Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-25
A VERMONT TOWN.
Scenes Far From the sradding Crowds Ig-
 noble Strife.
Special Correspondence.l


 England village presents a unique picture of American life. It 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 russet which will n little lat CT blaze into all the splendors of the paint CTS pallctto begins to streak tho foliage with its prophecy of winter chill and so- bricty. Tho residents arc already prepar- ing for the period of Information which they share with the bears. Some of tho quaint old fossils indeed regard social hi bcrnation as the true order of things and deplorc in speech no less quaint tho dis turbance which the gorgeous summer days bring into the even tenor of their lives, liar from tho madding crowds ignoblc strife" The young and active spirits have long since departed, or continue to depart as they grow to early manhood, and the girls (and where can you find moro charm ing ones than in such n placeg), imprisoned by their sex, wait for the delivercr to come and pluck the flower for transplanting.
 The essential flavor of the New England town, aside from its rusticity, is that 1t has only past. Of course do not now al- Jude to tho manufacturing place, which is also so big fact in New England life, nor to the rus in urbc of the outlying dormitorics which house the surplus of the city. These are characteristic of all sections This qual- 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 companioncd 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 I write may only stand as n symbol of hundreds nestled among the hills from the Hudson to the Atlantic. Ringcd with beautiful noun tains green wooded to the very crests till the great artist autumn begins his brush work, the village center stretches Il mile or more in a long, beautiful street. Noble trees cmbowcr n 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 parklikc as one looks up or down, q view delightfully."- homelike, with n trim and dainty beauty which falls most pleasantly on the eye. Two or thrrc country stores and q hotel they would have called it q tavern 25 years agO-do not interfere with tho charm of the picture, for they arc lost in the effect of the whole.
 The country people and tho city folk get along very well together, though terribly critical behind each others backs. In deed the CUuntryman Is rather glad when the summer bOardCr departs and he is left to his own devices again. One pccul- 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 n tree, every man and woman knowing the history of the ncighbOrs and their families for 100 years back, spOuting fountains of local gen calogy, fond of cynical gossip and with singular NigOr of dialctic expression, a chat with one of these originals is at all times most amusing. Family skeletons arc not locked in closets, but danglc in the o,,cn air. Tn is the thing which often makes local country humor almost ghastly, Il thing of the graveyard.
 Arlington iS ono of the oldest towns in tho state. Tho very handsome church of tho old English style is, strange to say Episcopal. and tho cemetery contains some of tho quCCrCst tOmbS and inscriptions thcrcupon possible to fancy. During the Revolutionary War the place was hotbcd of Tories, and IL k somewhat singular that many Of the most respected and well to do families of this rCgiun are descendants of Hcssian prisoners, captured at the battle of Bennington. During the first year of tho Revolution an English officer who travelled through this section of Vermont with view of stirring up lcyalist feeling made a In Icn and ink sketch of the bCautifUl mountain view through a bold notch in the hills. This he gave to n resi- dent, and in after years when Vermont became state, that sketch was chosen as its coat of arms. strange To relate
 The mountains in this part of tho state have many abandoned farms, n fact curi- ous in its social and economic suggestion. In drive Uf "a miles any direction one plcaScs he " i'll sec extensive fields being overcome by the forest growth, whence they wcrc hcwn Hn"re' than a century since, spa cious farmhuti. 2~ empty, moldCring and fast going tn ruin. Many of these places thus rCVCr;irg to nature and barbarism have, however, ECrn bought by people of wealth Ter 'EmHtCr homes, as they general ly CUnu:CEl ti:V most romantic and pic turCS4UC "urIuui:tiinEs and are easily transfurmrL into ,liEhtfuI country seats. This tendency k incrvasing as the cxuuis- itc beauties 0f NvnI0nt scenery and its healthy. cs'.liurating climate become bet ter known tI the rapidly incrcasing leisure class. \Cr"0nt has suffered q curiousIy rapid dCCHGt rCC of the sheep and lumber ing interests fer several years. Yet it shows healthy if slow growth in ropula- tion and general prosperity in spite of its abandoned farms. J. Q. ELLIS.