Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-10-05

on the back of u Jolly old man. WI
carried cane Ia one hand. rife in III,
otAst: blaok dog serving as scout
skiSn,isher and rear guard-that wa
abe size Of IL They were the survivors
Of ruined home in the north Of Yer.
mont and were travelling for into thr
valley Of the 81. Lawrence. but witt
no particular destination.
Midsummer had passed them in their
journey. Their clothes were covered
with dust, their faces browning IN thu
hot sun. 1t wns very small boy that
sat inside the basket and chung to the
rim, bis tow head shaking as the ole
man walked. He saw wonderful things
day after day looking down at The
green fields or peering into the gloomy
reaches Of the wood, and he talked
about them
"Uncie 3d. is that where the swifts
0re?" he would ask often, and the Oh,
man would answer NO; they amt
real sassy this time O. year. They lay
round in the deep dlngles every day"
Then the snail voice would sing idly
or prattle with an imaginary being
that had a Mbit of peeking over tn
edge Of the basket or would shout
greeting to some bird or butterfly nnt
ask finally:
Tired, Uncle Eb?'
Sometimes the old gentleman would
say Not very and keep on, looking
thoughtfuily at the ground. Then.
again, he would stop and mop his bald
head WITH q big RED handkerchief and
say, LITTLE tremcr of irritation in
his voice: Tired. Who wouldn't be
tired With big elephant like you on
his back all day? I'd be 'shumed O
myself t. set there an let an old man
carry me from Dan to Beersheba. Git
out now an shake yer legs"
was the small boy, and I remember
1t was always a great relief to get out
of the basket and, having run ahead,
to lie in the grass among the wild flow
ers and jump up at him as he came
along.
Uncle Eb had been working for my
father five years before l was born. He
was not a strong man and had never
been able to carry the wide swath Of
the other help in the fields, but we all
lowed him for his kindness and his
knack of stS,y telling. He was a bach
elor who came over the mountain from
Pleasant Valley, little bundle Of
clothes on his shoulder. and bringing a
name that enriched the nomenclature
Of our neighbVhood. 1t was Eben Hol
den.
He had q cheerful temper and an i'm
agination that was very wilderness Of
oddities. Bears and panthers growled
and were very terrible in that strange
country. He had invented an animal
more Teacherous than any in the
woods. and lie called it a swift. Sum-
thin like q panther" he described the
look Of it-a fearsone creature that lay
in the edge of the woods at shutdown
and made a noise like woman crying
to lure the unwury. 1t would light ones
eye with fear to hear Uncle Eb lift
his voice In the cry Of the swift. Many
time in the twilight when the bay OF
hound or some far cry came family
through the wooded hills l have seen
him lift his hand and bid us bark. And
when we had listened moment, our
eyes wide with wonder. he would turn
and say In n low, half whispered tone,
as swift" ! suppose we needed
more the fear Of God, but the young
children Of the pioneer needed also the
fear Of the woods or they would have
strayed to their death in them.
A big bass viol taller than himself,
had long been the solace of his Sun
days. After he had shaved-a cercmo-
ny SO solemn that it seemed rite of
his religion-that sacred viol was I'M
covered. He carried 1t sometimes to the
back piazza and sometimes TO the barn,
where the horses shook and trembled
at the roaring thunder Of the strings
When be began playing we children
had to get well out Of the way and keep
our distance. remember now the look
Of him then--his thin face his soft
black eyes, bis long nose. the suit OF
broadcloth. the stock and standing col
lar and, above all. the solemnity in his
manner when that big devil Of thing
was leaning on his breast
As to bis playing, have never heard
q more fearful sound in any time OF
peace or one less creditable to u Chris
tian. Week days he was addicted Il
the milder sin Of the flute, and aftel
chores, II there were no one to talk with
him. he would sit long and pour his
soul into that magic bar of lockwood
Uncle Eb had another great accom-
plishment He was what they call II
the north country "a natural cooner.
Aftor nightfall. when the corn wa'
r1penins, he spoke IN whisper and hae
bis car cooked for coons. But he loved
al kinds Of good fun.
30 this man had a boy in his hear
and q boy in his basket that evening
We left the old house. My father ant
mother and older brother had beer
drowned in the lake. where they hat
gone for day Of pleasure. ! had thel
. small understanding Of my loss, bu
I have learned since that the farm wa
not worth the mortgage and tina
everything had to be sold Uncle FL
and la little lad. very little lad o
six-were all that was left of what ha
been in that home. Some were for send
ing me to the county house, but the
decided finally to turn me over to
dissolute uncle, with some allowanc
for nv keen. Therein Uncie Eth was I