Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-19
A STORY FOR THE DAY.
Busl,yhackin' In the Christmas.


rifled the woods and o. sere leaves all
had fallen. Yet, still bright after
thought Of the autumnal sunshine glowed
along the Cumberland spurs, for the tar
dy winter loitered on the way, and the
silver rhine that lay on the black fox
grapes melted at II beam.
THE weather hev been powerful onsca-
sonable AN unreasonable ter my mind,
said old Jonas Scruggs, who sat on
rickety chair in his neighbours door.
faint healthy"
"Waal, faint goin' ter last rejoined
Mrs Scott. "'Twar ics' ter-day seen
my old gray cat run up that thar saplin'
an hang by her claws with her head down
ards. An | hev always knowed ez that
air sure sign of change"
Presently she added, "'The fire air tread
in snow now
She glanced over her shoulder at the
deep chimney-place where n dull wood fire
was suffering htfully with sound that
suggested footballs, crunching on a crust
of snow.
81 dunno ez | need be Il hankerin fur a
change in the weather, considerin' the
rheumatic in my back that l kerried
around with me ez n constancy las win
ter remarked Jonas Scruggs, pre-empt-
ing grievance in any event.
\ tall, stalwart young man, seated on
the doorstep, pointed upward with the
stem of his cob-pipe
"Thar's the wild geese a-sailin' south, "
ne said, in low melancholy drawl.
His mother laid her knitting in her lap
and gazed over her spcctacles into the
concave vault of the sky, 50 vast as seen
from the vantage ground Of the little log
cabin on the mountains brow. Bending
to the dark wooded ranges encirclng the
horizon. it seemed of II crystalline trans
parency and of wonderful gradations of
color. From below the broad blue stretch
overhead issued II delicate green of eXqui-
site purity, and thence suilusion Of the
faintcst saffron. in which flakes of orange
burned like living fire. a jutting spur in
terceptcd the sight of the sinking sun,
and. with its dazzling disk thus screened,
upon the brilliant west might be deserted
with the familiar microscopic angle speed
ing toward the south. 4 vague camor
tlOatcd downward.
"Tnen towels, sure enough - she said.
"Scnc' war gal hev knowed 'em by
thar ilyin' always in that thar peaked
pint;
nm, ',',,,. :, Fy,iI t.,. 90, erIdanlT los,
lilo w.. I,,,, l,nv Tor do IN tho nrnv|
~ iIn,vaI niclt pl va nod in IN ohnut
he'd enough o the army, said tine guest
bluntly.
nan -; ,,,ta,. trn r,,,icn5 liz nne nv
,ritb ~ ift MIMI ls ,,,tnJ,. ,,.a. 10 = On
.d az, I'M ~ iai m.,rsi,nliiny, oInn% the
M nI.,in nf The .n,,s"t liz WIN ,rnl
was gone, and the stump dangied help
.l.nve hnnnd ohoilTit
NV, ,hnt ~ ~ t,,,, ,,.,,.1 ., oxo1,i,,ad
Mr. cn ,'' a., nict Want hev If so
J'In,v. tn, hin, az bn H., Liu MN, thron,,t
iirin' IA. Cnmfad' ANN. NM bn iio,ys ,twa,
yit,in ~ - G,Lt III 49,, ,,,'i IL. go, ,,,
49, 49, ~ . rs "'''' '''' ''' Wv - 0'
Ionos Scru,rs eloncal keoplv Mt he,
fronn nndnr liz hnshv ,,ri,1iej svahroys
hi. iins enInri,,Iv ,,,,Iti.o1Tad and biS SIM
hiy npintnI chin rnttin,, ON His knntu
hnni. ,vhich wore .irs,,9d nnon his SION
stick lie had mo observation-disclosures nondrr
inc asnert If an iimtir,.' when seemed +,
inSitn The chrrrf,I snhmissinm of differ
ancnS
..Sr knows war rur tbe I-nion on, (,
u,r his dnd Shn cnntinnad NV al,
nan Ln1 Ln,, Min ,,,rvLn,v. lii mi,
hWnrtniL, ~ Imstir. mn tEn IFnlonN ,vhv
il les fairly hnrrjrd him inter Lis crave
AZ MOI ,y,r lbs tnrnnd t,ynntv tbsn nm
h. v,,r fnr th. y i-ninn Too Iil,e svnrv,od,
in the nnIintinrs ru nod Tnnd snnse m
when - critter-Gnnnanv - ConfeJs rid ~,
tba r,o,,nti,,,r n,'n %n,s, nicI ho taiLa
,yith Sn'n,. ~ ,am, o ,'''i ~. ,roi odGleJ ave-
oftar An, 20 hn i'i,'o5 Eva nr;tto,, can,no
nv
She fell .uddonlv silent and taking II
bnr n.ndins knittnl , rn\I nr t,,,o bnr nj
MI,oC. Z" ,om VI w. e' q,
ed nn The tnr hnri1on 80
Tha oId man nnIIad his hand with Il.
Ihar.tiv. ,rta,.ity min .Io ,ecIn,mrnce,
when he rnInmseL intn mntiotta.s nIta,
lion
"An, Dicl, font il, . ham -, lot.l.s nm
,,ot shnt :, lima mr. two nti year I,i,l m
The hnrsnitni am k"In ni,t cmr ed on ny
n~in An n,,e ~ he ,,nt intar a mar
With one a. his hrs' frien'9 rhnv var TO-
funuini nfuet an MOI hi him bordsr'
he liked an hn ,,nt md nm hnin;n hnrs,
hnct he Kicked Dirk An Dlrk inmne
an him ~ Suddint rz "A nrintar Tor nm
lin n,it,n bis enddI, nm, iJri,i, lin Iriic
never drn,yud mo shnntiu' mons nnr mil
in, an wnrn't nynnctin,r fer hurt him &,
rious Rmt his hvnr Lick Rrvce he wa
mn ~ linunr an fiIrv hn stnrted his hors
n-gailonin' mn ez 6irk hnn, on tcr h
saddle he drn,vrd his hnwieknife n,
slnshed Dick' arm en- war h"Idini Ter hi,
n,,in M nuiT iii tbov y.nr It'll eonLini ;
hInni nn'nt last Ii9L dr,nnnd An; m
nrn, f.vared ar' IVA e,"r,,an,i III, i, ~
60 M haI his ~ S.o' I'm ~ w. .,
"a hlH IA mn nG, finn i'm A ,
hn ,vnIlted home t,v" h1nI.rd mia i
say nun '''''N'
nurino this recital tha vo,,no, mnuntoi,
oer vnvn no ;ndicntinn ~ H. .tToct ,,nn
hin, Nnt n nnnscIs stirrod ne h, sila,iit
,vntched the Inigrnting hirds fode MO ~
fnrtLast ~ ''''''9 va ''' ''N'> -"'' "
now i1ick Things If mir, crr,ous ~
oinjt sorro"vini ihomtin hi. ar,1 " .hn ~, v.
,im,,aJ t.So,y Pm itiad tar ,,it ,,h
Iaf ~; hin, 10 cnr7t n,,ht So " '',''
n, ,r nm .. an rl ' t',ort, ~ ~"
n"o,.s ILL., IL or "o,SorfI IL"
Enr dasrit "'i IA .1ia,n, .1iiInnss IA
hrn,'taJ i,i ;'iiit,' % ,ta 'f -,
,,oco ,,,n tIo s,n ,'', W. ., ntiIi III
IL" Io,d trhe thn'i ro 81 49, ot,',
r m' al" ~, ne .,iu',io VI a.'ipii "a1 =
had henm tinies whn, ~, Wv ,,o ,,v
u,ara fniI of 10 ,nnra nri, IL,
n,oratu MA p.ioNiS Siom ~
~ thriiIi,, ,'IiS ut"So VIZ tauH
,he ,mniint''l ri,erhorot e,,;tI h 9" ar
- "iin NY ",
aI'S W ,iI IN ioi tie leu,
Vn =" oiit',o tiie wee ,'tuS, lhele Was
~. p ',',I ~ ~ ny n"i'iSit' " Nv
pd'tels pii ',ie heisi,tS aieileu .iie MoG
~ we lSlicS anu tinA Mni,e clo usi WI
he'' u VI 'laItlilS iiIe ucscIlpeu swift aeIl