The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-04-26
A STORY OF HEREDITY.

mother died when she was so young
that her remembrance of her was very
slIght-in fact so slight that, as a marvel
of industry, she was never quoted to us
children, but Grandma Wilcox was
held up to us as a combination of won
derful characteristics and equally won
derful activities.
After an unusually hard day, trying
to get the children to do something,
mother would say, Well, don't know
how ever came by two such lazy chill
dren; you never inherited it from me,
nor your father either, and we used to
add-mentally. OF course-nor from
Grandma Wilcox either.
If you had walked to the big wheel
and spun your ten run of yarn, day in
and day out, as l did when was your
age, you wouldn't be grunting around
with PAIN in your head or pain IN
your toe; you wouldn't have found time,
If your Grandma Wilcox had only lived
in this day and generation maybe she
could have made some use of you. From
the bottom Of my heart l wish you were
boys.
think by these predatory remarks you
have got pretty good inkling of some
of our family failings as well as virtues.
You will certainly have discovered that
grandma had what might have been
termed in her day force of character, but
in these days of flippant story telling
some people would call it sand Call it
what you like, it is an excellent legacy
to leave ones descendants.
In the year l77S-that is-one hundred
ten years age-Vermont was not the
Vermont of today. Conflicting claims
had retarded its growth, and that terri
tory bounded by Lake Champlain on the
west and the Connecticut river on the
east was somewhat behind the other
States in population. The Green Noun
tains running parallel with the lake were
sparsely settled, but such inhabitants as
had made their homes in that region
were of the sturdy type, and as Green
Mountain Boys IN revolutionary war
made notable record in the days of rs.
The Wilcoxes' stony farm lay on the
east side of the lake and on the sunny
western slope of the mountain. From
the log house perched on a rise of
ground one could see the blue waters of
Lake Champlain in the summer time,
with Fort Ticonderoga in an emerald
background. To the left was Mount
Defiance, on the summit of which Gen
eral Burgoyne's troops showed them
selves the previous Fourth of July with
battery of heavy cannon which they
had drawn along the ridge by night and
placed in that commanding position.
The scenery in summer was beautiful,
but at this season of the year the lake
was an ice field, the hollows were filled
with snow making almost dead incline
and the evergreens on the mountains
were burdened with their white cover
ings.
Grandfather was at first a minute
man. That meant to go when you were
called, and no delay. If the horses were
harneosed to the pillow leave them and
start, though when the messenger warn.
ed him out to join Ethan Allen in the
taking of Fort Ticonderoga in the name
of the Great Jehovah and the Continent
al Congress, he did stop to unloose his
horses from the pillow that they might
go home as a token to his wife that he
was off to the war.
After that with his old flnt-lock gun,
he had joined the patriots under the
command of Schuyler, had marched by
the way of Lake Champlain to Canada,
and after the taking of Montreal came
home, his term of enlistment having
expired. But that was only for grand
ma to buckle on his sword again to meet
Burgoyne. The old forts right under
their very noses had been recaptured by
the British.
The summer passed and grandma, with
Reuben's help, had tended the farm and
cared for the horses, cows and sheep.
Many time grandma had said When
John gets home won't he be SURPRISED to
find things in such good shape! The
corn Is in the crib plenty of hay in the
barn, and | guess he'll enjoy having
plenty of milk to drink.
The second battle of Saltwater had
bean fought in October and Burgoyne
compelled to retreat to Saratoga, where
he surrendered to the rebels. The pros
poets were good for a little respite, and
grandfather had sent word he would be
home on New Years day. In honor of
so great an event, the house had under
gone a thorough overturning. To be
sure there were but two rooms, and bit
of dust was never allowed lodging place.
but that made no difference; an extra
scrub with soap and sand was INDUCED
in, and now, on this January morning,
everything was in prime order for the
reception.
Grandmother was up early in the
morning, busy with her household du-
ties. She was going to give grandfather
a royal dinner. | don't known but if
she should see the word royal applied
to one of her dinners she would rise out
of her grave and order the obnoxious
word stricken out, she so thoroughly do.
tested anything savoring of the crown
or toryism. The chicken, mince and
pumpkin pies, plum pudding and loaves
of brown bread-wheat bread there was
none-were done to a turn and stood on
a shelf waiting to be eaten. The turkey
gobbler that was master of the barnyard
ON Christmas day and Wanted his red
muffier and spread tail, to the utter dis.
gust of the more soberly attired fowls,
Invested of all his fine feathers, was
suffering and sizzling in tho tin baker
before the fire place. The potatoes al
ready peeled were in a pan of water on
a side table, waiting to be put in the ket'
tie of boiling water that hung on the
crane to receive them. There was a
general air of expectation about the
place.
Grandma had been on tiptoe for two
hours. Between little nervous touches
of things here and there she would open
the door and look towards the lake, or
catch hasty glance out of the window
looking, longing. hoping, fearing.
The old Dutch clock, with its polished
face, stood against the wall in lofty dig.
nifty and slowly tolled the hours. 1t
struck eleven, twelve, and as the hands
travelled on towards one o'clock grand
ma dropped the potatoes in the pot and
hl Ia atN Oh h.
door for another survey of the road run.
ming south. Reuben was IN the barn.
Grandma had Scarcely closed the front
door before Reuben rushed in at the
back door, exclaiming The Indians are
coming The Indians are coming! At
most the same instant the clatter OF
horses feet were heard and neIghbor
rode up in brealhless haste saying, A
party of Brltishers are close byl Flee to
the lake My family are therel
Grandma declared she would not leave
her home; she would stay and fight it
out. But BY that time other neighbors
had arrived and Reuben had the horses
at the door. Her saddle was taken from
the wall and buckled on Black. Grand
ma swung her feather he'd and pair of
blankets over the horse, and dropping
tue bIednlHR tulhey anu "udleNeI edId-
Bile she could quickly gather into bag
mounted and rode away.
Reuben hurried TO the barn and loosed
he cows but before he left the bullets
began to patter around him. He had let
out the cows, but forgotten the calves,
and true to their maternal instincts the
COWS would not desert their young. AS
Reuben turned TO look back he saw
Brownie drop with cruel bullet and
uriIh a rnnn rnrnnrn hnrnd the m II riannnd