News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-04-29

airy they were back once more and this
time their mother and sisters came with
them.
Religious services were held from time
barns. The preachers bad diversity of
gifts. The Revolutionary veteran accus-
toned to the dignity of the church estab.
lishment as he had known it in Connecti-
cut noted in his diary in mordant tone
that he attended a barn meeting and
heard "crazy D preach, or try to
preach" While an attendant upon such
occasional services, he depended largely
for religious edification upoh the perusal
of the Bible of which he was a constant
reader. A copy had been brought with
him on his first journey into the woods.
When the quiet of Sunday came he Otter
read several books of the Old or of the
New Testament and then walked out to
"view the improvements" of his farm.
He had always possessed.a certain gift
for the writing of satirical verse. His
tendency to indulgence in this exercise
may be judged by the fact that he wrote
and preserved verses while tenant of
the Jersey piison-ship, the follies of GER
Tain officers who were among the pris4
oners furnishing substance for sarcastic
comment. AS advancing years brought
him leisure he found in political themes
suggestions for the further exercise of
this talent. An ardent Democrat the the
cries and acts of the, Federalists were an
inviting target. In these northern woods
he kept up custom he had always fol-
lowed in Connecticut, and small patch
of tobacco plants struggled for preca-
rious Existence in one corner of his field.
He solaced himself with an iron tobacco
pipe, proof against all ordinary accidents.
Not many years had passed in the
wilderness before the family circle was
broken. The grave of the youngest daugh-
ter was made in one of the cleared fields.
AFTER few years the veterans compan-
ion thro nearly half a century was buried
beside her. Ia the late autumn, before
the coming of the first snow, the settler
would walk about his farm and returning
would stand for few moments beside
the graves. He became too feeble for
active muscular work but the spirit of the
old French wars and of the Revolution was
strong. Day after day he would walk
about his fields and on his return record
with satisfaction the destruction of so
many hundred, or perhaps thousand
thistles. Then he would read section
of the Bible, perhaps from the wars of
the Jews with Canaan, or possibly from
the Epistle that tells us we wrestle not
with flesh and blood but with principali-
ties and powers. Always student OF
the scripture, during the latter part of
his life the veteran read the Bible entirely
through, several times each year.
At last the end came, in the year when
the second war with England was break
ing out. The wind greeting the site of
the old farm house and whispering
through the pine branches speaks of him,
aud of such as he, who laid the founda-
ton of state and it drifts the snow
above his grave as it has done for m ore
than century.
The wind is no longer heard. 1t has
gone to join it's companions in the north
land, to wander among the forests OF
Canada and along the shores of Hud-
scn,S Row IT, has hreathed its stories by
the way and the fire it has famed
has sunk into mass of glowing Goals
over the surface of which fit all the
scenes of which the wind has told.