The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-10-28

| and manganese; stones ghStenlng with
mica; but all of them worn smooth and
rounded with travel over many mile of
mountain course.
Can you imagine a richer treat than
| this for child? The current was strong
but the water was not deep IN summer,
though it must be a terrible river in
winter and in spring, as the immense
boulders thrown up on the banks testi-
fly.
defy any man or woman to sit on
these banks and not begin to throw the
stones, lying under his feet, into the
water. 1t is one of those temptations
human nature cannot resist. But think
what the temptation is to child, and
what supreme happiness to be where she
can throw, and paddle, and splash to her
hearts content.
Our young person led us faithfully
every day once, and sometimes twice, to
the bank of this river. Her shoes and
stockings were quickly removed, and
| Though the water seemed very cold to
us), there she worked, building channels
and moving stones, till we drew her out
and carried her home. 1t may occur to
you, if you remember your own days of
wading, that stones are somewhat Slip
perry when under water so you need not
be surprised to hear that our young per-
son occasionally sat down in the stream,
nor to be told that whatever else this did
| it did not dampen her ardOr.
| We all took delight in the river. We
came upon it in many other places near
the farm, and made ourselves its friend
and confident. l had to pay for extra
! baggage because of so many of its stony
Jewels being stored in our trunks.
We are always grateful for fair wealth
er, but one-half day of rain was gladly
hailed that we might watch the clouds.
| Another afternoon fortune favored us
with magnificent thunder shower.
We first saw it in the north and watched
it creeping along the western noun
tains, peak after peak disappearing in
the clouds, though farther south the sun
was gliding the hills. Then it came
slowly across the valley to us, and sud-
denly the world was very dark and very
small.
The young person became an expert
driver of cows, and was encouraged to
ride the old horse. She was allowed to
hunt for eggs, to feed the hens and
stand on the fence when the pigs were
fed. She went off to market whenever
the wagon went, and she was supremacy
happy from morn till night. She en-
loved farm life, as every child does, and
where could child find so, much with
which to be happy?
We made few long jaunts. We were
in Rutland frequently. Itisa beautiful
city, where every prospect pleases and
only the railroad station is vile. They
have lunch counter there, and the
wash cloths are hung on a tOwel-rack in
front of the main door of the depot to
dry. The sitting-rOoms are, naturally
and perhaps inevitably place of tor
ture because of the flies drawn there by
the cooking, and the closets are carefully
neglected, so that cholera can here find a
home. l pity you if YOU must stay in
that waiting-rOom many, minutes, with
its various odors and hungry flies. But
want to except the ticket agent from
my COMBINATIONS. He was courteous,
patient, helpful, and won my admira
ton. He was the one, good thing in
that Nazareth!
In West Rutland are the famous mar
BILE quarries one of them 900 feet deep,
they say, where marble has been quar-
ried these many years past, and yet the
great seams are hardly touched. Proc
tor, the United States senator, is the
principal owner, and the marble king OF
Vermont.
We spent one day there, taking bas.
ket of lunch with us, and eating our din
ner on marble blocks, 1t is an uncanny
position to stand at the mouth of one
of these quarries, grasp an iron rod,
and look down-dOwn-dOwn to where
the men, appearing like little boys, are
at work below. They use steam drills
npl tl,n 70 Sta M nrtlN lille thp
ern, making it look like pictures of the
inferno.
Powerful energies lift up from the
depths of this mine to the surface
where the saving mills are, blocks thai
weigh 10 tons. expected to see large
number of men at work there, but ma
chnery is made to do good part of the
labor.
OF cource a great many stones are
imperfect; those are sold at low price
and consequentlythe commonest house
has marble for its foundations, and mar
BILE is used for everything where stone il
appi' able. They sell two-hOrse loaC
of these culls for - cents at the quarry
The world sweltered in the lowlandi
while we were enjoying mountain
breezes and cool, restful nights. W.
were sorry that the world was not wist
and following. our example. People
were paying extravagant prices TO
the privilege of perspiring in hotel; W,
were paying S7'per week for Gods pure
air and the fresh milk and eggs of til,
country. others we've making fashion
able acquaintance with other cit,
folk; we had struck bond of friend
ship with the three mountains, Killing
ton, PicO and Shrewsbury, and beel
presented with the beautiful valley
face, to have and hold forever.