Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-25
The Major. Pegasus and l.
Or IN, Pleasure. Of one vacatio" Drive


~. - ., ms summer residence. distance |
e IA milo. more or less He invited me /
70 accompany him will at once hluI"- /
duce myself as Mrs. Major. NO" ! an
assilv led tins time consented TO be drl'- /
ON though with some reluctance. ior Wnau
acquaintance / had with our new morse uIu
moi tend to confidence, for he haa "a uee'u
ed preference at times 20 standing on wv"
legs instead of four as nature had IilDeu'
ed and reason suggested that lTlshl
borse and nervous woman might prove "a
had combination. But the Major was san
yuine and prevailed.
We had heard and read much OF the
pleasure derived from carriage drives
through the country, and decided ~ seen
the experience
He selected what we considered WIS.,
and abbreviated number OF articles neeuIu.
for tine Journey procured "a man 10 sIanN
guard at Pegasus head, ana began uue
storing away process into our covered pug
~. We soon realized the 'depravity ui
lnauimate things but with much ingenui-
ty on his own part. and unappreciated al
vice on mine. the result. when covered
with the lap robe had the appearance Oh
our having taken our week washing with
Us
our neighbors evInced a smiling interest
as we hastily clamOered IN and each hung
one foot out at side of carriage nunheI
90" on my side as precautionary measure
with an eve To- jumping. a number N on
the Major S side for lack of room % besto"
10 elsewhere The man was ordered O. 'let
gu which he seemed more than ready u
do fegasu. was guided toward the west
and we sped along amid that silence which
So uumlstakablv proclaIms O couple 60 Dee
man and wife
AID went well until few miles from
Boston we met man leading COW. oar
horse began at once to scrape an acuualnt
ance. at least our carriage wheel scraped
a stone watering trough. while Pegasus
scraped the SKY The Introductory civil
ties were short and sharp. hut with the
drivers help soon ceased. and our Journey
was still Westward Ho
The MAJOR now remarked that the horse
needed exercise and ne would try 10 ae-
/ commodate him. which ne proceeded TO do
/ for the next 10 miles at the close Of which
we struck long bridge with loose rafting
/ planks at sound of which our morse proved
ne had only been crawling before Had
the bridge neen long enough We should
nave speedily reached our journeys END
indeed feared we had however the diff
i Guilty was soon 'nrIdgeu over
Before starting We had fortified our
selves with d hearty beetsteaE breakfast
. but our digestion seemed T. have been
greatly aided and We hailed with delight
J. the prospect Of dinner and rest as We ap-
urOachei a village ] nall medltated evaa-
INK the Major ana clipping on the car. pu,
as though OWNING the thought the Ma 1r
gave m, ua opportunity. and after te"
hour. RES. we again embarked ol our
perIlnI- vovlc. suffice % tua- our uu
urlu- sJecl ,uiea lImrel and bo.ted Unit
at close ., day about +N miles had peel
rIt between u- and Boston
uusA. ana note. were simultaneously
apparent. and entering tile latter. du~tE
tire. and feeling that llie held but f."
illusions uu- views were uu- radically
changed uy the cheering influence of iev
kerosene lamp, and the touEnness Of tue
peeisteak oi which we partolk. tnel
later We courtei the nightmare amid til,
tangible darkness aud awful silence OF Q
night III the country
someone mas said "gulhbiIty spring
eternal IN the human breast SO witt
cheerful spirits the next morning we be
gan the ascent OF hills steep and long
Now the MAJOR. out OF the kindness OF m
heart usually carried MS own POO pound
up the hills while out OF cowardIce IN
sisted on carrying my bones down the hills
. ov alkluC through dust and neat ",
were forcibiy reminded Of
Jack spratt could eat no fat
. his wife could eat no leah.
Ana thus between them both they licked tn
platter clean
Now guide boards are supposed TO b.
erected for the benefit OF travelling stranE
ers. but we found their directions SO am
blguous that "Sairey Camp IL her mos
inspired moments was comparatively lucid
There was one though that All ected US con
sIuerAby, il evidently mad fallen complete
iy over and had been placed IL an ailoln
InC field, where II leaned against the wa
IN the most reckless and hilarious attitude
the nnger of the guiding hand poInur
directly nomeward. The ma lor remRrke
we were not going that way. but did nc
feel SO sure and finally accepted 1t as
bad sign After recklessiv decliln
. which road We would travel We took {
= betting on results ana what money W
possessed SO constantly changed hands Tn
? Major often had TO borrow enough Of IN
, lucky woman TO pay expense.
We finally resorted to Inuuirlug our wa
from house 70 mouse, or OF people wnou
we met. and after OBTAINING one Cood-nl
tured old farmer for sometime j apologize
- ana remarked LAal We were green II tina
section lie gave us critical look al
eucouraglng.y remarked ne guessed W
would ripeu We partially agreed wit
nm but were fearful OF the price we wer
Z paying
Apace the second night drew nigh an
lust about dusk we approached IA plac
which We s1udderIngiy named 'aoomina
D ton of desolatiou Il was Il table-iand.
think, covered with a tangle of brust
9 wood tall rank weeds, graveyard an
hootinC owl, all well mixed We eve
j shook the whip over Pegasus and al hou
later found us chewing our seventh col
j securve Deefsteak We only hoped on
teeth and courage would last
The day following as we drew nigh 70
I bridge SO peculiar IN construction ana al
S pearance that II must nave been planne
by a mailman. aided 10y mis- Satanic Maze
" We awaited, with trembling. deve
opments from Pegasus We were not di
~ appointed only later We pronounced
) Developments. The Major finally ian,
E ed ms possessions IL detachments on Il
. other side
j. After some such pleasing episode ! NJ
ticed tendency on the part of the MaiC
= to make what l called personal remark
touching on the conduct of "screechiu
women IN general and one in particula
II my memory serves me right the remark
were replied 10 with proper spirit
At noon of the last day we were scare
iy seated in the hotel before bedlam seemt
to have broken loose III the stables "
-. ;