The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-09
The Mystery of Burly.

Having spent the nlgnt az tne little
tavern at Tadmor, John, the man of all
work, was to drive me and my friend Tas
ker over to Aylesbury, to take the down
train for Boston. The names of the places
are fictitious, but they have little to do
with the morale of the story. 1t was a
bright, fresh October morning, and the
air was fresh and invigorating, as we
SKINNED over the country road Tasker
was familiar with the way, and pointed
out many objects of interest as we went
along, and John did his best, also, to en-
liven the seven-mile jaunt.
"We've time enough" said John
"s'posin' we go by the old road. There's
lots of prospective scenery and other
things that way better'n this by fourteen
rows of apple trees. P'r'aps we can see
the hermit of the hill"
"Lucky thought, john" replied Task
er. "Go that way, and if we can see the
hermit, l have story to tell about him
that may interest you"
swell, then, the old road, by all means,
john" said. A hermit is rdra avis"
"a which," queried John, turning
round.
"No matter. A rare bird, that's ALL"
"Well, he is queer chicken, any way
though not so queer as he used to be, by
a big deal"
The road indeed led through many
pleasant scenes, and, though could not
compare the old road with the new, l was
we'll satisfied that we had come the right
way. The prospective scenery" as John
had said, was very fine, and the houses
and farms that had concluded to remain
tho old wood of ba haof md
thrifty description. The jolting, however,
over the bubbles and neglected places was
pretty rough. The morning was now
we'll advanced, and, when within about a
mile of Aylesbury, John drew rein as the
road turned through a deep ravine, and,
rising up above us, on the side facing the
south, was small terraced Enclosure that
bore the appearance of being garden.
There were clumps of late flowers visible,
and trellises covered with vines. About
halfway up the activity was small
building, to which charity might attribute
one room, that probably was a dwelling,
between which and the road was small
greenhouse. As the horse stopped, the
sound of a mans voice, singing, met our
ear:
a. Oh, that will be joyful,
When we meet to part no more"
"Not a very austere hermit" said 1.
"Not bit of oyster about him." re.
sponded John, "more'n CLANCY oysters
but he is such an odd stick Living here
all alone by himself in that little pen
without chick nor child to speak a
word to; but he is better man than he
was when he first came here-a fowerist
he calls himself-and there is story -
Ill I1hr & ~
to tell that story pyself, we will let you
off with simply calling the hermit"
John gave peculiarly sharp whistle
when the singing ceased, and at the sum
mon" Mr.. Burly 1.-THE door of the
"pen opened, and square-built, rather
uncouth figure came out and walked dowr
little path leading to the road where W.
waited.
"Mornin', MIR. Burly," said John
"heres some gents that would like to Sc,
you"
We were somewhat discomposed by thu
suddenness of the introduction, and thu
man, gray with years, stood looking at us
with keen gray eyes and impatient man
ner, as if awaiting what we might hav'
to say.
"Pardon our intrusion" said, "but
passing by your place here, and attracted
by its beauty, we desired to see the on,
who had brought it to such perfection"
"Don't lie, young man" said he, CURLY
"you stopped here for no such purpose
Your object was, simply, to see an oddly
grown somewhat famous, and, if the sigh
will do you good, am pleased to gratif,
you"
"But you have flowers to sell 2"
submitted.
az have"
"Then please bring me few"
"Not mere excuse" said the hermit
"that would vitiate the flowers but if yo
really want them for their beauty, the
are yours"
told him that Tasker and l were YER,
much in need of buttonhole bouque
just then, which he soon procured for III
and then, Tasker's knowledge of flower
being better than mine, he questioned tn
old man about his cultivation, until fiv
minutes were spent in discussing point
of Horticulture.
81 see," said /, breaking in upon then
"a small evergreen tree, as should ca
it, near your cabin door. What do 20
name it?"
4hoo ooiu uCt III O uohO VI bouuoEucb
ais the Harry Morr ison, the only name
will ever bear, and it is the only one c
its variety that l know of anywhere
this country. l imported it myself for th
place it occupies.
Looking at his watch, Tasker said
was time to be jogging, and. bidding th
hermit respectable adieu, we moved o
towards Aylesbury.
"Not much of an oddly, john" said
"Well, no." he replied, " not now br
once-oh, gracious /"
"The time that John refers to-" sal
Tasker, "was when the hermit first can
here, some twenty years ago, and pu
chased the little lot on the hill, then
wild as the primeval wilderness. He W,
in perfect keeping with his surrounding
"a terrible fellow--violent, profane, VII
dictive; yet, strange incongruity, he Gu
tivated flowers People knew not when,
he came, nor anything about him, and
they, Of course, imagined the worst. I
had been q pirate, had killed someboG
and fled from justice, was an escape
convict, and many more things of {
equally unpleasant character, and W