The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-21
A VERMONT TOWN.
Scenes Far From the MsddinE Crowds t.
noble Strife.

Scenes Far From the MaddinE Crowds t.
noble Strife.
Especial Correspondence.l
ARLINGTON, Vt, Sept. 1.-THE New
England village presents unique picture
of American life. 1t is best studied in the
early fall, the time OF picturesque decay,
for the mood of nature fits the social fact.
The Fictitious quality of the outside world
in the shape of summer boarders still lin
gers, but the russell which will little lat
or blaze into all the splendors OF the paint
er's palette begins 10 streak the foliage
with its prophecy of winter chill and So
briefly The residents are already prepar-
ing for the period of Information which
they skars with the bears Some of the
quaint old fossils indeed regard social hi
bernation as the true order of things and
deplore in speech no less quaint the dis
turbance which the gorgeous summer DAYS
bring into the even tenor of their lives,
far from the m2dding crowds ignobls
strife. The young and active spirits have
long since departed, or continue 10 depart
a. they grow to early manhood, and the
girls land where can you find more charm
ing ones than in such plsces), imprisoned
by their sex, wait for the deliysrer 10 come
and pluck the flower for trsnsplanting.
The essential flavor of the New England
town, aside from its rusticity, is that il has
only a past. OF course I do not now al
lude TO the manufacturing place, which 10
also so big fact in New England life. nor TO
the rus in urbe Of the outlying dorInitories
which house the surplus OF the city. These
are characteristic of all sections. This quail
ity is essentially that of the commonplace.
The accent of the eastern hamlet is
mostly reminiscent. The western village,
on the other hand, lives intensely in the
future, however barren its present. Each
man wakes and sleeps companioned by the
airy phantoms Of hope and tingles TO the
finger tips with grit and go.
Yet the typical New England village
has a charm most fascinating and individ-
ual, and the place where / write may only
stsrd az symbol of hundreds nestled
among the hills from the Hudson to the
Atlantic. Hinged with beautiful noun
tains green wooded 10 the very crests till
the great artist autumn begins his brush
work, the village center stretches q mile
or more in long, beautiful street Noble
trees embower a roadway 100 feet wide,
inclusive of the strips of green lawn which
border it. All the houses, with pretty
grounds around them, are without fence,
and the prospective is parklike as one
looks up or down, a view delightfully."-
homelike, with trim and dainty beauty
which falls most pleasantly on the eye.
Two or thne country stores and a hotel
they would have called ii r. tavern 20 years
ago-do not interfere with the charm OF
the picture, for they are lost in tho effect
of the whole
The country people and the-city folk get !
along very well together, though terribly |
critical behind each others backs. In |
deed the countryman is rather glad when
the summer boarder departs and he is
left TO his own devices again. One pecul
iarity Of the New England village is the
number of quaint originals among the
people. Hard, angular, full of dry humor,
close listed as bark on a tree, every man
and woman knowing the history of the
neighbors and their families for 100 years
back, spouting fountains of local gen
ealogy, fond of cynical gossip and with
singular yigor Of dialetic expression,
chat with one Of these originals Is at all
times most amusing Family skeletons are
not locked in closets, but dangle in the open
air This ic the thing which often makes |
thing Of the graveyard.
Arlington is one of the oldest towns in |
the state. The very handsome church Of |
the old English style is, strange to say, |
Episcopal, and the cemetery contains some |
of the queerest tombs and inscriptions /
thereupon possible to fancy. During the 4
Revolutionary war the place was a hotbed 1
of Tories, and il is somewhat singular that |
-
families Of this region are descendants Of ,
Hessian prisoners, captured at the battle /
OF Bennington. During the first year OF /
the Revolution an English officer who |
travelled through this section Of Vermont I
with view Of stirring up lcyalist feeling 4
made a fine pen and ink sketch Of the /
beautiful mountain view through bold 4
notch in the hills. This be gave to a resi-
dent, and in after years, when Vermont /
became state, that sketch was chosen as
its coat OF arms, strange 70 relate.
The mountains in this part OF the state .
have many abandoned farms, a fact curl /
Gus in its social and economic suggestion.
In drive OF 20 miles any direction one
pleases be will zee extensive fields being /
overcome by the forest growth. whence they 4
were hevn more than century since, spa
I4ous AarmhOS-so empty fuo4ctIAHS *1d
last going 20 ruin. Many OF these places
thus rcverting 10 nature and bsrbSrls:n
have. however, been bought BY people %
wealth for summer homes, IS they general
y commend the most romantic and pic
-uresque Surroundings and ara easily
transformed into delightful country seats.
This tendency Is increasing a. tie eIquis-
te beauties q Vermont scenery and 10
healthy, eIhilarating climate become bet
er known % he rapidly increasing leisure
lass. Vermont has suffered a c1rioUslT
-apid dscsdeEoe q the sheep ard lumber
ny Interests for several ycars- Yet u
hovs . healthy y slew growth IN Fop1ls-
Jon and general prosperity n spite II ia
.bssdoasG fsrsaS J. q. ELLI&
On r-aafa.-f rInrr rc,riE.. n. IN narrr |