The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-11-06

GOOD OLD PERU.

[Charles II. Haynes In Goldthwaits Maya
zine,l
Just why thousands of our country
men go to Europe every summer and
return every fall, to sing the praises of
English hospitality, French manners,
German culture and Alpine scenery, is
not plain.
What do these people know of our
own Green Mountains? What do
they know of Vermont? of Bennington
county? of Peru? There, within two
hundred miles of New York City, is a
region sparsely settled with good old
time, true-blue Americans. Among
them generous hospitality is religion;
their untutored gracefulness would put
to shame practised habitude of the
salon; the innate goodness of the heart
casts such a halo about the uncouthness
of speech that the culture of the schools.
is forgotten; while the sublimity of the
mountain peaks, the grandeur of rocky
precipices, the beauty of the verdant
valleys, and the loveliness of forest, fen
and lake, form a combination seldom
equalled and certainly unsurpassed in
any country under the sun. There are
left, here and there, bits of God-made
earth which, perhaps, excite in far
greater degree the emotions, but here,
the head, the heart, the soul is Just fill
ed to the limit of exaltation without be-
ing overawed.
At the southern portal of this vale of
beauty, whence the old turnpike winds
its way down the mountain side, like a
sturdy sentinel, stands old Bromley.
Beyond West Mountain overtops,
with 'The Notch" between, traversed
by little Mad Tom" and big Mad
Tom" Mount Tabor curves away to
the north. Derry Mountain forms the
"green room" for the rising sun, and
silver-grey Stratton, with its heavily
timbered slopes, holds the mirror for
him to make his morning and his eve
ming toilet. A quiet hamlet-trees,
woods, forests everywhere-lakes,
rivers, ponds, streams, brooks and rills
full of the fnny tribe, rejoicing at the
ignorance that sends thousands across
the up-heaving deep and leaves them in
quietude and safety.
Many curious scenic and atmospheric
phenomenon are witnessed here in the
round of the seasons. Sometimes one
may stand at the summit Of West
Mountain, bathed in the purest sun
shine, with a clear, blue arch of sky
above; while below, vast masses of inky
clouds are gliding along the face of the
steep incline and pouring torrents Of
rain upon the lower slopes, the foot
hills, and the verdant valleys. Some
times one may stand in the valley, and
in broad sunshine, watch the gathering
clouds bathe in tears the hoary head
and rock-ribbed sides of the western
ranges. The hither border of the sum-
mer shower may come so close that the
rythmic patter on the broad leaves of
the maple, beach and birch is distinctly
heard, and yet not even a stray drop
falls where the observer stands. Dur
ing the winter, frequent snow-storms oc-
cur in the upper mountain regions,
when not flake falls in the valley two
miles away as the bird flies. In some
localities snow-slides occur, in extent
and destructiveness almost worthy the
name of avalanches. In Skinner Hol-
low. on the southeast side of Mount
Equinox, the snow sometimes accumu,
lates to depth of more than one hun.
dred feet, and times have been when
venturesome parties have here indulged
in game of snow ball on the Fourth
of July. Near the summit of the
West Mountain is remarkable lake
or pond. 1t occupies the extreme limit
of the ''great divide"-the termina
point of three great watersheds Th'
lake, though more than three Thousand
: feet above the sea and about eighteel
hundred feet above the valley below, i
fed by numerous living springs, an'
discharges its waters into three separate
: and distinct waterways; and, more thai
: that, into three distinct drainage sys
tens. An outlet to the east form
HAYNES Brook, the waters of which
n through Mill Brook, West River, ant
the Connecticut river, reach the sea a
n Saybrook, Connecticut. An outlet +
the southwest flows down the opposit
: side of the ridge into the Battenkill
e which is tributary of the Hudson
; and reaches the sea at New York City
A third stream issues to the north