The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-12-18
The Christmas Car.

Trains on the Erie e. Kalamazoo
rair0 d used to run at terrific rate I;
at least it seemed 80 to the Colgtovs
children, who lived in log house some
twenty rods from the track. Now we
know very well that cars rarely trav-
eled over twenty miles an hour in the
days When railroads were first intro
duced into this country, and that
twenty five made sensation, and peo-
pie would NOPE and lawn in such
conveyances at the present time.
But The trains on the Erie q Kala-
mazoo railroad went so much faster
than an ox-team, that, to the Colgrove
children, they appeared almost as if
flying; and the queer little family Of
almost iunumerable tots regarded them
as something in the celestial line. They
thought, or thought they thought, that
the iaring little smoke.siack, with a
sieve over the top to keep sparks from
spreading, was the head OF an angel
dark accomplishment, to be sure; that the
cranks and drive wheels might at any
moment develop into wings, and float
the whole outfit over woods and through
clouds; and that the men who could
ride on such a glorious creature, and
control it, were themselves something
more than human. Then, one day,
when they saw the driver, or en-
gineer," as he was called in those re-
gions, pull lever and hurry the speed
little, they thought maybe the crea-
ture was relative of the magic horse
described in one of the old books in
their grapdfather's chest; which singu
lar steed had peg in the shoulder, that
had simply to be turned to make the
animal go and come as the rider liked.
They were kind of helpless lot of
little creatures-the Colgrove children
for their father was an itinerant cler-
gyman, away from home most of the
time, and their mother spasmodic ill.,
valid, who could not do much toward
employing or anu ing them.
About all the folks they ever saw,
except their own selves, were the peo-
pie they caught glimpses of on he train
as it passed-about the only bit OF out
side world they had ever known. To
BIZ sure, now and then a hunter, or
woodchopper, or travelling preacher
came that way; aud there were few
peighbors, at very long range. Opce
the nearest schoo-ma'am rode up to The
door n large raw-boned horse, came
in for a minute, and talked with the
children; she was very interesting TO
hear, and good looking, too, they
/ thought-in the same way hat the
clouds are before storm. She was
very much surprised to find that the
children had somehow taught each
other to read and could even write and
cipher, in their queer, unsophisticated
little way; and she asked them why
they didn't 60 to school. Their little
legs answered that-beiug only of the
usual length, while the school was
six miles off, through swamps and
" swales."
But she was terribly surprised at the
questions they asked her, in such quaint
and sometimes eLigmatical language.
Their father, kind of refined, college
bred Peter Cartright, was q scholar,
and had filed them with classical
stories, as well as Scriptural ones; be
had even insisted on their being given
classical first names, and they had taken
all their ideas of the outside world from
him. Their mother was an uneducated
woman, though bright one; and they
had taken their dialect from her. They
attacked the school teacher with such
queer little que stions as this:
School-mom, how did it happen
that Remus hoped over the wall SO
easy? An didn't Ro n'lus ought to be
hung for KILN of him?"
School-ma'am, do you s'pose Di-
ogenes' lantern made much of show
in the day, time? AM was it tin, like
fawther's, when he goes to feed the
COW, or did it hev little glass winders
in it?"
School-mom, did you ever see Sind
bad the Sailor, or was it before your
timer"
School-mom, now don't you s'pose
Tanterlus when he stood in the water
clear mp to his chin adyin' for drink
don't you s'pose eff he had watched
sharp he cud ducked his head, an
got swaler, when Juperter wasn't
a-lookiu'?"
School-mom, don't you s'pose Pro
methus cud hev KEEP the eagle frum
eatin' of him all that long time, eff he
had took liver-remedy?" etc., etc.
"Ain't it most time fur the train?'
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