Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-08-08
AN ENCHANTED PLOUGH IN CON-
NEcTICUT.
Three Attempts to Win Reward or
fered by Its Eccentric Owner.


ham, became head of the house.
In Cotton Mather's time one Wndham
was burned at the stake for owning this
pillow because 1t was said to be enchanted.
And those who saw Eli Windham de-
stroyed supposed that the pillow was
burned also, but in some way 1t escaped
and came down the generations to Har-
vey.
He had heard musty old traditions con-
corning the rusty old pillow and one day
he hunted It up in the barn and found 1t
to be an uncouth implement, indeed.
Now, Harvey Windham was an odd
sort of fish, as will be seen If you read
the advertisement that he inserted in the
Rockton Leader.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
To the one who knows how to run the
Windham plough, which is 26O years old,
| will give, in addition to his board and
lodging and a dollar a day, 20 acres of
my best land Apply, ready to begin
work on Nav 90
Those of the nelghbors who read 1t
said: Just like Harvey. Hair-brained
and whimsical"
on the morning of the goth. thin,
spindllng-looking youth of about
eighteen, named Tudor came to the
house at daybreak and asked to see Mr..
Windham.
"I've come to do that ploughing, sir"
said he when Mr. Windham opened the
door.
Harvey looked at him curiously and
then shook his head.
You're not old enough and you're not
strong enough. / can give you work at
cleaning up the woodshed, but l wouldn't
think of letting you touch that plough"
The lad looked disappointed but he
saw from Harvey's manner that it would
be useless to say anything further just
then. However without wasting any
time in repining. he went out to the
woodshed and began to tidy IT up, and
while he was at work the second appi-
| cant come It was now o'clock.
This man was a slouchy looking fellow
by the name Of Charles, and Harvey felt
that he would not be able to do much.
But he was strong enough. certainly.
I'm after that 20 acres. Where's the
plough" said he.
Now Harvey did not like Charles's way
of talking and he said
Hold on until l hire you. Maybe you
wont do"
II never saw a plough yet that l
| couldn't handle. and If I don't do the
work you want in two shakes of a lambs
tail you needn't pay me a cent. But I'll
| get the 20 acres; see II don't.
Harvey was of a mind to tell him that
| he didn't want him. but he certainly was
| strong enough. so he took him out to
the lot on which the plough was to be
| tried and there It stood with strong
little horse hitched to it.
did YOU ever handle a plough like
| that" asked Harvey.
mo. and nobody else since Noah died"
| said the man. still can do It,"
well. do your best. I'll come back in
an hour. That will be time enough to
| tell whether you are able or not"
Now in the first place. Charles didn't
| believe that the plough was enchanted,
| nd in MIA 70 en- foolish
as TO call 1t names. 1t is not to be ex-
pected that an enchanted plough is going
| to do his prettiest for a man who calls
| him names.
| This one acted like balky horse. AS
soon as the man put his hands on the
handles 1t began to back so fast that the
! horse had hard work to keep up with 1t.
The man just escaped being damned
against a stone fence.
But his blood was Up. and he grabbed
| the handles once more and dashed the
horse with the reins and the plough
started off so fast that the horse had to
| gallon TO keep ahead of 1t.
| But II did not plough up any earth: II
merely scratched about a quarter inch
| of the surface and chased the poor horse
around and around the field until he
| dropped in his tracks. and when Harvey
| came back to the lot Charles was alter
| natelv kicking the horse and the plough.
Here. I'll have no workman who is
| cruel TO dumb beasts or who gets angry
at inaminate things. Here's a dollar.
| Now go. I was sure that you couldn't
| handle that plough"
Quite crestfallen, Charles took the dol
lar and walked away slowly. and the
little horse rose to his feet as fresh as
when he had first come out.
Harvey looked up and saw another man
| approaching. This one said his name
was Edwin. although Harvey had not
| asked him.
I'm afraid you can't handle this
plough" said Harvey.
''Why not? Amt I strong enough?"
asked Edwin.
You're strong enough. but it's en-
| chanted."
Enchanted your grandmother" said
| the man in a very disrespectfu tone.
| Harvey. who didn't happen to have a
grandmother. nevertheless told the man
| to be silent.
This is a free country. and I'll talk
when I want to. If this is an enchanted
| plough, then I'm a fairy"
Certainly the latter proposition was
not likely and the picture of Edwin as
a fairy so amused Harvey that he for
| got to be angry-which is one of the best
| forms of forgetfulness.
| AS before, Harvey did not stay to
watch the man, but went back to the
house. But the man was vexed that
L
show his power over the plough.
Then. too. he did not like Harvey's
| evident contempt for him, and he growled
and grumbled as he took up the handles
and started the plough The horse
walked right along pulling the plough
| after him, but instead of making a good.
deep, straight furrow the plough simply
| unearthed one rock after another until
there was n chain of rocks from one end
of the field to the other
| earth and freedom from stones. The
could trot and the stones were thrown
TO one side, and when Edwin reached
| the other side of the field he chuckled to
think of the harm he had done.
'I believe it is enchanted, and I'm glad
now that I did It, He'll be careful how
1 he speaks TO me the next time"
And now Harvey returned, and when he
saw the evil that Edwin had wrought he
was very angry.
There was not a stone bigger than a
pebble in that lot until you came" said
he, "lf that is what an enchanted plough
| In the hands of a malicious workman
can do, want you to stop work at once.
Here's a dollar and now go and seek
work elsewhere and try to be civil to
folks, for If you had been well disposed
you could have earned the 20 acres. You
can handle the plough If you want TO
but I don't call crop of stones the re-
suit of good handling"
The man took his dollar and went of
muttering, and Harvey returned to the
house leaving the horse and plough In