Year: 1865




In the town of Peacham, Caledonis
County, there resided in days long gone,
the facetious and eccentric Judge Mattock.
he was man noted for his dry humor,
quick wit, ready reply, strong native tai
ents, and eminent judicial abilities, and in
his day and generation, held prominent
position in the State and upon the bench,
to which he was at once, both an honor,
and an ornament The following anecdote
is still fresh in the minds of many. The
Judge and his wife had been visiting some
friends in the southern portion Of the State,
and when on their way back we're over
taken by snow storm. He still kept on,
nevertheless, anxious to reach home, as the
week and the year were both drawing to
close but in passing the residence of an
old friend, he was intercepted, and induce
ments offered to him to pass the night un-
der his roof AS it was fast growing dark
and the prospect of reaching the next sta
tion not very fattering, he concluded to
stop. After seeing his fine old Morgan
brown safely stabbed and fed, himself and
host adjourned to the house, where after
doing justice to the well spread table of
Vermont fare, he sat down to enjoy bis
pipes and an evenings conversation, with
bis friend and his si9mily. The judgetook
the precaution to mention two or three
times in the course of the evening, that it
was habit of his, to bathe or sponge HIM
self all over with cold water every morn
ing. That, to it, in great measure, he
attributed his general health. The good
lady of the house, from these quiet hints,
very thoughtfully supplied his sleeping
apartment with large tin pail of water,
together with the necessary apparatus
wherewith to perform his morning ablu-
tons. In due time the Judge and his wife
were shown to their room--which was
situated at the head of fight of stairs
that led directly up from the kitchen into
the room, and unprotected at the top, by
balusters, railings, or ought to prevent
fall and broken head,-where their host
bidding them good night" left them TO
seek their much needed repose. The
judge smiled as be surveyed the result of
his gentle hints, as eyinced in the pail and
its surroundings, but the laugh was not TO
be all on one side. The first of January
broke clear and cold on the following morn
ing, and the judge arose and proceeded TO
his accustomed aquatic performances. The
water in the pail had frozen over during
the night, and in breaking it the Judge
spilled quantity of water, and in pour
ing it into the bowl he spilled still more,
which froze almost as soon as it touched
the floor. The judges wife censured his
awkwardness, as she surveyed the little
pond frozen about the head Of and down
the stairs. The judge put on his slippers
and stepped manfully up to the water pail
which sat near the bead OF the stairs, TO
begin; when unwittingly stepping upon the
ice, his feet suddenly went out from under
him, and aecou.ered as he was" slid
bump-bump, ,thump--down stairs through
the door,-whose hasp gave way before
his weight and impetus-right into the
kitchen, fill length, where the women folks
were busily preparing breakfast. Getting
upon his feet as quickly as possible, he ex-
claimed, "Ladies. 1 aciM you Happy
Neso Year I" and skipped up stairs, follow.
ed by bursts of laughter from occupants Of
the kitchen, whose culinary operations were
thus ludicrously interrupted. - Vernon
Record.