The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-12-20


I write Of it had all the requisites of
thriving town, including population
which dripped with SET satisfaction.
This very comfortable commodity was
SO dense and universal tint it fairly COW
cred the place like fog.
Hillsford's most remark. ble citizen was
hermit, an unkempt AMI eccentric in
dividual, who lived in aIcabin high up
on the North mountain, aid was known
as sold Weaver" In witer, when the
foliage was less abundat, his small
dwelling could be seen frd n the village,
little speck of crude architecture, the
smoke from which curled snnetinf,s into
the very sky. 1t was pointed out 10 Wis
itors, who were told, without Lss of
time, Of the hermit, his civilization defy
ing habits and unspeakable appeahnce.
But it was difficult to exhibit til man
himself. He came down to the fllage
at infrequent intervals and then TRIED
only long enough to procure some nipple
necessities and departed without hiding
speech with any one. The townseople
had tried to break into the privacyof his
home without avail. They had ben re-
pulsed with looks and gestures which
inspired fear and helped to confirm the
opinion that sold Weaver was craE and
had better be let alone"
And surely no man in his rightmind
could live the life he lived. His har and
whiskers showed no respect for th4 pre-
vailing fashion in hirsute trimming, and
his clothes were slap at all decent gar
ments. He rarely spoke at all, butwhen
he did his words were briefness itself.
In summer they who went near his
cabin sometimes found him sitting out
side reading the Bible, an occupation
from which they could not easily divert
him.
This caused some to decide chat he
was "a religious crank" and hoped to
dissipate the theory that he had COM
mitted some terrible crime. EiIlsford
was full of wonder about the hermit's
past life and antecedents, but as there
was absolutely no way Of finding out it
was obliged to remain in cruel ignorance.
All it knew about him was that several
years before the time l speak of lie had
arrived in the village, purchased piece
Of land on the top of the mountain,
reared cabin and begun life of solitude
perfectly incomprehensible to the people
Of the valley.
At last they mostly settled down to
the belief that "Old Weaver had been
crossed in love-" Everybody kneF that
love, If it did not run smoothly, could
upset people completely. This gave him
exceptional interest in the eyes Of the
young and sentimental, although the
most imaginative among them could not
picture him as having ever been a per-
sonage capable Of inspiring the divine
lunacy.
Never were they fully sensible # his
value as romantic figure until after he
had been written up" for New York
journal. A newspaper correspondent,
on his summer vacation, wandered into
Hillsford, and, Of course, soon heard
about the hermit, since he was all here
was outside of the usual and unintaest-
ing in the place. He at once spun out
column and half of solid nonpaeil,
mostly speculation, tinged with senti-
ment, about the curious recluse.
This had a good result. 1t identified
the old man in the minds of the Milford
ians. 1t lifted him from the rank Of q
crazy old mountaineer to an eccentric
hermit, with extraordinary sentimental
possibilities behind him.
1t was often said that Weaver would
be found starved or frozen to death some
time. So every winter there was talk of
looking after him." by those in author
ity, but it ended in talk, as he was not
exactly the kind of man to dictate to.
In the vernacular of Simpsons grocery.
he was "a hard one to tackle"
In the beginning of the hermit's last
winter on the mountain some hunters.
driven by cold to his cabin, entered and
found him moaning on his rude couch.
They spread the news in Milford, and
1.-THE authorities conferred together and
decided that it was time to act. But
what should they do with him? Nobody
could go up to his lodge on the mountain
to take care of him; his wretched dwell
ing contained no comforts. And nobody
wanted to take him into his home.
There was the county house. where all
paupers were sent, but that was near
the county seat, seven miles away.
They who were most outspoken in the
matter of having him looked after" and
who owned the largest and most COM
Portable houses, ''hemmed and hawed"
when it came to question of taking
him in. Some one. in a moment of hui
name feeling, suggested that the seven
miles journey to the poorhouse might
prove dangerous to the sick man, and
might even throw serious blame ON those
who became responsible for it.
However, after much thought and
more talk had been put upon the subject,