The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-22
DEFERRED COUNTY ITEMS.
North POwnal.

North POwnal.
A Fable with a Moral lone summers
day two female Bitterons, who lived on
the shores of a millpOnd, went forth to
make call upon another sister BitteroD,
who lived with her husband on the OPP
posite side some considerable distance
up the stream. Now this species of bird,
is known among men, 10y a vulgar and in
delicate name, which if written in a COM
municatiOn sent by mail, would subject
the writer to penalty under the postal
Jaws of the country. These birds are
always thin flesh. Their features are
peaked, coming to sharp point in a
very long bill. This bill they use to catch
worms and snails in the bottom-mud OF
the pond, and this searching il the dirt
for their natural food, is supposed by
scientists to be one cause OF their honey
thinness. And on account of their form
and the noise they make when on the
wing, which seems to be a cry condemn
ING all other birds for their crimes, they
have sometimes been employed to repre-
sent that class among men and women
called gossip mongers," whose virtue
is fed and nOurished by the faults and
shortcomings of their neighbors, n sort
of moral "carriOn eater" and who like
this bird in the description, by their
harsh and unpleasant notes denounce
everyone else for their disordered homes
and unclean nests, while in facts the
places where they live themselves are
full of contention and wranglings-
a loveless hOme.- the filthy nests
of these birds,-so these two Bit
terms" went forth and called upon THEN
neighbor, whom they found with
handkerchief tied about her head, for
she sometimes had the headache,
malady that female 'Btterns" are
often subject to. After the usual formal
courtesies had been exchanged our
visitors commenced at once to talk upon
the theme which had sent them forth on
their journey. They represented terrible
things that had happened in one of the
families of their neighborhood. This
conversation mostly concerned the hus-
band, who sometimes left his home for
weeks at time, and that when away his
associates were not always of the most
select class. In their indignation, they
used language harsh and cruel, and en-
ployed the most vulgar epithetS, and
consigned the poor victim of their i'm
aginatiou to the most hOrrid and
.cOersive punishments. Much that they
said cannot be written, and much of it
ladies would dislike to hear and never
would repeat. The poor "Bittern"
whom they visited, was shocked by their
tale and her head ached harder than
ever OF course, like all females, these
visitors pitied the wife and children, and
what one asserted the other COrrobOrated
and to clinch their statements beyond
any possible doubt, they both swOre to
the truth of their story by the mighty
names of their husbands. A few days
after the visiting episode, these two
birds made a dinner and invited the poor
wife, who had ''scapgrace' for a hus-
band, but overlooked the one whom they
had burdened with their song of woe. 1t
was a grand occasion, and great was
their guests amusement us they told her
about their visit few days ago. They
told her how many cats she had. How
she looked in Mother IIubbard" gown,
What stories she told about her neigh
bOrs, how she berated her husband,
calling him every name in her vocabul-
ary until the poor bird was glad when
her entertainment came to an end and
she had reached home at last, still hold
ing her fingers in her ears to shut out the
terrible sounds which seemed to travel
with her on the way. Not many days
afterwards, she who was not invited,
heard of the affair. OF course she felt !
sighted and wondered that any one
whose husband had been so scandalized
would ever darken the door OF those VINO
had furnished the material, and she is
still wondering. Now this is the moral. !
Read it carefully o, We victims. Men
and women who go about the streets for
10 other purpose than to peddle scand- |
dal and to speak i'll of their neignbors,
will in like manner talk about you,
wherever they make their calls or re-
ceive their callers after bidding you
good by"