on Sundays to drive to the village church, but, as this was her first
attempt at any thing like opposition to his wishes, he determined it
should be her last, for he assailed her with every term of abusive
language at his command, and these were not a few, for his command of
language of this sort was something marvelous too listen to, and, if his
words and phrases were not always in strict accordance with the rules of
grammar, they certainly were sharp and pointed enough to answer his
purpose very well. From the sour expression of his countenance, as well
as the biting words which often fell from his tongue, the village boys
applied to him the name "vinegar face," sometimes varied by "old
vinegar Judson." Like all village boys, they were inclined on holidays
and Saturday afternoons to roam away to the neighbouring farms. Mr.
Judson always drove them from his premises the moment they set foot
hereon, and in a short time he learned that, as the saying is, there was
no love lost between them. He one day gave one of these boys a smart
blow with his horse-whip the boy had ventured into the hayfield among
the laborers. The blow of course caused him to take to his heels, but
from that time the whole band were in league against the farmer. If he
left a horse tied in the village, he would sometimes find him shorn of
his mane, and often a hopeless rent in his buffalo; and, as far as he
could find out, the deed was done by "nobody at all." As he was driving
leisurely homeward on a very dark night he suddenly came upon a number
of boys near the end of the village street, and one of the boys called
out loud enough for him to hear, "there goes old vinegar Judson;"
another emboldened by his companion, next addressed him with the
question; "What's the market price of vinegar, old man? you ought to
know if any one does, for you must drink a lot of it or you wouldn't be
so cross and ugly." It was a very dark night, and the farmer was unable
to distinguish one from the other, and horse-whip in hand he made a rush
among the whole crowd, who dispersed in all directions. He was not agile