New-York tribune., 1890-04-20
A DORSET PRODIGAL.
nv poRrnT CAMERON ROGERS.

Do, m .oors -,7' n" Vaior Carter entered the Office
Of the Eage Tavern. This hosiery, ,he olues.' '
IL NOT tLe best in Dorset. was laNOiilc h@It-
;no snot in the Majors nightly orpit. SllSpec,
the PROPRIETOR was his friend ana admlrcr' ana ana
among the little assemblage OF SoSsips WIZ
oathcred ot the Eagle" with c1cn evening
sdvnnt ,bc Major was the recognized oracle; a
distinction due to his ace, he was over seventy
his tit]e-hc had served IN the army. ana sun
wore MS brass buttons upon his WaistcoaI ana
tbe social emincnce of his family IN Dorset.
Reside the already mentioned attractions, II may
be stated that Silsbees MOnongahela was the
best 10 be obtained in the county: III thcre-
fore will be readily seen that the Major. whose
tastes were autocratic and cplcufean, derived
much comfort from his visits 70 the od-tlmc
tavern, whose architecture, of the order which
may be called early Southern New-Nork, recalled
TO the few old residents the bygone glories of
Dorset.
Few villages in Central or Southern Ncw-York
were as picturesque as Dorset. 1t lay in a
yeritable cradle of hills, its broad meadows
stretching TO where The forest hid the steep as
cent Of the mountain sides. Its little river
slipped clear and noisy over the pebbles shaded
Oh It's long pilgrimage TO The distant Chesapeake
by ovcrhangng branches of oak and butiernut,
Eastwood and sycamore, and many tree or
shrub Of less degree, across whose tanglc here
and there the wild grape spread its web OF
emerald Dorset was famous tor its hospitality,
for It's pretty women, for its kitchens. for It's
negroes. Some of the earliest settlers were from
Maryland and Virginia, and had imported So
many of their slaves that the town was invested
with much of that pcturcsqucncss and local
OF Mason and DiXon'S line. Aunts and unces
by courtesy of complexion and white wool weN
common in Dorset. In the early days this little
town was reached only by medium Of a yellow
STAGE and morning and evening horns footed
gayly as SX horses swung mcrrily along the old
post road and halted before the Eagle" tavern
Such was Dorset forty years ago.
Now, time and fortune have wrought their
changes in the once remote. Old-fashioned village
Many of the old families have moved away. others
have fallen upon evil days. White frame houses
with Oreclan pillars uphOldng the cabled root.
under whose caves half-moon window gazcd
upon the street, are no longer in vogue. for the
Queen Anne cottage has appeared in the land
There are several factories now in Dorset Two
railroads meeting there have gained il noturicty
as Junction." and all day long the shrek Of
whistles and snorting and clangor Of engines call
out angry remonstrance from the indignant hills.
But we must return to the Major. Return is
perhaps not the word. one cannot ramble
among the memories of old Dorset without coming
presently upon Major Carter. He a Icpos-
tory of all that had interested the last three gen.
erations and though he took to-day good
naturcdly, and even glanced with tolerance al to-
morrow, he was plainly in the present merely as
delegate from the past.
This particular evening he was full Of the i'm
portance an interesting and still fresh item Of news
imparts. Homer" said he. addressing Sisbec
whose parents had named him with that ruthless
cassicsm once common i'm so many rural dis
tricts in New-lork State. in the nomenclature
both Of individuals and places: Homer, repeated
the Major. you can reck lect Jimmy Barton,
Wal, guess so. Major replied Silsbee
hmm went to school together
What you'n' young jimmy" questioned the
wal Major laughed the other. he amt
young jimmy n" ,dS, Longer lie was every day Of
sence. an guess we've KEEP on gettin' old bout
You're right. you're right said the Major,
I" l was thinking you was your father, | guess.
"ie don't tell me- exclaimed Homer. =" |
want 10 know
Fact continued the Major. - He's down to
his old nurse. Aunt Susan Tolliver's, Young
Pete, her grandson, let the thing out and he says
poor Jim looks like dead man Poor boy so
long as his folks lived here ] s'pose he wouldn't
they were mighty proud OF him What a voice
he had. Funny but can reck'lect the sound Of
his laugh yet. Why. I'd rather heard Jimmy Bar
ton laugh than most people sing
The Major paused for a moment. and taking
silver tobaccO-b0N from his waistcoat pocket.
opened it, helped himself 10 generous month
ful and chewcd for moment meditatively.
Chewing. now happily almost obsolete among
cultivated people. in the Majors prime had been
as customary as smoking among the people Of his
acquaintance.
During this brief interlude several newcomers.
who had been listening afar off, drew near The
tavern-kecper turned TO one Of them. n little
weazcncd-faced man. upon whose cOuntenancc
colored by indefatigablc tiDpling. an expression
OF great curiosity was visible: you remember
Jim Barton. don't ye. Ezry ?" Wal. ! guess
kin replied Ezry. whose other name was Spiccr
" ] guess ] kin. why him m me was Here
the Major. with a slight flown in the direction Of
the adventurous Spcer. resumed the reins II the
conversation Nothing further from the
worthy ccntemans intention than 10 permit an
other 70 discourse upon the theme he himself had
inangnrated-
Ralcomb," he said addressing the remainder Of
the group. We'll, he's como back at last-comc
back 10 die. gnesS-dOwn 10 his old nurse. Susan
TollverS" After n moments melancholy s1tis-
faction in the EXPLANATIONS Of surprise and com
miscratOn following this disclosure. the Ma or
went on. was talking about his laugh-ccar
as hcll-vou rcck'ect him lauehn ont in meet
N. az Colonel Dcnison,S tipsY coachman. Black
Tony NJ how the old Judge walked him out
Tor II? We'll. he was limb. Jimmy. ALWAYS
mp 70 something He could initiate any livino
animal or bird Wly lie used to put his head
out the window. about nj night. when The town
was about ready TO 90 10 sleep an crow. an my
word for il. thcrcd be twenty-five old roosfcrS
Singing out reyellc in five minutes Then Jim
.s .sea ,angh an eo'to bed. Why. you all recklect
r.i,he rI,he Major musci moment then resumed in
h'ile dliIerent voice
welt ne went to college. an he got wild there
anrss when he came home he nuarreled with
tre Judge an got turned or Rnf Won know IL
Oh shoI 1os, 81 as well as do. Mrs Barton dcd first
West rEn Is.'N nn ioS , tner money then they went
,vbcro tn IT, poor old Judges buried in Ohio some
, 49,; me girls arc married the old house is
,ast ,'"rn ao%n, an here's Door Jim come back at
~ at an Oiu nlcgcr wOmanS. There's
a nls'ory for Won Here's old Susan. now OK
a., Sue, ne Major "an' you can get the news
AS he ceased Speaking an old nerrcss OF almost
room "ev pV.~een sixty and eighty entered the
,Cv'". ,rs one was coai-black. with white hair and
hrS 1ns % ne lew negroes in Dorset who remcn-
nm " :, t .lic saVe days in tlAc North. She walked
w., 10 'ne counter and placed upon il tin pail
~ do, SnisSpee; she said. lwant bout quahtah
70, va. e,,,:, pan wSky | wan you porcs hits
a. At eAlu nai app cation. Good cvenin' Maiahv
teman. 7i''''u courtesy 10 'ha' gen
u., GOOD evening. Susan said he. 81 am told
,onr a", h ny od friend, Judge Barton's son, is at
pr;st o1u ~ woman lace assumed look of mingled
T "mr o,u; iupo''ahce She saw herself the centre
E,i CURIOUS 'hrong. and her vanity was not n
,hs, ,ue SratIied- At the same time il was evident
MA. Ia. she ielt ,keenly the melancholy occurrence
shae sSneh had given her this present promnencc.
ser,S l.Iesseu W mcrself TO the Major as nc repre-
Srn. ~n.ed TO her mind the only element in the little
group to he deferred to- - '"N '''''
eYos;n, on, 10 de de Lords sake. yes Maiah' she
lcalned. lifting her hands and letting them fail
cover 'he fr gesture OF one who scarcely hopes 70
liz from some great ami recent shock Mast
S Sain come back. You see after n short narsc