The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-10-09
Reshy Assstais Philosophy.

/ Most Of The stage rosds leading from
town 70 town or from camp 70 camp 10 th
/ Rocky Mountaius are toll roads. land th'
keepers Of The toll gates arc sometime
very. entertaining characters. Far rsmov'
ed from the turmoil Of tho great world b
yond The walls Of their mountaia homes
they lead quiet aud uueveniful. but no
unhappy lives. Indeed. the perfect con
ien,ment OF one OF these isolated gate
keepers seems TO have made lastiug i'm
preston npon the heart of . Companicr \
correspondent.
1t was on fair day 10 June that first
saw this toll. gsiherer. be writes. and .
fair day in the Rocky Mountains is fair
day indeed.
| His little twelve by fourteen cabin stood
squsrely against the face Of the mountain
with not more than six feet between il and
the road. Across the road one looked far
down into the depths Of an uninhsbited
gulch. The nearest cabin was six miles
distant.
The gate keeper hsd whitewsshed bis
little cabin until il fairly shone. Trailing
vines Of pink and blne morning glories
covered the little windows on either eide
OF the door, over which there was ICY
press vine.
The inside OF the cabin was as white rs
the outside, and its little array Of tin and
earthenwsre was hung 10 shining rows on
the walls. everything indicated remarka.
bic housekeeping ability 10 the gate keep.
er.
He vas q man Of perhaps sixty years.
aud when l, travelling on foot and alone,
hsd climbed up to bis little white house
and to the equally white toll gate, ! found
him peacefully smoking his pipe 10 the
sun shine before bis open door,
Better set down and rest spell fore
you 20 on. he said. when had paid my
toll. I.ss good two miles. yit to the top
Of the range, and You look bout tuekered
out.
l felt quite ".uckered out, and sat down
on the cleanly scrubbed doorstep. declin-
ing the gate keepers offer Of bis own
chair.
/ Did you come fur9 asked the gate keep
or.
From A / replied.
Oh. did you? How's times over there9
Very good, believe. was there but
. few days. My home is 10 the East.
Yer good ways from 1t then, amt you2
Yes, about fifteen hundred miles, IL
this your homer
Yep. be replied. laconically.
And you live slone9
Yep alone.
Do you stay here in the winter time.
too?
Wal, / n rckon do. young msn. I amt
been away from this gate over night . sin
gle time fer nearly elk years.s |
A vision OF the loneliness and desolstion
Of that spot in the depth OF the long noun
lain winter came before me. and l said,
with little shudder. Don't you get very
lonely 10 the winter.
Oh, l amt one o the lonesome kind,
,pesbly with my shot gun and pipe fer
There's no travel TO speak Of
10 the winter. and hunt good deal and
read some. and as fer gittin lonely-wsl,
yonng man. II you want to make me lone
Iy an homesick. you take and set me
down in some big, noisy city out o sight
o. them.
He waved hand toward the mountains
As he spoke, and added
No. sir; wouldn't live 10 New York or
Chicago. or any o. them places, not II
Iheyd give me the Eull town. I'm pr
Iectly Satisfied just whsr am. Keepin'
loll gate sint any very great perfeshiop,
md sint goin' TO get rich at it; but when
! mans dom honest work and lives de
cent. and 10 satisfied with his speer OF life
hes pretty well "a. siut he?
II is many years since saw this phil.
osopher, but have heard that he still
Keeps the gate up there on the mountain
lop, and l doubt not tbat be 10 still hsp
nv.