THE FARMER. 39T 



might be cause of alarm ; but in the fact-, which every individ- 

 ual citizen, man, woman and child, cannot fail to see, that it is 

 the best government in the world, and that it is his personal, 

 individual interest, to sustain the government of the United 

 States. 



He is aware, however, that he is now in by no means the 

 most fertile portion of liis beloved country ; that there are other 

 States than Massachusetts, where, beyond doubt, the immediate 

 results of his labor will be greater than here ; where but a 

 small outlay will purchase considerable tracts of land, from 

 which he can realize immediate profit. In the great Valley of 

 the father of waters, he can find his prairie home, and with 

 much less toil, he can surround himself with abundance. Tbe 

 facilities of travel are now so improved and multiplied, that 

 the time and expense occupied by his removal will be of little 

 account, and often can he revisit the home of his youth. Do 

 we not see now that his mind is evidently wavering ? Well-bal- 

 anced and true as his judgment is, can he resist these powerful 

 inducements, these fascinating prospects of ease and affluence ? 



Call we now to our aid the genius of Massachusetts. With 

 deep regret she views his wavering tliought, she cannot lose so 

 noble a spirit. At least before he decides to go he will listen 

 to her argument. Plain but regular in her features, sliglitly 

 but firmly and gracefully formed ; radiant in health ; not sump- 

 tuously arrayed, but with robes of richness rather than splen- 

 dor ; proud of her family, which she traces back two centuries 

 to the May Flower ; with modest mien, but in the confidence of 

 conscious virtue, and patriotic motive, she thus essays the argu- 

 ment. 



You have spoken of the rich prairies of the West ; but can 

 you fancy tlie dull monotonous employment of sowing and har- 

 vesting grain always upon a dull, monotonous level surface, out 

 of which the sun rises gloomily in the morning, and into which 

 he sinks in solitary sadness at evening, staring with his great 

 white eye all day ; his glorious light xmdivided, unvaried l>y the 

 beautiful prisms of nature that everywhere surround you here; 

 the mountain, tlie forest, the vale, the river, the cloud ; violet, 

 indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and all the variety of 

 their combinations. Here can you realize the sublimity of the 

 simple but wondrous words, " God said let there be light, and 



