The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-31
DEFERRED MATTER.
VermOnters at Home.

The following response by Colonel j. II
Goululng at the banquet of the Chcag,
Sons of Vermont to the Vermont Press At
ISOLATION, at Hotel Endeavor, Chicago
brought down the house " |:
ought properly to preface this suhiec
oy the remark that, strictly speaking, many
OF them are now here in Chicago with us
al, or say, samples, of the gOod-natured
pleasant-spoken Vermonters, the mere men
ton OF whose nativity is the passport fol-
laVor anywhere in this country. Where
are you from" "Vermont" "Give us
your hand, so am !" is a formula repeated
everywhere all over our broad land.
NOW, Nermonters At home-for l must
suppose, allude to the sentiment by i'm.
phCatiOn at least-as my memory runs
pack over the years that have silvered my
LOCKS anu bowed my form, and as you can
see, as the old Indian put it, have in more
senses than one killed me at the top
Nermonters at home, / was going to say,
the larger part of them, the hard-headed,
hard-handed early-rising, agricultural gen
tleman at daylight calling, Boys, boys,
get up; time to milk them critters again. -
Some of them even, as | have heard drop-
ping corn by the light of lantern held bv
a sleepy, holding, shivering boy. And then,
the chores done, the ceaseless round ac-
cording to the season, begun, wood cutting
and hauling, swinging that old thud scythe
on rainy days in the weeds and thistes
boiling the sap in the old oauldron kettles
slipping around in the old snow paths,
gathering with that old neckyoke and the
two buckets, hauling one in diverging direc-
uons-you remember the yanlxs they gave
YOU used to think 1t was called a neck
yoke because it made your neck ache So
Then how nice to fill your boot with syrup
as you crossed the wall on the way to the
mouse, where the women, with never end
ing stir, sugared it Off. But this is all an
Gent history now; compare it with the
a hntra 81,
the sweetener of all the rest, famed among
them all.
The muddy game of ball on Fast day, the
governors Sunday, religiously observed;
the spelling schools. the singing schools,
the segh-rides, with the discreet. silent
bills and the winking stars looking wisely
on; the country dances in the old cheese
room, before the invention of the creamery
and factory, all these and many more rise
before us as we recall the Vermonters at
nome OF other days-now how changed.
His is sedentery pursuit. He rides the
new farm machinery, not perhaps with the
abandon and grace of his western brother
but well enough for his contracted fields
All The modern improvements have dawned
upon us. The feminines are wise with
Chau auqua yea, with Smith and Wellesley
learning; societies flourish, the county fair
has been evolved into a display of stock of
all kinds, animal and human, simply won
derful, whichever way one looks. There is
no variety OF Hover but grows in wild lux.
urious profusion on our ladies' hats: no Ian.
guage but our daughters easily murder, or
torture into writing unrecognizable shape.
Inc click of the typewriter, the stony glare
or downcast glance of the stenographer, the
modern Hello, central buzz up number
S99-9 again, " has penetrated our wlds, and
Vermonters at home are up in the business
race, well toward the front. What they
don't know about scales, and organs and
butter, and celery compound, and spawn
cure, ism t worth knowing; while their mar
BILE and slate 90 all over the world: lumber
and spring water, with just little fizz in it,
you know, are among the immensities there |
vermont reporters know everything that !
IS going to happen before ii occurs. lust as
they do here or anywhere else. Vermont
editors hurl metaphorical figures of speech |
with as much vigor as any, keeping a
weather eye the while on Interested sub. |
scrlbers. Club rates, with the club thrown |
IN Tor the author of spring poetry, are in |
vogue there They even roll in the luxu1y
OF Wagner cars, accompanied by the fifty
cent porter, observant, cute, careful want
ing to know, you know, and generally find
ing out Oh, they are great, especially at
nome. You know them as well, far better
man /; let's give them a rest. They are
here at the Exposition, or are at home
waiting to hear about it, vastly proud of
every achievement, every success of their
sons and daughters in the wide the bound
less, the once wild and woody, but now the
booming blooming West.