St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-01-15
The Professors Great Find.
BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.

BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.
As a scientist, Professor MacDougal
stood high. He left Yale ut twenty
one, went through Glessen aftcrward,
and concluded by II course of study III
the School of Mines in Paris. He was
recognized abroad and at home as a
man of profound learning, and ut the
early age of thirty he was made Pro-
fessor of Natural Science ut Barneville
College. lie came of Il race of scientific
notables. His grandfather, a Scotch
man, had been professor at Glasgow.
His father, who came to this country,
and married. and settled here, though
he never taught, was more distinguish
ed, and Professor Roderick babe fair
to surpass his predecessors in scientific
renOwn.
But the close pursuit of knowledge
has it's penalty. The first Commence
ment day found the Professor quite
broken up. Nearly six feet high, and
with muscles to fit, he had been the
of the first class of the Turn Yerein at
Glessen. Now he had grown lean,
weak and listleSs. His colleagues
viewed his state with alarm. One OF
them, also, Il skillful physician, gave
him Il prescription. "Mac,n he said,
"yOu have worked wonders for us dur
ing the course, but at your own eX-
oense. Go 10 the country. Get away
from books entirely. You have three
months of vacation. Use it up by alb
sencc from ink of all kinds, OF you will
be used up"
The Professor thought on it. 81
ought to devote the vacation to my
treatise on the GryllidH," he said
"But perhaps You are right. Up in
Mountain County there is IA gneiSs for
nation, pcrmeated by veins of coarse
granite that must he rich in minerals.
1t has been little explored, and may
make great find there, and get a
specimen or so that | shall he proud to
show to my friends"
SO the Professor bought a coarse
gray suit, packed his valise, added II
leathrrn satchel and belt, with ham
mer, chisel, and blow-pipc. and started
for Mountain County. On the ears he
fell in with an old friend who happen
ed to know all about his place of des-
tination. He was told to get OFF at
Firwood Station, where he would find
a stage coach to take him to Rock Dor
Ough, the county town. The linus
there were execrable, and he was adj
vised to seek boarding in a farm
house.
''Can you recommend one p asked
the Professor.
"They are about the same kind"
was the reply, ''cIean, coarse, and with
no chamber window that will let down
from the top. The natives have ii hor-
ror Of letting foul air ont or fresh air
in. There Is one exception old Squire
Martyrs has nice house, and lives
we'll. His maiden sister is his house
keeper. He has a very pretty daugh
ter: but she is of at boarding school.
The Squire takes boarders only now
and then-he is rich-and only for
company. II he likes You, and his sis
ter should like you, he'll let YOU stay.
He lives three miles east of Rockbo
ough, and any one can pilot YOU"
"Thank you. III try him"
81 must tell you. however, resumed
his informant, that tire Squire is a
character. He is a fairly educated
man, and as You say you are mineral
hunting, he can help you, for he has a
collection, and knows the localities
But he'll acoost you in the vernacular
Of the region, and keep it up until he
gets to know you"
Thus it was that one afternoon early
in July Professor Roderick MacDougal
was carried in a hired wagon from
Rockborough to Martyrs Nest, as the
standing upon rising ground a short
distance from the high road. was half
hidden by wisterias and creepers that
draped the wide veranda, aud climbed
the brick walls to the caves of the /
gambrel roof There was an attempt
at a lawn, with beds of gay colored
flowers. The place looked comfort
able and hOms-like. The man who sat
on the veIanda, with his chair tilted
back, his shirt collar unbuttoned. and
a cob pipe in his mouth, looked at |
home too. Why not He was the
owner. He brought his chair forward
and arose as the Professor came up the
steps.