The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-06-16
SELECTED STORY.
A Trying Day.

TMr, Editor:-The following gives such 6
vivid glance of real New England he sew
enty-fve or one hundred years ago. that
thought it too good to be passed unnoticed
1t was arranged and read before literary
society in Oregon, by a great-great-grand
daughter of Alexander Clark, one OF the
first settlers OF Shelburne and a grand
daughter of the late stephen Taylor, whC
married Abigail, daughter OF Joel Clark
They emigrated to Oregon some fifty-si,
years ago, and were seven months making
the journey with an OK team. Mrs. Taylor
lived to a good old age, and was wont TO re
late to her grandchildren the incident O
her early life at the old homestead in the
eastern part OF Shelburne; the same house
and farm now owned and occupied by A. L
Graves. 1t is made up Of incidents and say
ings true and characteristic Of the old peo
Pile and the names will be recognized by
many living to-day. B.F.s.l
Early morning was always busting
time in Joel Clark's great kitchen, in
old Shelburne, hundred years ago,
but this was soap making day, and
therefore extra early and especially
busy.
Joel's wife, Rachel, had the huge
brass kettle swung over the fireplace
and was watching the odorous mixture
with little frown between her eyes,
while she stirred it slowly with long,
wooden paddle.
Patience D-ew,--the house maid
stood by the table, and with a wooden
cloth and some fresh brick dust was
securing the pewter plates and porrin-
gers used at the early breakfast. She
said, " Well, I'm proper pleased, Mis-
Clark, that you took just this time to
bile that soap; Mis- Deacon Fisk made
hers last week, right in the wrong o.
the moon, and such salvy mess,
think / never see before in all my life :;
you can't get good jelly soap-if it'll
come at all-unless you take the right
time for it,"
"Well," said r ,chel, 81 never would
try to make soap at all, without study
ing the almanac"
In the room beyond the passage-way,
old Alexander Clark was fumbling at
his coat, and looking desperately at his
shoes; but to man of ninety years of
age, buttonholes and shoe buckles are
evasive things; 80, with sort of i'm
patient snort, Alexander took up his
cane and went to The kitchen to find
Rachel.
"What in time, my child, does all my
waist-cut? Nv fused till Pm clean tired
out"
"Why, father" shouted Rachel to
deaf old man, "you've buttoned the
top button into the middle button-hole."
"Eh! Why mol Well, sure enough.
Now, do see what's got into my shoes"
"Why, you've got into the wrong
ones, said Rachel, laughing; those are
mothers shoes, and your heels stick out
over the back; here's a pair of Joel's
old slippers; put these on"
"Pretty difficult, Rachel, hain't ~"
said the old man, wistfully.
"Ohl no, father, that's nothing; just
see what a fine May morning it is. Is
mother up yet?"
"No, not yet. I'll get few fagots
and fix up the fire in there" he
answered, hobbling out at the open
door.
"Mercy, l must fix that fire, before
father gets at it, and sets the house
afre," said Rachel.
Here, Patience, you stir the soap;
pour in little cold I've if its like to run
over; better put some chips under, the
first thing" and snatching the bellows
from its hanging place, on the wall,
she hurried away, while Patience gath
cred up her homespun apron, to hold
the chips, and ran out just in time to
see grandfather chasing the pig about
the garden; and before she could stop
the disaster, the pig dashed blindly
into the kitchen, with grandfather in
hot pursuit. Finding his retreat cut
off, his pigship took, naturally, the
open passage to grandmother's room;
when confronted by the astonished
Rachel, who dropped the bellows in the
ashes, and sprang 10 her feet, the pig
turned, to encounter furious dig from
grandfather's cane, which sent him with
q squeal, to the center of the room, and
seeing, as he believed, means of es-
cape in the window at the back of the
bed, he scrambled to the center of
Rachel's quilt, and began hurried
up and down poor grand
mothers helpless anatomy.
"Take that, will ye? Have at him."
shouted Alexander, prodding contin-
ually with his cane.
"Woof, woof," snorted the pig.
"Why, he's KILN me-" shouted
grandma, while in the general uproar,
Rachel was trying in vain to make her.
self heard, and screaming, Father,
stopl do stopl Finally, getting thor
oughly alarmed for her mother-in-law's
safety, she laid violent hands on grand
pa, and setting him down backward,
into an easy chair, she proceeded to
eject the now almost frantic pig through
the front door, showing him out, and
giving an emphasizing whack with the
ever convenient broom, then turning
to the old gentleman, she said,
4" Father, l see Uncle Johnny Stuart
coming. You just come out in the
kitchen and talk, while get mother
up, if she amt killed, and get your
breakfast ready"
After having explained the situation
in the kitchen, to Patience, she said,
SNOW watch father and Uncle Johnny,
and if they get to quarreling, call me-"
A few minutes later, Alexander and