The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-04-26
No Drcamsd OF Old Vermont.


Seventy-nve years age there was born
into large family Of boys and girls the
18th boy. Their home was on ione OF tbs
many beAutifal Hill farms OF southern Ver-
mont. This boy, whom We will follow,
grew up petted as most babies are, went
through college and located In the far west
where ponsnzs town grew up around bt
aoldings and 1850 he was well fixed and as
he bad for years dreamed OF going home
into Vermont and seeing again his boyhood
home, OF again drinking the pure cold
water at the spring In the orchard where
the incest apples grew, OF again sitting
under the big elm in front OF the house and
feasting his eyes on the green mountains
in the east and the beautiful Battenkill
valley at his feet, OF seeing the glorious
sun rise on the Taconic range and the
golden sun set climb the eastern ridges, in
fact he had money and be longed for the
and of his birth. Early one autumn
morning the New York q Montreal flyer
stopped at the station nearest to his old
home and he with grip In hand, walked
toward the place OF his birth. The dis
tance being several miles he leisurely walk
cd along the old familiar road, a moon past
the full giving plenty Of light. Now he
had In all these absent years never written
nome, for all his family had gone away
and the farm had lspsed into what Is
Rnown as an abandoned hill farm" yet In
nis dreams 1t had always been the same
bright and sunny home OF his boyhood
dsys. Just as the sun touched the green
peaks above the old home he turned
bend 10 the hill road and come In view OF
the old house, or what was left Of 1t. The
old veranda with Its knotted pealed hem
lock posts painted green with the knots
painted bright red aud woodbine running
over them, was gone and also WAS the OLD
long cheese house and wood shed In the
rear. The horse barn across the road WAS
gone and the big COW barn was nearly bare
Of shingles and fast going to ruin. Hail
the window glass was gone and old rags,
pieces Of tin and boards took their place.
lie stopped AMI sat down on an old familiar
rock where he had played when boy forty
years before; the same mountain and valley
scenery was before him, but his old home
was ruined. Tears Of sad memory ran
down his face but he dashed them aside
and strolled up to the old house and a. he
aid so big, burly, ragged, dirty man came
out with an Ak to split some wood for fire
TO cook breakfast with, and soon bevy OF
dozen or more dirty and half naked urch-
ms came out,jabbering foreign language.
The wife also came out and conversation
wholly unintelligble went on but the man
only spoke In pigeon english hardly inteli-
iglble. He lived there free OF rent and cut
wood for the owners. After few days
he Vermonter went back to bis western
come. Years rolled by the, boom died out 10
ais town and left him poor and discouraged.
n ith the few dollars he could scfape UP b'
gain came back to die neal. his old home.
When he got there he. found rich city
nan whose father used to work on the old
farm when be was q boy, had bought 1t a.
sumner home, hat built q iiLe rev house
aud barn and expended thousands Ct doll
ara on roads, shrubbery etc. Itetwomet,
recognized each other and now the bonanza
sesterDer 10 working rs care ltaker OF the
premises that WAS once his fathers farm
and the man who pays him WAS orce the
1t lie red headed, bare footed boy who
used to drive cows for his father and TINS
same mans father used to be very poor and
wor ked on the farm for els month and
lived In the old cheese house In the. rear OF
the house. Such scenes ss this are being
enacted each year in. Old Vermont. The
ons and daughters 70 out into the world
md prosper, some continue 10. others
long for good Old Vermont and get back II
hey can while Others who never saw Yer
mont or II 80 left 1t poor come back and
ouild and occupy some Of the best lard
and iiaest scenery in New Eaglapd.
81 CLONE
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