74 THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 



to us in order to be used, and that if a man will only use 

 them, he can do about as much as he wants to. 



Folks especially think that a bookish man can not know 

 any thing about practical matters, and that a minister is as 

 likely to ride a horse with his face toward the tail, as any 

 way. I am afraid that such people do not go to meeting 

 as much as they ought to, and that they do not know 

 enough about how ministers live. If there is any class of 

 people that are not in danger of rusting out, that have a 

 plenty to do indoors and out, and know how to do it in 

 the best way, I am sure they ll be found among the clergy 

 in this State. 



And it has always been so in this region, from the first 

 settlement of the country. In the country parishes, they 

 thought they had not done the clean thing by the minister, 

 until they had provided a small farm for him, and made it 

 a part of the settlement. Shrewd men, those first settlers 

 of Connecticut were. They knew that a man with his wits 

 sharpened in college would beat them all hollow at farm 

 ing, if they gave him any thing like a fair chance. They 

 put them on small farms and small salaries, to keep them 

 within bounds, and even then, they generally beat their 

 parishioners, and raised the best crops, and brought up the 

 likeliest families in their parishes. Only two per cent of 

 their children turn out poorly, and if that don t vindicate 

 their claim to good management and a fair share of com 

 mon sense, then I am mistaken. 



And I guess they haven t degenerated much in the 

 present day. There is no set of men in the State that 

 take any more interest in farming, and raising fruit than 

 the ministers. They take hold of the societies, give ad 

 dresses, and talk about as much to the point, as any ora 

 tors we get on such occasions. And this is all orthodox 

 doings out here, and I think they preach all the better for 

 stirring around among folks, and knowing what they are 

 thinking about. They were men before they began to 



