IA squirrels, and hair amos
down to her heels, shinin' jest like
still brook and about the color of tn
yellow brown water, when the SUI
shines on tot.
"She was the pick of the country,
tell We, and her folks set their life D.
her. Their was boy most ten year
Younger; the children that had com
between had died, three in one wee
and two in the next, of canker sOr
throat. Nancy was up to Upper Bart
lett to her aunt's, so she didn't ketch il
They reckoned twas fetched to tn
house by some travellin' folks that ha
dreadful sick baby, and persuade
Mis- Mills to take 'em in one nigh
: when a thunderstorm overlook thel
. in amongst the hills.
} "Ther' wasn't great many yOun
+ fellers in them parts, but what the
was all come buzzin' round Lila
Millses' like bees onto a thistle-heat
t But Nancy didn't take up with any {
= 'em, and that just suited her folk
They wouldn't part with her for til
hull world, they used to say.
''But gals is gals, and if they shak
off the bees, they'll be sweet to bu
terfly as often as not. And they're je,
: like some hOsses that you can't driy
: with a whip no way but You ca
n talk and coax of 'em into bog hole
t eff you know how.
@ "There come along up to Bartle
+ the summer that Nancy was twent,
e one a dreadful spry young city felle
Y to paint pictures and sech real higl
= flyer he was, smart as a whip, climb
/ everywhere, and drawin' out things
/. the life trees and brooks and rock
1 Why, you'd think you heered the wat
= bubblin' and dancin', and tumblin' ov
e the stones, and the wind squealin'
y the piney woods, when you see Eel
It they was so everlastin' natural.
: Nancy she come up to her Au
/ Marcey's, and she fell in with this fe
X Ter mighty quick. Fact is, he see h
|, to meetin', and was took at once. !
& wonder, for she was prettier N IA pos
{. and sight to behold any day, pa
1T ticular when she got on her Sundi
y bunnet with pink ribbin on to it, al
d a pink gown and white cape, as tas
ID as an apple-blow.
l. "He was smart, too, and more tn
Dr common gOod-lookin'; eyes as keen
l. hawk, and shiny black hair curl
in onto his haaH StV Il w