The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-18
Sclctteo Storm.
A story Of Heredity.

ancestor than that. She was my great
grandmother, and wonderful woman,
according to my mothers ideas.
Yet | might rightfully call her
grandma, too, for she served in that
capacity, and brought up" my mother,
whose own 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 combina-
ton of wonderful characteristics and
equally wonderful 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 fundamentally, of course" nor from
Grandma Wilcox either"
eff you had walked to the big wheel
and spun your ten run of yarn, day in
and day out, as | did when | was your
age, you wouldn't be grunting around
with a pain in your head or a 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"
l think by these predatory remarks
you have got a pretty good inkling of
some of our family failings as well as
virtues. You will certainly have dis
covered that grandma had what might
have been termed in her day force of
character, but in these days of fiippant
STORYTELLING some people would call it
sand" Call it what you like, it is an
excellent legacy to leave ones descend
ants.
In the year 177S-that is, one hundred
ten years ago-Vermont was not the
Vermont of to-day. Conflicting claims
had retarded its growth, and that ter
ritory bounded by Lake Champlain on
the west and the Connecticut river on
the east was somewhat behind the
other states in population. The Green
Mountains running parallel with the
lake were sparsely settled, but such in
habitants as had made their homes in
that region were of the sturdy type,
and as Il" Green Mountain boys in the
revolutionary war made notable
record in the days of '76.
The Wicoxes' stony farm lay on the
east side of the lake and on the sunny
western slope of the mountain. From
the Lighthouse perched on a rise of
ground one could see the blue waters
of Lake Champlain in the summertime,
with Fort Ticonderoga in an emerald
background. To the left was Mount
Defiance, on the summit of which
General Burgoyne's troops showed
themselves 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 beauti-
full, but at this season of the year the
lake was an ice-feld, the hollows were
filled with snow, making almost dead
incline, and the evergreens on the
mountains were burdened with their
white coverings.
Grandfather was at first minute
man." That meant 90 when you were
called, and no delay. If the horses
were harnessed to the pillow leave them
and start, though when the messenger
warned him out to join Ethan Allen in
the taking of Fort Ticonderoga Sin the
name of the Great Jehovah and the
continental congress he did stop
to unloose his horses from the pillow
that they might 90 home as a token to
his wife that he was off to the war.
After that, with his old flint-lock gun,
he had joined the patriots under the
command of Schuyler, had marched by
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 grandma
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 SHAPED The corn is in the crib
plenty of hay in the barn, and | guess
he'll enjoy having plenty of milk to
drink"
Inc second battle AT saltwater haC
been fought in October and Burgoyne
compelled to retreat to Saratoga, where
he surrendered to the rebels. The
prospects were good for little respite
and grandfather had sent word he would
be home on New Years day. In honor
of so great an event, the house haG
undergone thorough overturning
To be sure there were but two rooms
and bit of dust was never allowed
lodging place, but that made no differ
ence; an extra scrub with soap anC
sand was INDUCED in, and now, on this
January morning, everything was il
prime order for the reception.
Grandmother was up early in the
morning, busy with her household
duties. She was going to give grand
father royal dinner. | don't know
but if she should see the word royal ,
applied to one of her dinners sht
would rise out of her grave and orde
the obnoxious word stricken out, sh,
so thoroughly detested anything SAVIOR
ing of the crown or toryism. Tn,
chicken, mince and pumpkin-pies
plum-pudding and loaves of brown
broad wheat hraa6 therp was nona