90 



THE FARMER'S xMONTHLY VISITOR. 



soil and cultivation. Since the decense of the late 



able editor of the G.abinet(Franoia S. Wiggins,Esq.) 

 Mr. Tedder, who wrote much excellent matter lor 

 the Cabinet, has liecoine its editor and conductor. 

 The paper is publislied by Messrs. Kimbcr and 

 Sliarpless, booksellers, as wo«4ii appear from their 

 names descendants of the Quakers who first set- 

 tled the land of William Ponn. 



Young pretenders in any occupation, naturally 

 more susceptible to impressions of vanity, are more 

 e.tcusable for proclaiminsr their own merits. Young 

 as we are both in the business of the farm and in 

 conducting an agricultural paper, our readers will 

 e.vcuse the copying of an opinion of the value of 

 our eflbrts froni a man having so much experience 

 as Mr. Pedder. We have gathered from our read- 

 ing that Mr. Pedder is aforeigner by birth, and that 

 he is well acquainted witli that agricultural prac- 

 tice in the Britisli islands of Jersey and Guernsey, 

 situated near tlic French shore of the British chan- 

 nel, which on a small extent of territory has yiel- 

 ded probably a higher amount of production than 

 any other part of llie agricultural world. The ex- 

 perience of a man thoroughly acquainted with such 

 a country must be vaUnible beyond that of most 

 others : that experience, judiciously applied to this 

 country, will make of him a most valuable conduc- 

 tor of an agricultural newspaper like the Farmers' 

 Cabinet. VVe wish him success in his new occu- 

 pation, and hope to be assisted in our efforts to 

 make the Visitor useful by the knowledge we shall 

 derive from the productions of his pen. 



''The Sl.riped Fro'.h !" — There is no article^ of 

 dress more comfortable and convenient to the far 

 nier than a frock. How long the ladies have pos- 

 sessed this name as an article of their dress we 

 know not : a lady's frock is now quite a common 

 appellation of fashion. It means, we believe, that 

 outside garment formerly called a gown or some- 

 times a slip ; and can be considered as nothing 

 more nor less than an invasion of the rights of a 

 sturdy farmer in taking the name of a garment to 

 him most necessary and useful. Again, gentlemen 

 who had rather look on than do work in the field, 

 as well as clergymen who work for the good of 

 souls, have taken to themselves the article which is 

 the most important item in the lady's dress, and 

 put on the gown. The most unfeminine article of 

 all is the Striped Froch. When the editor v.as ten 

 to fourteen years of age he used to wear sometimes 

 in winter a striped woollen frock open before with a 

 knot tied in front, and over that perhaps a good tan- 

 ned sheep-skin leather apron. This is not exactly 

 the kind of comfortable frock intended : it is a stri- 

 ped woollen frock, neither open before nor behind, 

 which covers the body from the neck to below the 

 knees, and may be worn, either in cold weather or in 

 warm, over coat and waistcoat, or without either. 

 In cold weather a thick woollen frock is of more 

 value in keeping the body warm than a cloak or a 

 great coat — it prevents or hinders no exercise or 

 labor: in the hottest weather, throwing off every 

 thing else to the shirt and pantaloons, it shuts out 

 the heat and absorbs that perspiration wliich is ex- 

 tremely inconvenient after it has saturated gar- 

 ments near the skin of exclusively cotton or Inien 

 fabric. Such a striped frock as this the editor has 

 procured and wears when he goes to the field. 



Opening an enclosure covering eight pages of 

 beautit'ul manuscript in a female hand from a neigh- 

 boring Stale, we were struck with the heading of 

 " TIlc Striped Frock." We thouglit, at first sight, 

 if some fair one had scented out the garment and 

 was thrusting it in our face from motives of derision, 

 we should not much value her good or bad opinion. 

 We knew we had many times met — nay, that we 

 had recently called on gentlemen farmers much 

 more worthy that name than ourselves, who were 

 dressed in striped frocks ; and \vc cared not a fig 

 whether our lady correspondent intended to treat 

 us with s'jorn, or thought us to be unworthy of 

 '* good society." 



Our first impressions did the lady injustice. 

 From the post-mark we were not prepared to re- 

 ceive such an essay as would do credit to the pol- 

 ished writer of the city ; but we are free to declare 

 that for beauty of chirography, terseness and pro- 

 priety of style, and elegance and delicacy of sen- 

 timent, we have never taken in hand a manuscript 

 drawn by male or female, that could claim superi- 

 ority to the communication for the Visitor which 

 we give belov/. 



We have not time to read many of the tales of 

 im.ngination which abound at tlie present day, and 

 winch are essayed eitiier in aejiarate volumes or in 

 the literary periodicals, and of course are not an 

 accurate judge of the merits of these works. We 

 think The Striped Frock exactly adapted to the 

 Farmer's Monthly Visitor. If ths story be a fic- 



tion, it "holds the mirror up to nature" in several 

 cases within our personnl knowledge. Tlie lady, 

 whose head invented and whose hand has drawn 

 the picture, deserves our thanks : her essay may 

 be tiie nu'aus of inducing hundreds to choose that 

 honorable employment whicli will secure to every 

 man, under the blessing of Heaven, an honest liv- 

 ing, and will teach all such a.^ have once " put 

 their hand to the plough, to look not back." 

 Fur the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 

 The Striped Frock. 

 " Tliere, Lucinda, you cannot help admitting 

 that we have had a fine walk this afternoon," ex- 

 claimed Caroline Hale to lu-r sister as they entered 

 their chamber after a rural excursion. It was a 

 sultry August day, and Lucinda, instead of an- 

 swering her sister, threw off her bonnet and fast- 

 ened back the blind from the open window. " Now 

 yon are not willing to own that we have had a plea- 

 sant walk,' continued Caroline, "because you 

 went so reluctantly." — "You know, sister, that 

 mj' reluctance was on account of the extreme heat 

 and a trifling indisposition. But I feel better for 

 the ramble, and must say it was more agreeable 

 than I anticipated. I will admit what will please 

 you yet more, that I liked our company, and was 

 interested in the conversation." — " That's a good 

 girl," said the laughing Caroline ; " I supposed 

 you would have said that the Russells were osten- 

 tations, trifling, superficial, or sometliing of that 

 sort." "You know I do not intend to be censori- 

 ous, Caroline, and as to j'our gallant of to-day, I 

 could not express any opinion. He devoted his 

 attention so entirely to you, that I have had no op- 

 portunity of becoming a critic with regard to him. 

 His sister is a pretty girl, and seems to enjoy her 

 visit to our little town extremely. I love our own 

 scenery so well that I cannot help feeling interes- 

 ted in every one who admires it." — " Lucinda, I 

 believe I like home well enough, but I never can 

 think as you do about our rough hills. They do 

 well enough for farmers who want sheep-pastures, 

 but what there is about them so very beautiful I 

 never could imagine. I always wondered what in- 

 duced fither to settle here. He might have estab- 

 lished himself in some more pooulous place, have 

 had more genteel society, and lived in very differ- 

 ent style from what he does now, even if he owned 

 no more jiroperty." — "Very likely he might, Caro- 

 line, but you know father is not very ambitious a- 

 bout innking a show. We have often heard him 

 speak of the change in his opinion.s and feelings 

 since his youth. He says he thought then tliat 

 wealth could make him happy, "buf he feels now 

 that a contented spirit nud domestic affection are 

 better than gold. I think we both ought to profit 

 by his experience." " Probably you will, Ijocin- 

 da, for, as mother says, you are all father to the 

 very core. For my part, I dislike quite so much 

 cant about republican habits. If ever I marry, I 

 mean to have a man who is not afraid of being too 

 fashionable and stylish. I am sure we have seen 

 mother afflicted so much by fither's odd notions, 

 that I think we ought to profit by //fi- experience." 

 Lucinda for a few minutes did not answer. She 

 knew there were weak points in her mother's char- 

 acter, but she hesitated about making them a sub- 

 ject of conversation, even with her sister. But 

 she reflected that Caroline was younger than her- 

 self, and had ever been her mother's pet. She felt 

 pained to perceive daily the influence exerted over 

 her younu mind by her mother's vanity and indis- 

 cretion. After some consideration, she rej>lied,"our 

 mother is a good, amiable woman, Caroline, and 

 we are both deeply indebted to her care and kind- 

 ness. I sliould be sorrv to say a word that would 

 diminish vour respect for her, but you knov.', sis- 

 ter, she is very much influenced by aunt Kimball. 

 Now aunt Kimball does not consider tiiat what is 

 perfectly proper for herself and daughters in such 

 a place as Boston, would he almost ridiculous for 

 us. Their dress and customs are in accordance 

 with their station, and with the dress and customs 

 of their associates. So are ours. We even dress 

 better than most young ladies in our circle. True, 

 we w'ear calico and gingham dresses at home, in- 

 stead of expensive silks and muslins, and father 

 requires us to assist in liousehold duties. I believe 

 we are happier for it. Your own understanding, 

 Caroline, if you consulted if, would teach you the 

 foolishness of our wearing fifty dollar shawls and 

 thirty dollar bonnets in such a place as S — . Our 

 extravagnuce would be censured by our best 

 friends. How should we look walking out as we 

 have this afternoon, through bush and brier, dress- 

 ed like ladies promenading in Cornhill.-' Even our 

 sensible city acquaintances would laugh at us. — 

 Probably Franklin Russell, with whom you hive 

 chatted so much to-day, will not respect 3'ou the 

 less for having your dress adriptcd to the ix-casion, 



and something like that worn by our country com- 

 panions. I am sure "mother wishes to do every 

 thing for our good, but I think she does not consid- 

 er what is best and most becoming in our present 

 circumstances." 



I do believe, Lucinda, that if you were settled 

 among the Choctawa, you would think it was best 

 to paint and dress like a squaw. I know, after all, 

 what makes you talk so much about fitness and 

 propriety. It \s because Nelson Newliall wears a 

 striped frock, and you think it is well adapted to a 

 man who holds plough, and 'drives his team afield.' 

 As for myself, I never was in love with a striped 

 frock, and never intend to be.'' This, as Caroline 

 anticipated, was touching Lucinda in an extremely 

 sensitive point, and slie did not attempt to reply. 

 She immediately found lier services were required 

 below, and hastily ran down to make arrangements 

 for the evening meal. 



We have now introduced to the reader the two 

 daughters of 'Squire Hale, a gentleman of consid- 

 erable property and influence in a pleas.int country 

 town in the interior of Massachusetts. He was a 

 self educated man, of unbending good principles, 

 and, without being a genius, was posses»ed 'if .in 

 uncommonshare of what is denominated "common 

 sense." Beneath an exterior not remarkably pol- 

 ished, he concealed a heart and temper which 

 would bear the strictest scrutiny. He settled in 

 Massachusetts in his youth, and had "never chan- 

 ged nor wished to change his place." Why should 

 he .^ lie possessed the confidence of the commu- 

 nity, was happy among his friends, and his family 

 ranked among the first in the county. Some 

 twenty-five vears before the commencement of our 

 tale, he became accidentally acquainted with Miss 

 Caroline Osgood, a young lady from Boston. She 

 was extremely pretty, and her bright smile and 

 fascinating manners made a hasty conquest of his 

 henrt. He was not the man to marry, however, 

 without trying to consult his judgment. He knew 

 she was not striving to cultivate her intellect, but 

 she said she loved reading, and he was sure he 

 wanted nothing blue about a wife. If she loved 

 reading, that was enough. Then she had not been 

 accustomed to any domestic employments, hut if 

 she wished to learn the proper management of a 

 household, what could he easier .' Besides his in- 

 come was already sufficient for a comfortable main- 

 tenance without the assistance of a wife, and Miss 

 Osgood's property would increase it. She was 

 certainly amiable and cheerful, and he doubted noi 

 would render his fireside happy. Nothing less 

 could be expected, then, considering he was already 

 in love, than that judgment should decide in favor 

 of offering her his hand without delay. It was 

 done accordingly, and after she had consulted all 

 her friends, who pronounced it a "good match," 

 the offer was accepted, and in due time she became 

 Mrs Hale. 



VVe would gladly tell our reader that after tha 

 acquisition of a companion so lovely, 'Squire Hale 

 found himself perfectly happy. Truth, however, 

 would not warrant such a statement. For a time 

 he considered himself so, but wa^ ere long 

 forced to feel his disappointment. ///.•> interest 

 was not Af»' interest ; his most valuable friends she 

 lio-htly esteemed. She professed to respect them, 

 but they were so cnuntrified, had so little polish or 

 refinement, that they were scarcely fit for a lady's 

 parlor. She did not think it necessary even to su- 

 perintend her domestic affairs, but employed her 

 hours in reading novels, and in such trifling work 

 as was little better than absolute idleness. She 

 expected unlimited indulgence, made extravagant 

 demands upon his purse, and determined to guard 

 his doors from the familiar intrusion of the unfash- 

 ionable people who had been her husband's former 

 acquaintances and friends. 



'Squire Hale saw all this with uneasiness and 

 anxiety. He found his authority must be interpo- 

 sed, or his home would never be the home of his 

 heart. He labored to convince his wife of her folly, 

 and even went so far as to put a veto upon ma- 

 ny of her plans He loved her and attributed her 

 faults almost wholly to education and inexperience, 

 and by firmness and j'idlcious management, after 

 a long time, succeeded in eradicating many of her 

 notions. Two lovely daugliters at length claimed 

 her care, and implanted in lier heart such devoted 

 aff'ection as made her in many respects a different 

 woman. 



After some few years her husband had almost 

 forgotten that she was ever ihe frivolous, useless 

 being he had first known her. Notw-ithstanding 

 her character was so much altered, she retained 

 quite enough of her originality to render her, in 

 many respects, a foolish mother. She taught her 

 children to look with contempt upon village cus- 

 toms ; upon all those who earned their bread by 



