The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-23
THE MOUNTAIN HUT.

BY MRS. REBECCA HARDING DAVIS.
David, with his uncle and sister, had
ridden far into the Balsam mountains
of North Carolina one day, leaving the
bridle-path behind them and pushing
their way through the underbrush of
laurel and rowan, when a storm over
took them
There should be hut on the bank
of this stream" said her uncle, "if my
memory does not fail me-"
81 see it, said David. "But it is
more like piggery than a dwelling
for human beings, like most of the
houses of these mountaineers.
"These mountaineers are kindly,
honest folk, whatever their houses
may be, and ] am never afraid to claim
A welcome, which l cannot always say
Of those who live in the cities" his
uncle retorted.
The welcome in this case was given
cordially. The hut was built of logs,
between which were wide cracks; the
rain beat in and ran down the floor
II like plenty OF air. said their
hostess, piling up logs on the hearth.
Her bed was mattrass of husks-it
filed one corner, rough pine table
another; heap of sacks full of roots
lay piled near the door. The cooking
utensils were coffee pot and two iron
trying pans. The woman stirred some
corn meal with water, filled one of the
pans, put on the lid, and covered it
with hot ashes; the other held siz-
zling mass of fat pork.
Eyes, we're very comfortable" she
said, proudly, observing Polly's curious
glance. Got everything snug and
genteel. I'd be powerful sorry to live
like some folks"
David followed his uncle out to the
covered shed, where he sat looking at
the pelting storm. 81 never supposed
any human being lived in such soli-
tude," he exclaimed. "Why she has
not left the mountain for twenty years
she never has seen town larger than
the village of Waynesville-she did
not know there was any larger"
Still it is impossible for any living
beings to shut themselves off from
their kind. If you look q little farth,
Or, you will be surprised to find how
widely connected this poor lame Great.
ure is with the rest of the world.
"This coffee, which is making such
a comfortable smell just now, came tc
her from the far off Brazils; black.
bearded mulattos picked it for her on
the shores of the Amazon; other slaves
in the West Indies grew her the pep.
per which she is sitting on the meat
English mill-hands in Manchester
wove her Sunday calico gown; mild
eyed Chinaman gave her tea; ever
this hen clucking at my feet camt
from eggs from Poland.
"There is scarcely State in the Un.
ion which has not its part in this poor
little hut. Here is an axe; Pennsylva
mia gave the iron, Connecticut the
handle. Here is sugar from Louisiana
rice from Georgia, shoes from Massa
chusetts."
1.-THE world is very liberal to the ole
woman" said David laughing. "Sh'
ought to give something in exchange
perhaps she does. We will lool
into that presently. 1 told you tha
we were all closely bound together
In well-furnished city house there il
scarcely country in the world which
is not represented, if you choose t,
search it out. You ask what the ole
woman sends back. Come, let us ash
her. What is in the bag, for example 2
"Roots-Angelica." promptly re
sponded their hostess. pays eigh
cents in the pound, delivered in tn
village yonder. The doctors use i
in the North to cure nervous people
That next bag-But set up, set up
dinners ready. Fall to, young folks
there's plenty of it. such as it is" hos
pitably urging great chunks of hot jon
nycake on them and delicious yelloy
butter. David and Polly "fell TO
with a good will.
"The other bag, you were about t
sayp" suggested their uncle.
"Oh yes; ginseng. l gather heap
of that ERE. My son takes it to tn
store, and it is shipped to New Yorl
and from there to China. Them poo
heather will pay its weight in gold fo
some kinds of ginseng. don't kno'
what they do with it though"
Going to China?" David sale
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