84 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



fuel— as a timber, it is hardly inferior to the wal- 

 nut ; and the white osh for many uses is without a 



f'val- . ., • .1 



A remarkable feature in Kearsarge as in other 

 hi<^h luounUins Is its humidity, in consequence ol 

 winch it is mucli less affected by drought than the 

 low o-rounds. There is more water in tlie higher hills 

 and niountains than in the plains below. The rea- 

 son is they are a constant source of attraction to 

 the clouds ; and from them the rain storms gener- 

 ally commence. Ascending perhaps a thousand 

 feet up Kearai^rge, while the falling dew and mist 

 was insufficient to dampen the surface dust below, 

 upon the mountain every thing, the grass, and the 

 limbs of the trees, were dripping with wet, and 

 the ground was not only damp but changing into 

 thin mud as it was trodden upon. 



The cap on Kearsarge failed not in its sure in- 

 dication ; for the storm of refreshing rain follow- 

 ed on the next two nights and days. The south 

 wind blew with force, and the scudding clouds fol- 

 lowed each other to the northward towanls the 

 sources of the Merrimack river in the mountains 

 near the White Hills. The rain at Concord came 

 not in any unusual quantity— during tlie part of 

 two days and nights the supply was considered to 

 be hardly enouglito answer the wants of suffering 

 vegetation. Before Friday evening it was observed 

 that the river began to rise ; no one suspected that 

 it could rise much. On Saturday morning our at- 

 tention was first called to an unexpected rise on 

 our own premises) and from six o'clock. till noon 

 of that day it made a more rapid rise than we had 

 ever before witnessed in the same time, haying 

 risen in the course of twenty-four hours all of ten 

 feet and within a few inches of its maximum height 

 of the iiresent wet season, and covered many acres 

 of intervale near this village. There had been a 

 great rain at the north among the mountains, the 

 quantity increasing to the very sources of the 

 river. 



The mountains are the parents of the waters 

 which irrigate and fertilize the countries below. 

 The clouds are first gathered upon them. When 

 we see the fog resting upon the mountains, or when 

 we see the mists arising into the air from their 

 sides, we may ahvayo anticipate an expansion of 

 the clouds and a discharge of rain within the en- 

 suing twenty-four hours. The storms of either 

 snow or rain first begin upon the mountain tops.^ 

 Frequently does the cloud rest upon the top of 

 Mount Washington, (nearest of any elevation in 

 New England to the region of perpetual congela- 

 tion,) thi-oilgh the day, and the rain or snow there 

 continue to fall for many hours, while it is fair 

 weather and a clear sk}' all around. 



Tlie rain storm which succeeded the day of our 

 annual State election exemplifies the fact that tlie 

 clouds fly towards any object in a colder or more 

 elevated region on which to accumulate and dis- 

 charge themselves. One might suppose wlien the 

 wind blew from the south that the storm would 

 there commence and longer continue. Not so with 

 the rain to which we allude. The quantity was 

 less and less as we go tov.'ar3s the place from which 

 the wind came — tlie clouds gathered blackness as 

 they were driven further into the north, where the 

 rain first commenced and longest continued. A 

 southerly wind, continued sharply for a longer or 

 shorter time, is a rain-maker. We have known 

 such a V/ind raise a storm at the contrary point at 

 a considerable distance sufficient to raise the Mer- 

 rimack river two or three feet, when tliesame wind 

 did not even overcloud the sky in the firmament 

 over our heads- 



Mr. Edw.ird Emerson, of HoUis, informs us 

 that Burdock Leaves are a cure for the Slabbers, a 

 common disease of horses. He has used them for 

 the last three years, and always with success. A 

 suffering horse, fed with a very few leaves, will 

 find relief in a very short time. Mr. E. says his 

 horses will eat these leaves always when diseased, 

 and at no other time. 



The Toad. — There is no animal more inoffen- 

 sive and useful than the toad. As a protector of 

 young garden vegetables from worms, his services 

 are invaluable. A neighbor of ours gathers all of 

 these animals about his garden, and builds tempo- 

 rary burrows to which they may retire for protec- 

 tion under a hot sun. The toad goes forth in the 

 shade of evening or when clouds cover the sun, 

 and so exceedingl}' quick is he in his operations 

 that the eye cart scarcely detect him when he poun- 

 ces upon his prey. It is said that the toad, if pro- 

 tected near a cabbage garden, will entirely clear 

 that vegetable of the lice v/hich are sometimes so 

 troublesome. 



For the Farmer's IMniillily Visitor. 



Musings. 



" mile I mused, the fire bvrneil." 



1 love to muse v/hen the moon is up 



In the deep and clear blue sky ; 

 When yon star han.is out like a pearly drop 



Of dew on the beech-tree high : 



When the din of noise is hush'd to rest, 



And the sleeper's pulse is still ; — 

 When the redbreast dreams on her downy nest 



By the side of the bab'ling rill. 



I love to feel at this quiet hour 



The fresliness of youth again ;— 

 To set me down in the moonlit bower, 



To list to the night bird's strain ; 



And to dream once more the boyhood dreams 



That my young glad spirit knew. 

 When my footsteps rov'd by laughing streams. 



And my hours in gladness flew. 



I love to look on the lightning's path, 



As it blazes through th"! sky ; — 

 To liear tlie the thunderpeal's voice of wrath 



When the storm-cloud rolls on high. 



And well do I love, in the time of Spring, 

 When the buds begin to swell ; — • 



When the bluebird sits in the bush to sing, 

 On His boundless love to dwell. 



Who gave to the moon its mellow light. 



And who hung the stars on high, 

 And gave to the pensive hour of night 



A light that is dear to the eye; 



And who flung around my youthful path 



The halo of hope and joy ; 

 Who grasps the thunderbolts of wrath. 



And bids them not destroy : 



Who bade the seasons in order roll. 

 And with verdure clothed the plain ; 



Whose laws the hosts of heaven control, 

 And calm the boisterous main. 



Such thoughts as these can inspire the soul 



In its darkest hour of gloom ; — • 

 Can gladden it onward to its goal. 



Through the darkness of the tomb. 

 Dorchesfer, May, 1840. S. C. 



And vet this good woman had not indicated in her 

 manners to the young man that she even saw him. 

 Here there was no expression of the real feeling, 

 no covrtcsij. 



I have often seen men in steamboats, in stage- 

 coaches, in churches, and other pulilic meetings, 

 rise ami give their seats to women, and the women 

 seat themselves quietly, without a look or word of 

 acknowledgment. And so with a thousand other 

 attentions which are rendered, and are received, 

 without any return. A void such discourtesy, my 

 young friends — it is not only displeasing, but un- 

 just. We actually owe some return for such ci- 

 vilities, and a courteous acceptance is, in most ca- 

 ses, the only one that can be made. These little 

 chance courtesies are smiles on the face of manners, 

 and smiles are like sunshine — we can scarcely 

 have too much of either. 



Want of Courtesy. 



BY MISS SEDGWICK. 



The most striking and prevailing defect in the 

 ma'iners of .-\inericans is, ! believe, a want of 

 courtesv. This has probaljly arisen from the gen- 

 eral equality of rights, eonditi-n, and education. 

 And it arises in part from tliat inauralse huntc, or 

 shyness, characteristic of our English ancestors, 

 from whom we inherit it. A little reflection and.moral 

 cultivation would soon remedy this defect. What 

 do I mean by courtesy, and how is the want of it 

 shown, do you ask ? A few winters since, a well 

 bred young foreigner came to the interior, and took 

 lodgings at a village inn, for the purpose of learn- 

 ing the English language. To facilitate its acqui- 

 sition, he generally preferred remaining in tlie re- 

 ceiving room of the tavern, where travellers were 

 passing in and out. His writing table was placed 

 before the fire. Wlien the women came shivering 

 in from a long drive in the stage coach, he moved 

 his table to the coldest corner of the room, mend- 

 ed the fire, drew chairs near it, and, if they brought 

 in foot stoves or blocks, he found the best place to 

 heat them. He then returned to his own uncom- 

 fortable seat and pursued his writing or reading. 



The women profited by his civilities, without ap- 

 pearing to notice thein. During the whole winter 

 lie never received one word of acknowledgni'vnt 

 — not one "thank you, sir," or, "you are very 

 kind, sir," or what would have seemed inevitable, 

 " pray, dont take that cold seat, sir." What was 

 the polished stranger's inference .' Certainly that 

 the Americans were a most discourteous, if not a 

 cold hearted peojile. 



Cold iiearted we are not. These women were 

 probably generally impressed with tlie young man's 

 attentions — one of them, 1 knew, in relating her 

 travelling experience at her own fireside at night, 

 said, she " never should forget a young man at the 

 tavern in S . She thought she should have di- 

 ed with the cold before she got there ; and when 

 she went in, he moved away from the fire, and gave 

 the rocking chair — hung her cloak over the back 

 of another, and warmed her block for her, and did 

 every thing just as if he had been her owrt son !" 



Give your boys a trade. 



With the exception of a very few specially de- 

 signed to fill the learned professions — and these 

 may for the most part be confined to those who are 

 physically unable to get their living by hard work; 

 all boys at tlie age of sixteen, having previously 

 been well educated at school, should be put to some 

 useful trade. No parent is faithful to his sons, or 

 looks out well for their future prosperity, who suf- 

 fers them to grow up without an early designation 

 of the business they are to pursue, and an educa- 

 tion specially adapted to qualify them for such bu- 

 ncss. He who enters upon manhood without a 

 trade, as a farmer or mechanic, or without a pro- 

 fession, is put afloat on the uncertain sea of life 

 without any destination in view, and without rud- 

 der, compass or any of the other means of a suc- 

 cessful cruise. He is sent forth amidst society as 

 a mere loafer, an injury and a pest. 



It would even be well for boys intended as law- 

 yers, doctors, ministers and merchants, to acquire a 

 trade. Should they succeed in either of those pro- 

 fessions, they would yet find meanwhile much con- 

 venience from knowing how to cultivate the earth, 

 or to use tools; but should they not succeed, a 

 trade would be of vast importance to them as an 

 ultimate and safe resort under the vicissitudes of 

 fiartune. 



A good trade is a thousand dollars to a young 

 man. It is worth more than money as an inherit- 

 ance ; for this "nay fail ; that never will if he be 

 industrious. We think well of those institutions 

 of learning, where tlie tedium of study is occa- 

 sionally relieved by employments in some mechan- 

 ical occupation, promoting health of mind and 

 'oody. — Alton. 



The mechanic's Avife. 



A working man needs a working wife; but to 

 the qualities of mind, manners, and morals, she 

 cannot run too high in the scale. — There is an er- 

 ror prevalent concerning this. Giles saj's, " I do 

 not want a wife with too much sense." Why not? 

 Perhaps (iiles will not answer; but the shrug of 

 his stioulders answers, " because I am afraid she 

 will be an overmatch for me." Giles talks like a 

 simpleton. The unfortunate men who have their 

 tyrants at home, are never married to women of 

 sense. Genuine elevation of mind cannot prompt 

 any one, male or female, to go out of their proper 

 sphere. No man ever sulfered from an overplus of 

 intelligence, whether in his own head, or in his 

 wife's. 



A proper self-respect should teach every noble 

 hearted American, of whatever class, that he can- 

 not set too high a value on the conjugal relation. 

 We may judge of the welfare and honor ot the 

 community by its wives and mothers. Opportuni- 

 ties for acquiring knowledge, and even accomplish- 

 ments, are happily open to every class above the 

 very lowest; and the wise mechanic will not fail 

 to choose such a companion as may not shame his 

 sons and daughters in that coining age, when an 

 itrnorant American shall be as obselete as a fossil 



Away with flouncing, giggling, dancing, squan- 

 dering, peevish, fashion-hunting wives! The wo- 

 man of this stamp is a poor comforter, when 

 the huisband is sick or bankrupt. Give me the 

 houscirtfe, who can be a helpmate to her Adam : 

 For notiiing lovelier can be found 

 In woman, than to study household good. 

 And good works in her husband to promote. 

 I have such a mechanic's wife in mj' mind's eye; 

 gentle as the antelope, untiring as the bee, joyous 

 as the linnet; neat, punctual, modest, confiding. 

 She is patient, but resolute ; aiding in counsel ; 

 reviving in troubles; ever pointing out the bright- 

 est side, and concealing nothing hut her own sor- 

 rows. — Anon. 



