The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-11-26
Selected Storp.
Aunt Melyina's Story.

know, for when | was gal it used to
be town talk--the good things that
were sarved up IA Sundays, a week
DAYS. traiuin' days an lection days ;
but Thanksgiviu did beat all natur, an
no mistake. | spnse Ezekiel missed the
good livin es much es anything when
he was off up in Canada among the
Indgiuns. He went as a soldier inter
one er the old wars. | say twas one,
an Sister Miranda claims twas tother;
an if we tempt ter settle that, the
story never'l be likely to get told. Will
it, Sarm?"
" guess eff be blind, can mem
Der what I've allus heard and allus
a knowed," would SWIVEL Miranda,
wiping her dim eyes that never had be-
held Gods beautiful sunlight, and
rocking back and forth in her splint-
bottomed chair, "but it's your story,
and you can tell it. | shan't open my
head to contradict, nor nothin', but
do like to have young folkses hear
things as they'd orter be told, sos't
they can be handed down der poster
ity's true's the almanac. | wouldn't
says true's gospel about one er Mel
vines stories. 'Twould be as bad as
swearin', wouldn't it, Sarm?"
That was always the introduction,
and my little brother and | exchanged
chances across the huge fireplace, at
which our mother shook her head for
fear we might disgrace ourselves by
smiling. Uncle Sam took it all in, as
he sat in front of the blazing fire, mid
way between his aged wife and sister
in-law, and punched the forestick with
long iron poker, glazing at us mean
while from under his heavy brows, for
in his opinion children who were not
good listeners were an abomnation in
the sight of their elders. This story,
although it was favOrite with us,
always sent little shivers creeping
down my back, and feel them now as
| set about writing it out from memory,
with the picture of the quaint old
kitchen in my mind, even at that time
unique in every way. 1t was the most
ancient house, the widest stone Chin
ney; there were the oldest people any
where in the section. Everything was
smoke-cured, the loom, the spinning
wheel, the little wheel, the reel, even
the bundles of herbs hanging from the
rough-hewn beams overhead, the figured
Counterpart of the high bed standing
in one corner of the room, the three
quaint old people-Uncle Sam, with a
braided queue, tied with an eel skin,
hanging down his back, and the dingv
yarn the two old women knitted while
the storytelling went on, something in
this way.
" As | was sayin', Ezekiel was hur-
ried off in one er the unsettled times,
when the Indjuns were rampaging
around on little skirmishing 'sploits
The way twas, Zeke had been off
huntin' moose, an stayed over night at
Sol Farnum's. His folks didn't want
i'm ter 90, but 90 he would, and run'd
away at that. The moose led 'em an
awful chase, an Zeke got cold an took
the rheumatic in his bones; an while
he was layin' there fiat on his back,
the pesky varmints come skulkin' along
and burnt the house down. The rest
of the family all got away, an Ezekiel
would, you may depend, but he had no
idee that he could step one foot afore
t'other. The red men routed him out
and took as much comfort a tormentin'
him as cat does in cuffn' round a
mouse; and instead of KILN him on
the spot, they showed him on before
them, laughin' fit ter kill at the faces
he made. They tied his feet together
so that he could only take short steps,
and tied his elbows behind his back so
that he couldn't touch his hands to-
gether."
AT this point my brother and with
drew our round eyes from Aunt Mel
vina's face long enough to glance at
each other-for this was a favorite
game with my brother--but as | always
had to play the part of Ezekiel it was
not as well liked by me.
"The exercise warmed Zeke up 50
that he began to be 'siddable deal bet
ter afore long, but he wuz 81 bright eZ
new secured pewter p'atter, and kept
on as eff he war jest as disable ter 90 as
ever, and hobbled, and limped, and fell
down and made faces until he used ter
say, after he came hum ter live with
real human folks, that it was impos-
sible fur him to look as pooty as na.ur
laid out ter have him, for he got so
used ter maxim up faces ter save his
life that he couldn't break himself of
it ter save his beauty; and he'd set on
block afore the fire all livin' alone
al lNlsl all oCICW MS ldC6 du eyes an
hour 'pon stretch; an I've peeked in
the cracks, side of the chimbly, and Il
seen him, many is the time, when he
was an old man an l was a youngster.
"'Twant in no wise fun daddling
through the snow from Massachusetts
to Canada, driven by pack of savages
as cruel as wolves, but the wust of it
all for Ezekiel was the horrible stuff
they had to eat-he was used to such
good living ter hum. The sozzles he
liked best he made the most fuss about,
an 50 the next time he got double por-
ton. AT last he got hold of enough
of their lingo to let them know he
wanted ter cook; so when they wanted
some new fun with him they would let
him try. To begin with, he would
whistle lively tune and dance High
land reel he had learned of Sandy
McGlynn, all around the fire; and
while he was roasting the game and
fish, he would humble over to himself.
If ever l get home, I'll stay there.
Oh, Lord, | promise thatl' The poor,
ignorant, superstitious savages took
these words for charm by which he