Year: 1871




In the goodly town of Windham in this
State resides rollicking rough by the
name of Stephen F, better known un-
der the familiar sobriquet of "StNve," who
though "to the manner born" in his event.
full life has travelled, and done duty as
a soldier. that is, in the late war with our
Southern brethren heing overtaken by the
draft in Pennsylvania, he enlisted to re-
port for duty--in a more northern lati-
tude, and in a few days, or rather nights,
was enrolled as most useful and worthy
citizen resident among his native hills,
and engaged in the honorable and peace
full pursuit of farming.


Pursuing the even tenor of his ways
"Steve" floated down the stream of time,
with no great event turning up to dis.
turb the equilibrium of his genius, till he
fonnd himself on the first of March last
| in the possession of the lease of a farm in
Windham on which was n good sugar
orchard. He was to move into his Gown
hired house" on the 1st day of April.
Perkins, his predecessor, was to give pos
session on that day, and by the terms of
his lease from the owner all the sap buck
ets. spouts and sugar apparatus of the
wear before were to be left in clean con-
dition and stored in the house at the ter
mination of his lease.


"Steve" thus temporarily holding the
peace-or lease of the owner-soon saw
An opening through which he could ex-
hibit his business capacity, as we'll as to
show his knowledge OF the rights of pro-
pertv. and though he was more familiar
with "hlack strap" than Gonversant with
Blackstone, he knew that a man must do
as he had in writing bound himself to do,
or suffer the consequences. He therefore
Immediately notified Perkins that on the
lat DIV of April, the day he should take
possarsion. everything on the farm or
| about the Pre- misses must be found in pre-
cisely the condition, place and position
indicated by the written agreement, in
Guiding sugar apparatus, or he should
take the law of him.


Now our readers are aware that the
sugar season of 1871 in Vermont was an
exceedingly good one, and an early one
Hence in thia instance Perkins III the
month of March had the opportunity tc
make for himself good batch of maple
sweet, but on the last day of the month
remembering the threat of his successor
to be, he got help enough and pulled all
the spouts, and removed all the buckets
from the trees, aud the morn of the Isl
day of April found them all gathered
and packed away in the house and shed
into which "Steve" made his happy ad'
vent.


1t so happened that the first days Of
April were of the most propitious kind OF
"sap weather" It took the incoming ten
ant two or three days to react the sugar
bush and return the sponts, buckets and
pans to the places from which the out.
going tenant had removed them, so that
one of the best runs of the season was
entirely lost to the party most interested
in saving it.


But "Steve" in telling the story, with Q
full tide of tobacco juice dripping from
either corner of his sweetened unctious
mouth, declares that, though he lost
twenty-five dollars by making man live
up to the law and to his contract, still
he is satisfied, for it is worth something
to carry his "pint" and have his own viii
and way.


JUDGE KEYFs AS AN ARBITRAToR.-
Before the days of railroads, many farm
ers went to market with their produce
and returned with supplies for their fam
lilies They usually went in the winter
With each a span of horses and lumber
sieigh-~ueigh travelling in company
r,outual aa.tatanpn