Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-03-01
/ WINTER COURTSIIP

/ WINTER COURTSHIP.
The passenger and mail transportation
between the towns Of North kilby and
Sanscrit Pond was carried on by Mr. Jeffer-
son Briey, whose two seated covered wag
ON was usually much too large for the de
mands Of business Both the Sanscrit
Pond and North Kilby people were stayers-
at home, aud Mr. Briley often made his
seven-mie Journey in entire solitude, ex
cept for the limp leather mail bag, which
he held firmly to the floor Of the carriage
with his heavily shod left foot The mail
bag had almost personality to him, born
Of long association. Mr. Briley was
meek and timid looking body. but he had a
warlIke soul, and encouraged hs fancies by
reading wiul tales of blOodshed and law
lessness in the far West Mindful Of stage
robberies and train thieves, and of express
messengers who died at their posts, he was
prepared for anything and although he
had trusted to his own strength and hrav
cry these many wears, he carried IA heavy
pistol under his front seat cushion for bet
ter defence This awful weapon was ia
miliar to all his regular passengers, and
was usually shown to strangers by the time
two Of the seven miles Of Mr. Brileys
route had been passed The pistol was not
loaded Nobody tat least not Mr. Briley
himself doubted that the mere sight Of
such a weapon would turn the boldest ad.
venturer aside
Protected by such man and such piece
Of armament, one gray Friday morning in
The edge Of winter, Mrs. Fanny Tobin was
travelling from Sanscrit Pond 10 North Xii
4 r. l. L
woman, but with a shrewd twinkle in her
eyes, and she felt very anxious about her
numerous pieces Of baggage and her own
personal safety. She was enveloped in
many shawls and smaller wrappings, but
they were not securely fastened and kept
getting undone and flying loose, so that the
bitter December cold seemed to'be picking
"a lock now and then, and creeping in to
steal away the little warmth she had Mr.
Briley was cold, too, and could only cheer
himself by remembering the valor Of those
pony-eXpress drivers of the pre- railroad
DAYS, who had to cross the Rocky Noun
tains on the great California route. He
spoke at length of their perils to the suffer
ing passenger, but she felt none the warm
er, and at last gave groan of WEAKNESS.
How fur did YOU say I was now =
Il do knows | said Mis- Tobin, an
swered the driver, with a frosty laugh.
'Gou see them big pines, and the side of
barn Just this way with them yellow circus
bills That's my three mile mark.
BE We got four more to make Oh, my
laws 90 mourned Mrs. Tohin. Urge the
beast, can't ye, jeff son | amt used to
bein' out in such cold weather. Seems if
couldn't keep my breath I'm all pinched
up and wgglin' with shivers now. r aint
no use lettin the hoss 20 step atty step this
fashion
"Iandy me ~ exclaimed the affronted
driver. II don't see why folks expects me
to race with the cars. Everybody that gifts
in wants me to run the hoss to death on the
road make good everage o time, and
that's : all can do IF you was to 20 back
an forth every day but Sabbath for eigh-
teen years HDU d want to ease it all you
could and let those thrash the spokes out
o their wheels that wanted TO- North Xii
by, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays :;
Sanscrit Pond, Tuesdays, Thursdays, an
saturdays Me an the beasts done it
eighteen years together and the creatur'
warn't, SO to say, young when we begun 1t,
nor ] neither | reilly didn't knows she'd
hold out till this time There, git up will
ye old mar - as the beast of burden stop
ped short in the road.
There was a story that jefferson gave
this faithful creature a rest three times a
mile, and took four hours for the journey
by himself, and longer whenever he had a
passenger. But in pleasant weather the
road was delightful, and full of people who
drove their own conveyances, and liked to
stop and talk There were not many farms,
and the third growth of white pines made
IA pleasant shade, though jefferson liked to
say that when be began To carry the mail
his way lay through an open country of
stumps and sparse uuderbrush where the
white pines nowadays completely arched
the road.
They had passed the barn with circus
/ posters, and felt colder than ever when
they caught sight Of the weather beaten
acrobats in their tights.
MY gorry ~ exclaimed Widow Tobin,
them pore creatur's looks as cheerless as
/ little birch trees in snow time hope they
dresses 'em warmer this time o year. Now
there look ut that one jumpn' through
the little hoop, will We =
He couldn't git himself through there
with two pair o pants on, answered Mr.
Briley. Il expect they must have TO keel
timber as eels. | used to think when
was a boy, that / was the only thing
could ever be reconciled to do for "A livin
set out TO run away an follow rovin
Snowman once, hut mother needed me al
home, There warn't nobody but me an
the little gals
"You amt the only one that's ben dis
ap'pinted o their hearts desire, said Mrs
Tobin sadly. "'rwarn't so that | could be
spared from home to learn the dressmakeri
trade"
"'T would come handy later on. de
clare answered the sympathetic driver
"bein's you went an had such passe o
gals to clothe an feed There, them that
livin' is all well off now, but it must ha
been some inconvenient for ye when thel
was small.
"Yes, Mr. Briley, but then I've had my
mercies, too, said the widow somewha
grudgngly Il take it master hard now
though havin to give up my own home an'
live round from place to place, if they b'
my own child'en There was Ad'line an'
Susan Ellen fussin' an bickerin' yesterda!
about who'd got To have me next and
Lord be thanked, they both wanted IN
right oil, but hated to hear 'em talkin o
it over. I'd rather live to home, and d
for myself
1--WE got considerable used TO boardin',
said jefferson, ''sence marm died, but i
made me ache long at the fust ont, | tel
ye. Bein ON the roads | he, | couldn't d,
no ways at keepin' house | should wan
to keep right there and see to things"
Course you would, replied Mrs, Tobin
with sudden inspiration of opportunt!
which sent "a welcome glow all over her
Course you would, jeff son, she leane'
toward the front seat that is to say, on
less you had jest the right one to do it TO
ye.'
And jefferson felt "a strange glow also
and sense of unexpected interest and en-
joyment,
See here, Sister Tubin," he exclaime'
with enthusiasm "Why can't ye take tn
trouble to shift seats. and come front her
long o me We could put one huff 10 toI
o. the other they're both wearin' thin, r.
and set close and | do know but we sh',
be more prot, cted ag'iust the weather"
"Well, | couldn't he no colder if ! wa