The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-01-30
THE BUTTER PARTY.


chiefly wilderness. and It's streets lndiat
trails The Huron wound aud curved
through IL like ribbon, thfeadlDg iis wa
10 aud oui under the bluff sn3 along th,
Cats. "a innocent Of factory wheels aud
mill-5sms IS IL vas 10 the days Of the or
iginal mammoth and cave bear 10 the
couniry round shout, within a radius oi
two or three milss. hall dczen families
OF hardy pioneers bad settled aud he
goo their battle with the forests and the
Wild beasts. These we're all the human
inhabiian,s
1 A bard winter bad Inst broken up, and
the settlers were far from supplies and
too poor to buy il they bad teen nearer.
What bad been reckoned pecesfsries Of
life TO them 10 their Eastern homes were
costly luxurios here and oftentimts quite
uuaitsiuable They did not actually suffer
hunger, for their potato bins aud corr
cribs we're well filled. aud sn occasional
hauuch OF venison, or steak OF bear. gave
variety TO their meals; but the -four bar
rels were empty, save here aud there lit
tie, carefully boarded for special emergen
cies. The tea aud coffee and sugar were
equally scarce, and as for milk and but
ter. through all that first year not soul
in the settlement had tasted either. The
children had forgotten that there were
such things, and ate their potatoes and
salt, or their johnny cake and pumkin
sauce. With as much relish and cOnten, as
II milk and butter had never existed. But
their elders had not forgotten, aud many
weary mother turned away from her dry
food with 40 utter loaihing for it aud many
a s'alwart man, as be sat down TO supper,
exhausted with his days labor, thought
sadly OF the fragran. dairies OF New Eug
laDd, aud yearned for the Injuries which
be had left behind
AT last, in the early part of June, Mr..
Walton, one OF the emigrants, more pros
peious, or more euterprising than the rest
boUgh a com. To his neighbors this &C
QUESTION seemed as great a lit of fortune
as il he bad opened a mine, or "struck
OIL. They all rejoiced with bin, and
the more so as Mrs. Walton, 10 the bene
violence OF her heart, sent around to one
and another OF them in turn, a quart OF
two Of milk.
Days went by, and the cream, which
had been carefully gathered and treasnr
ed, was ready for churning. The event
was one to be celebrated by the whole set.
tlement, and invitations went forth TO al,
the women Of the neigbborhood 10 assem-
Bile at Mr. Walton's, on certain after
noon, for tea drinking and butter eat
ing. l believe the men we're invited, too.
but only out Of courtesy as it was well
known that none OF them would feel tha,
they could stop their hoeing IN the busy
season, even for piece Of bread and but
ter.
In the Walton log house there was
pleasant hustle Of preparation. The old
stone churn that bad been slowed away in
the loft so long. was brought down and
once more put on duty. In due time the
butter came, golden and beautiful to look
upon. Mrs. Walton's deft hands sated
it, and worked it, and made il into
pat" and then, as there was no cellar.
and the weather was warm, she carefully
covered it and carried il down TO the
spring to keep il hard.
Tue house was situated upon the high
bank OF ravipe, through which flowed
one OF the sweetest little brooks in the
world. At.the point OF the bank where
the house stood, the brook made On abrupt
bend, so that the ground above formed
s>rt OF promontory with two slopiDg sides,
covered with grass, wild flowers and un.
derbrush, and washed by the water at its
foot.
One OF the slopes OF this promo1tory,
about q third Of the way down, q cool
spring bubbled mp, and it was to this
spring that Mrs. Walton carried the but
ter
Dinner ont Of the way, and her dishes
washed, the good lady sat down in state
OF pardonable complacency to await her
guests. They were not long 10 coming
Out from the forest paths they emerged.
some on loot, some on horseback. til by
two o'clock the last one bad reported her
self, aud all settled down for quiet, com
Portable afternoon visit
There was DO gossip to occupy tbei,
tougn's. News was too scarce to supply
even ;he slender staple Of company chit
chat. But there was no desrth of couyer
sr,iou Some. il not all, had adventures
by the way TO relate Mrs. Lewis horse
bad stumbled. going down bill. aud
bumped her into plat Of moss by the
path side. more scared than burt only
her best cap aud calssh were crump Piled and !
Till they represented several fash |
ions at once She was always timid with
q horse. she said. and she would have
turned back after her tumble aud gone
home, bu, ibs, her mouth wstered for the !
butter A. it vas, she led the horse by
the bride. snd walked the rest Of the
way
Mr. K~rr. eso cam" 90 foot, had seen l
d bear In the soods Bu, i, needed more
titan ihat 10 stop her; for besides being
naturally 8 resolute woman. and knowing
that besrs never attack a person unless /
greatly provoked. sbe felt special spima
tiou today 10 the taeughi Of the butter
party She osned. hovever that she bad
walked pretty fast, and With one eye ovsr
her shoulder.
When THE wauaan hsd al rnmn.,ad I