The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1913-09-12
WEST FAIRLEE.

From Ely Station, miles away,
A chauffeur came in a Warren" car,
To take merry crowd afar
To old New Hampshire's Granite Hills,
Where nature every portion fills
With beauty and grandeur so divine,
That it beggars conception of human mind.
One OF the travellers of whom I'll tell,
Was G. X. Hutchins, of Somerville,
In the old BayState, and two other men,
one Oh whom was Chester M,
his sole companion and only SON.
Ana Al Farson Krook, OF Royalton.
me parsons daughter from Florida
joined the crowd in the touring-caT,
ana OIL they sped through hill and vale
WIN merry laughter and funny tale.
Across the Connecticut's silvery stream
St mere the summer sunlight softly gleamsi,
through Oxford, Piermont and HaveThll,
Moodsvllle, Bath and Sugar Hill
10 Old Franconia and Echo Lake,
Where our artist thought he'd picture take
VI water and shore in outline clear,
Ana forest and jagged cliff so sheer.
lhe echo" answered our buge call
from far-oH hill and mountain tall
Then up we climbed to a farm house old,
Where we quenched our thirst with water cold
On to the Profile House" sped,
And the hungry chauffeur on chicken fed,
And long before we had our fill,
The dainty lunch box got spill
When the artist thought he'd improvement make
BY covering the landscape with salad and cake
But there, in the sight of the "Old Mans" nose,
Where the happy traveller always goes
Brambles and eggs and coffee good,
Sandwiches, fruit and other food,
We ate in the shade of the maple trees
From care. and trouble and worry free.
During lunch, on the slope of a shady HILL
Mr.. Hutchins with wonderful skill
Balanced the sandwich-box on his knee
Lest anyone eat more than two or three,
He was looking out for another meal
In case that night the auto wheel
Came off, or the tire puncture got
In some lonely isolated spot;
Lest he'd have a Weston" stunt to try
Under the start summer sky.
After lunch, the trail we took
Down the hill, along the brook,
And up again to the grand old "Flume',
Where lodges tower and sheer cliffs loom
Against the cloud-hecked summer sky,
Then, where the water dashes high
Along the rocky river bed
The parson then the party led
To vantage-point on the old board walk,
Where we could rest andlgaze and talk
OF the wondrous work of Natures hand
On which we looked-an awe-struck band
The rocks were carved with the utmost care,
And we knew that the hand of God was there
Shaping the contour of cliff and hill
And deep ravine, where waters still
Here, lay IN quiet pool,-but all
Through the ages that waterfall
Had been sending its mighty current down
TO many little hamlet and town,
While the cold Man" watched with placid fare
Days come and go, and through that space
Oh lOng-drawn years, he never slept
But night and day his vigil kept,
Till now he hears from near and far
The whistle" and ''honk" of the touring-car,
ana nunufeuS yearly come and 20
tween April sun and winters snow
To pay their homage, as best they can
TO the talthfulness of this odd Man"
Who watches while we sleep and wake
Ger the destiny of the Granite State"
Up the "Flume', with graceful pose,
Mr.. Hutchins again arose
To have his picture taken there,
Where dainty ferns and MOSES rare
Covered the Lodges, looming tall
Over the glorious waterfall,
With a box of candy under his arm
And Panama shading his face so calm,
His fame will 90 down to posterity,
For his endurance and deXterity
In doing" the mountains, that summer day,
In genuine vacation way.
Back from the ''Flume', we hurried by
The "Old Mans Basin, while the sky
Was all aElow with the setting sun,
For the summer day was almost done,
As we sped down the path to the woodland pool,
In quiet spot, secluded and cool.
After a brief rest here we went
To the Profile House," and some letters sent
70 tell our friends we were motoring
Through the mountains, and would sing
The praises of the Granite State
Whatever fortune or kind fate
Night take, US to other lands afar,
Not accessible in a motoT-car.
We left the Notch" at half-past four
And through the mountains the auto bore
Us on, down the "Ammonoosuc" stream
As the electric lights began to CLEAN
From every little village street
We passed, with pace sure and feet
But, ere the twilight shadows fell,
Of wonderful sight, III try to tell,
Discovered first by "Cheston NJ
On the Ammonoosuc River, when
With frantic call he pointed out
A flock of birds he thought were trout,
But only harmless ducks were they
Why he thought they were fish, l cannot say,
For nothing had we seen to drink
But good cold water from the river brink.
His father, emulating son,
Later on as we made a run
Df thirty-fve miles, through village street,
Threw a candy-box, at the feet -
If poor old man, by whom we were riding,
Who must have thought he'd been imbibing
more than the zephyr's cool
And the sparkling waters OF the Pool.
The "Parson" then, with his usual wit,
Made a suggestion, which surely hit
At last as we were "Fairlee" near
The Vermont border and stars appeared,
That the Man in the Moon" had gone to bed,
After spending his quarters"-for cold in his
head,
/ ad made it necessary to get "full'
Before he'd strength the clouds to pull
over his face, eer he said Good night,
md closed the shutters of Heaven tight,
ust to let the stars peep through,
IS sped along, for only few
dore miles and we would be
n slumber land, from worry free
roaming again Der the mountains tall,
Where the dews of Heaven gently fall.
iere's to the good, old Granite Hills'l
IS pleasant memories our minds shall fill
n the coming days, as apart we go,
% take up our burdens-but this we know
hat as we travel life's broad highway,
We can never know a happier day
han the one I've described as best | can
pent as the guests of the Grand Old Man.
Edith l.. Krook
West Fairlee, Vermont