The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-06-24


Just as expected, the job was just
to Rash's mind. He got up them al
coves in first-rate style, and threw in a
lot of fancy carving. There was an
alcove for the English classics" as
the squire called 'em, and Rash built it
out of the best oak, and carved
wreath of oak leaves and acorns over
the arched cornice. The one for Greek
and Latin he ornamented with laurel
leaves, and the big ones, for the histo-
ries, had a center-piece of armor and
banners and shields and what not. But
the one for American authors, he carved
the finest thing you ever saw. Over
the top was mass of water lilies, mag
nolias, golden rods, and dropping down
the sides were vines of the =" trailing
arbutus," he called it, but for all the
world our own Mayfower. Why, the
library was just picture before any
thing went into it, It's years ago, and
folks haven't done wondering at it yet.
I'd not have done it for $4,000.
When it was all done, and the chips
all swept out, the squire invited party
to see his mprovements-not large
party, but some choice friends from Bos-
ton and New York and some acquaint-
ance's he'd made in travelling, and an
Englishman, who had written books
himself, who was stopping with him.
And the best of all was, he invited
Rash and his mother, too. He did now,
really.
Rash went to Boston and bought her
a new black silk, good one, and a
dress cap (widder's cap, they called iD,
and new suit of clothes for himself.
(He'd had good wages for overwork a
good while.)
1t was wonderfully bright moonlight
night and, as | sat at my door smoking,
| saw them pass. Mrs. Hennings had
on her new black silk, opened from the
neck to the waist in front, and some
fine old yellow lace in the neck, fes-
TONED with her little black pin, and
her earrings on, and her widder's cap
and her net shawl, and new laylock kid
gloves on her hands. Shapely hands,
too, if she did work; and in one of 'em
fine old japanese fan, which her
grandfather had brought home in some
of his voyages.
lad-almost young man, and really
out of his time now, with rosy cheeks
and black curly hair, and just a shade
on his upper lip. And his clothes fitted
as well as if they were wet and chung
to him. | tell you, as he stepped along
with his mother, Rash looked "good
enough to eat" So Eliza said.
The squire invited them to the house
and took 'em all into the wonderful
library, to have coffee, or ice or some
thing. Whatever it was, it was mere
excuse to get them there. Then he
began to show his alcoves and explain
them; and when they'd seen all the
taste and judgment he'd shown in
picking out his leaves and flowers and
vines to match the kind of books, and
everybody had admired 1.-THE English
author, in particular, was specially
struck-the squire brought in Rash, and
introduced him as " the artist" and in
troduced him and his mother to every
body. And he got one order from a
New York man on the spot; and the
Englishman said to him that cone
who could house books so royalty, must
do it for love of them as well as love of
his work" And he said something
Rash didn't tell (but his mother did),
most forgot, about its being a wonder
full country, where even its artisans had
the manners of gentlemen. AT least it
was either artist or artisan, l don't
know which
As Rash handed his mother a cup of
tea, he said, in low voice, " Now,
mother, isn't it better to be first-rate
carpenter than such poor professor as
| should have made?''
/" don't think you would have failed
at anything" she answered.
But the squire heard her and laughed.
81 don't know about that" says he
"many good mechanic is spoiled to
make poor professional man. It's far
better to be sure the work is your own
work and it's the best of its kind, than
to be notional about the kind of work.
And by the by, Horatio, here's bit of
spending money for you, and I'll come
round tomorrow and get receipt in
full"
So ended this royal evening. Next
day the squire called round and pro-
posed that Rash should 90 to New
York and study with an artist friend OF
his, who was also an architect, for a
year. Didn't he jump at the chance ?
AS for the envelope, it had a check fol-
a thousand dollars the work was done
dog cheap at that-I'd not have done il
for twice that, if l could have done il
at ally.
So now Rash's fortune was made
He made lots of money with his de.
signs and carvings. And now he's mar.
ried-to the squirrels daughter, and lives
in Fifth avenue? Not bit of it. He
came back and married little Bessie
Playne, my pet, and has pretty place
at Yonkers, and the wilder lives there
| too.
l guess they get on pretty we'll Both
the women think that Rash is perfec-
ton, which is the main thing. Some.
times l go up there for day, but the
wilder, she has so much to say about
the governor and the senator, and blood
and gentility, that Pm mostly glad tc
get home and stretch my legs by the
kitchen fireplace, and smoke my clay
pipe, She has great deal to say about
the genius in blood; though | don't
doubt genius helped Rash, and l guess
it was as much grit as genius. How.
ever, / don't know much about it.-Se
lected.
A New YORK Sunday school teacher
told her pupils that when they put
their pennies into the contribution box
Oh Tod 10 IL