The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-18

will play like kittens in the bright sun shine. have often watched a bunch Of them jumping over each othsr and having great fun, as We crept up to their cooling holes in "lee of the sun" As the good old miller (the Izaak of our day) used to put 1t: Its the arly boy with the arly worm that bags the trout" But early or late there was no worm could bag sly Ben, the big trout that for years made his home under the dam Of the old Falling mill. He was never caught with hook and line. being too wise for the green goods boys of those days. So we must judge of his size by the eyes of those who saw him as he lay in the shadow of the dam flaming hls sides with his great yellow fins.
 Said a near neighbor whose bedroom window looked into the dam and whose ''iish stories have a record:
 He was the biggest trout that ever lived in these parts. and when he jumped out to catch bat or light a muskrat he looked as big as stur. geon." And so now I will belay my yarn with a story of one of my an cestors who lived on the river bank al Deborah ford, just below where Is now the stone bridge.
 The old trail road running from Quin' nipiac to the farms of Totoket and te that gem of lakes, Lonotononket, "tht tear of the Great Spirit" so well an swering Claude Melnotte's" description before the vandal hand of the railroad scared its fair bosom.
 "A fair lake, shut out by Alpine hills from the rude world" wound down the hill to the right of the present bridge. One Sunday at the close of the morn Ing service a meetings" member arose and asked that "ye holie men who die dignify ye meeting remain as he had ( very serious charge to make with mucl confusion to make before Lord God ant | ye meeting"
 | He then stated that he had seen tn, deacon upon that holie Sabba da! shoot to the great disturbance of y, holie neighbors some black ducks. Tht deacon Ca most independent character to the mortified meeting acknowledged 1t was true and made his statement That he had been unable to obtain y, staff of life for the Sabba day and tha he had that morning from "sun up wrestled long with God that He wht did send food to Elijah when hungeret would now send food to His hungeret household. As he came out of his doo to dignify ye meeting flock of duck did settle in the stream and paddle to wards him with great bobbing y, heads and wagging ye tails"
 1 He had no doubt, had he waited God time, they would have padded into hi, dinner pot, but being "short CT time o ye meeting and knowing the nature o ducks, he opened his flint lock upoi them and shot by sight and not b! faith. "Now I argue if the Lord Got sent me ducks for dinner on foot or ol wing or unpicked would be tarnatiol fool not to accept them with thank full heart, Sabba day or no Sabba day
 "I will cook ye ducks and eat " ducks myself and household with grac and reverence, and if this confession d. undignify ye meeting let ye holie mel pass ye sentence"
 We have no account. of .ye meeting decision, but have no doubt that tn deacon asked blessing upon the duck and ate them with great satisfac ction t. his stomach and the stomachs of hi household; and that the meeting, a was the custom in those days of robus religion, when questions arose relatin, to the tankard and the trencher, passet over the matter lightly, trusting tha the eater of unholie food would be tn only sufferer.
 And now, Messrs. Editors, woul, like to air my town pride. It is thi fact: I am told, and I don't remem Der, that any murder has been com mitted in this town that can be re membered since its first settlement 1644. Think of that, ye other towns Think of 1t, ponder and reflect.
 Farm River. -