Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-08-24

ceiyes them all al the gate, running to
welcome them, and fits them out with
| the best he has to offer in the way OF
crowns and harps, But when he comes
60 look for them later, they are gone
gone back TO their beloyed'hills and for.
ests, their rocky upland pastures and
their rushing brooks No celestial bliss
could compeRsate them for the loss OF
Vermont
Several times have happened, when
seated among strangers al a dinner or
luncheon table in New York, to catch a
! flying home word, such az Mount Equ-
nOX, the Mettowee River, or simply
| Vermont, Then have invariably lost
the thread Of my own particular dis
course, and have sought TO trace the
magic syllables to their course, "Are
you from Vermont" Eyes, are your
'Woodstock, " Dorset.
was not born in Vermont. The hope
lessness of the handicap has often de-
pressed me- and ! would gladly make the
most transcedent mess Of pottage which
modern cookery might suggest for any
native who would sell me his birthright
! would put lots Of hard cider in II and
serve il with dOughnuts and cheese,
The reason for all this local devotion is
in some ways obvious enough, Vermont
is a small state, rather sparsely inhabit-
ed, somewhat cut off from the rest of the
world by its mountain ranges and its self
sufficient habits, II has good deal to
be proud of in its stalwart history and
in the perennial beauty of its hills and
valleys, II is not very plastically open to
new impressions, and, once having
made up its mind that it likes itself
better than anything else, II holds the
preference Its inhabitants do not travel
much, and their roots so deep
In our little valley the people have a
deep mutual affection, Yet many Of them
seem under strange and crotchety kind
of need to try out this fact with continual
challenge, TO subject il to constant proof
of the most drastic sort Neighborhood
feuds are a recognized feature of our
common life. They are frequently quite
dramatic, Although their elements are
invariably Of the slimmest and scantiest,
our genius knows how to make the most
of them, and we put them together with
deft skill of which we are justly proud,
A vagrant COW trespasses once to often,
a new fence is built and boundaries come
in question, water right Is challenged;
and if conditions are favorable, the
neighborhood wakes to an excited eX-
change of beligerent details Tele.
phone wires murmur dlscretely and
heads meet over gates.
They say it means a lawsuit this time,
81 swears he wont stand it no longer, He
went right over an got the ladder he
loaned EN- six weeks ago and he bribed
the road commissioner to put all the
loose stones in their front yard
Haven you heard? Why, Jim's so
afraid Sin shoot his dog that he sets up
all night"
This so of thing interests US i'm
mensely, as tits intended to. But it does
not trouble US. We are amazed at the
cutlery of the friend from the city who
happens to be visiting US at this time.
Oh, what shame! 1t ought to be
stopped. A lifelong friendship dissolved
in minute Do you suppose could do
any good as peace-maker?' Dissolved
w Udl a WUlu. w e HdlB VII W bNl Shll 10
lest she 60 over and dissolve all our
fun and work some real disaster. For
there is one thing about Vermonter,
when he triumphantly gets himself into
a particularly successful position of diff
ficuty and danger, he simply must be
let alone to work his way out. Other
wise, there is no telling what grave
harm may result, If the friend from
the city, properly warned and sup,
pressed, fingers among us week or two
longer, she learns a lesson in human
nature, As suddenly and inconsequen-
italy as they flew apart, 81 and jim
drift together some evening, hands in
pockets, eyes very matter-ot fact above
lurk ing quizzicaness; and without a
word of apology or explanation, begin
discussing the weather. Then the rest
of US draw long sigh, spicily mingled
of regret and relief, and go about our
business,
People from the outer world are s.an-
dalized at our apparent indifference
toward the shortcomings of our commun-
ity. But why aren't you doing some
thing about it? Why don't you try to
help them save their souls?" All, but
a Vermonter's soul is peculiarly his own
property, and he resents interference.
For we are different, there is no doubt
about it. We are unconsciously re-
dictionary.
Circumstances and traditions have
trained US to self-reliance. People who
blame US for this must remember the
sort of place we inhabit. Great noun
tain ranges come thrusting themselves
between villages of the same township;
and there is hardly farmhouse that is
not separated from its neighbors by
some kind of hill. Our winters are
long and very severe, freezing US,
burying our homes, taxing our ingenuity
to keep ourselves alive. Our summers
are short and difficult, with capricious
weather and uncertain crops, which we
have to coax and wiring from our stony
soil Altogether, there is little that is
ameliorating in our environment, and
everything that is challenging and hard.
We like it for that very reason; we
owe to realize ourselves in opposition.
But we admit that it does not make for
atfabilty.
We are not quite sure nowadays just
what turn our common destiny is going
to take in the next few years. A mount
ing tide of vacationers has set our way,
and during the summer months we are
inundated by it. We welcome it, of
course, for it means more money in our