The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-03-14
Four Maine BOYS.


Thirty years ago knew in the town
of G., in Maine, two brothers whose
identity / will disguise under the names
of Willard and Langdon Newman. In
the same town | knew also two BOYS,
not brothers, whom l will call Charles
Smallman and George Winfast. The
two former were sons of farmer; the
two latter, sons of master mechanics
The former lived in the outskirts of the
town, in the wild country, which rem
dered them plebeians; the latter in the
village, which made them patricians. as
boys saw those things.
From the time they were nine and
ten years of age Willard and Langdon
had to assist in the teamwork in sum-
mer-time, and therefore could not at
tend school. They worked at planting
and hoeing and haying from five in the
morning until eight or nine at night in
the longest days. In the winter, for a
few years more, ten weeks at school
was possible, for which they walked
nearly mile, going home for dinner
between twelve and one.
When the civil war came on times
were hard in those Maine country towns.
Willard and Langdon by 1868 were
compelled to leave school and 90 into
the forests to cut and haul wood. AT
fourteen the latter used to yoke his
oxen before light on those short winter
mornings, drive into the woods through
snow from two to four feet deep, load a
cord of wood-heavy sticks, four feet
long-and haul it to the railroad station,
mile distant This he would do four
times day, frequently eating his din
ner on stump with the thermometer
at zero. But all this time these two
boys were occupying their few spare
moments in improving their minds.
Their evenings were passed around the
great replace, where they studied their
books and read weekly papers. | have
seen one or the other of them sitting
on an ox-sled of cold winter day read
ing the newspaper. Occasionally, in
the fall, they would still attend part
term at the academy, and thus, amid
hardships and privations, prepared
themselves to be teachers.
They had brown faces, big, rough
hands, and wore old clothes frequently
much patched, and in the summer went
barefoot" and in winter wore great
heavy cow-hde boots.
The village boys, Charles and George
were little dandies. Their parents sup
ported them in idleness. They haC
every opportunity to attend school, al
opportunity which they improved bu
little. They "looked down on the
farmer-boys, made fun of their ole
clothes, called them Shadageeites, )
and because they were known to bt
studious nicknamed Langdon Little
WISDOM" So every time he went tt
the village George and Charles would
dom; how are things over in Shadagee
Taters all dug?" or something equally
tantalizing.
AT last hard times overlook the tw'
patricans. One lost his father and tn
father of the other failed, and they ha,
to 90 to work. They had not education
enough to enable them to enter on an
of the more genteel" pursuits, an
no trades. When l visited the tow,
last summer both were trying to scrap
a living out of. little rocky farms. The
were as poor and ragged and dirty a
ever the Shadagee boys were.
And where were the Shadagee boys
do you ask? Willard, graduate of
Maine college, is now a successful
principal of an academy in his nativ
state. Langdon has already attaine
high rank in one of the profes
sions, has written several successfr
books, lectured before large audiences
travelled north, south, east and Yves
and in Europe. He has been electe
to positions of honor and responsible
in large New England city. An
this is g Little WISDOM" as his wifi
sometimes jokingly calls him.
Willard and Langdon improved thei
small opportunities and George an
Charles neglected their great oppol
tunities. - W. S, Nerins, in Wa
Atcdke.