98 



THE PARMER'S iMONTHLY VISITOR. 



She frequently heard his beauty spoken of among 



her companions, and his sffectionate conduct to his 

 parents commended by her father. Into the select 

 circles in which she visited lie was seldom invited, 

 because he was a farmer and wore a frock ; but she 

 consoled herself by thinking that his talents and 

 his virtues would, one day, place him above these 

 little distinctions. He had labored to cultivate his 

 mind, and prepare himself for the duties of active 

 life. The occupation his father designed for him 

 he never intended to change, but he wished to be 

 a theoretical as well as practical farmer, and to im- 

 prove his faculties equally with his fields and gar- 

 dens. This, her mother and sister did not, or af- 

 fected not, to perceive. They annoyed her almost 

 daily by significant allusions to haystacks, ploughs, 

 and above all, to the striped frock which was con- 

 stantly worn in the field to protect his other cloth- 

 ing. In general she aft'ected to take no notice of 

 these innuendoes, but, at times, her feelings over- 

 came her, and she retired to give vent to her tears. 

 SoniHimcs she half resolved to make a confidant of 

 her father, but she was deterred by the fear that he 

 likewise might disapprove. At times, she felt mor- 

 tified and humbled when she thought of his occu- 

 pation, for the pride so carefully nurtured in her 

 childhood was not yet totally subdued. She would 

 wish he had been a merchant, or studied some pro- 

 fession ; or if he vinst be a farmer, that he would 

 never wear the frock which occasioned so much 

 ridicule at home, and resolved that her influence 

 should be exerted to persuade him to discard it al- 

 together. 



In the mean time both Lucinda and her sister 

 had become objects of general attraction, especial- 

 ly Caroline, whom nature seemed to have designed 

 for a belle and a coquette. I^ucinda was equally 

 beloved and more respected, but the dignity her 

 mind had imparted to her manners repelled the 

 "dvancesof mere foppery and gallantry. She had 

 several advantageous oilers, but, to her father's sur- 

 prise, rejected them all. One suitor lacked Nel- 

 son's native ability ; another his kind, affectionate 

 temper ; and all she thought were deficient in some 

 of his peculiar characteristics. 



Caroline, who had no previous attachment to in- 

 terfere with her present selection, was soon engag- 

 ed. It was to the same Mr. Russell mentioned in 

 the early part of this story. His home was in the 

 city, but he had become* acquainted with Caroline 

 wliile visiting a relative in S — . Her beauty and 

 playfulness soon determined hlin to make her the 

 companion of his fortunes. He was what the 

 world considers a gentleman ; free from any noto- 

 rious vices, and equally free from any fi.\'-d princi- 

 ples of right and wrong. But lie suited Mrs. Hale 

 and Caroline exactly. He seemed to have an in- 

 stinctive dislike to every thing countrified or eco- 

 nomical, and his love for fashionable life could not 

 be disputed. The wealth and standing of his fa- 

 ther seemed to make it certain that the family of 

 the son might always live a life of pleasure. 



It was suspected by some, that 'Squire Hale nev- 

 er heartily approved the match between Russell 

 and his daughter. Be this as it may, it was conclu- 

 ded after the lapse of a ievj months. The mansion 

 of 'Squire Hale was brilliantly illuminated on the 

 nightofthe 25tji Apiil, 18 — . Caroline was that 

 evening to give her hand to Franklin Russell. Ma- 

 ny of the inhabitants of S — had assembled to con- 

 gratulate the young couple, and Nelson Newhall 

 among the rest. Mrs. Hale protested against his 

 having an invitation, but her husband declared him 

 as respectable and promising as any young man in 

 the village, and invited him accordingly. The ev- 

 enino" was spent in mirth and festivity, and all ap- 

 peared to enjoy it but Lucinda. She was unusu- 

 ally pensive, but it was ascribed to the parting 

 which would take place on the morrow. That, 

 however, was not the sole reason. Nelson, in the 

 crowd, had contrived to press a letter into lier 

 hand. She hastily concealed it without having 

 been observed, but the flush upon her clieek, and 

 the unwonted abstraction of her manners, were 

 generally noticed. 



The company separated, and the family retired 

 to their respective apartments. Lucinda passed a 

 sleepless night, sometimes reading tiie letter she 

 had received, and sometimes deliberatinir upon the 

 course she should pursue. She finally came to the 

 conclusion that she would give the letter to her fa- 

 ther as soon as might be convenient after Caroline's 

 departure. 



In tlie course of the next day, she found her fa- 

 ther alone, presented t!ie letter to him with a trem- 

 bling hand, and fled to her chamber. She was soon 

 summoned to attend him. " iMy daughter," said 

 he, holding up the letter, " this tells me that you 

 and Nelson Newhall have loved each other from 

 your childhood. Why has it been kept a secret 



from me ?" " Because I dared not let you know 1 the busy season of haying, to supersede the neces- 

 it." "What was you afraid of, cliild .'" slid he | sity of writing new sermons, tlie old ones were 

 kindly, as he looked upon her blanched cheek and 



trembling form. " 1 always liked Nelson, and was 

 willing you should be trusted to choofe for your- 

 self " " But father, do you approve the choice ?" 

 " Certainly, certainly, I do approve it. You may 

 write to Nelson and tell him he has my hearty con- 

 sent. May you make as good a wife as you have 

 been a daughter." 



Ten or twelve years have elapsed since the 

 events above related, and a material change has 

 passed over the two sisters. Mrs. Russell has be- 

 come a widow. She live.l in afilurnce for a year 

 or two after her marriage ; but the fluctuations of 

 trade swept away the prosperity of the elder Rus- 

 sell, and the younger had little to lose. He was 

 dependant, in a great measure, upon his father, 

 and when that support failed him he fell, for he 

 he had never learned to rely on his own en- 

 ergies. His health had been somevvliat injured by 

 dissipation, and the alteration in his circumstances 

 had such an eft'ect upon his mind, that he soon be- 

 came an invalid. He removed with his family into 

 the house of 'Squire Hale for the benefit of country 

 air, but it was to no purpose. He lingered for a 

 year and then died, leaving a wife and son to the 

 care of his father-in-law. 



Almost every pleasant day little Edward Rus- 

 sell may be seen with two or three other bright- 

 eyed children, playing on the soft green grass in 

 front of a handsome house, a little apart from the 

 village. That house belongs to his uncle Nelson, 

 and these children are his cousins. His grand-fa- 

 ther often tries to arouse the ambition of the little 

 l)oy, by telling him stories of his uncle's boyhood, 

 and how he has risen from a common farmer's 

 son, to be one of the most respected and influen- 

 tial men in the community. His motlier, though 

 her opinions have undergone considerable change, 

 still insists that her son shall never wear a frock, 

 in imitation of his uncle, so long as she lives to in- 

 fluence him. Little Kdward, however, has learn- 

 ed to respect his aunt Lucinda's opinions, and she 

 tells him that a frock is the badge of an honorable 

 occupation ; that her husband is not ashamed of his 

 even now ; and that her highest ambition for her 

 own sons is, tliat in every essential point, they may 

 resemble their father. 



Clergymen Farmers. 



We perceive that Rev Allen Putnam, formerly 

 Unitarian minister in Augusta, now Allen Putnam, 

 Esq. of Danvers, Massachusetts, has engaged heart 

 and soul in the cause of agriculture. He writes 

 much for agricultural papers, delivers excellent 

 addresses, &c. We know Mr. P. to be a very sen- 

 sible and practical man, and doubt not he will do 

 great service to the cause of good husbandry. — 

 Some how or other, these ministers, both in Eng- 

 land and America, stand forth as amongst the best 

 promoters and patrons of agriculture. The best 

 farmer we ever saw was an old clergyman in Ply- 

 mouth county, Mass. with whom we studied in the 

 days of our youth. We are indebted to him for 

 wliat little taste and skill we have in agriculture 

 and horticulture. — Maine Cultivator. 



We have known several clergymen under the 

 old regime who were excellent farmers. The rea- 

 son probably was, in the first settlement of many 

 of the New England towns, the clergymen of the 

 Congregational order wlio were good husbands, 

 had a little advantage of most of the common far- 

 mers. It was a practice in most of the towns 

 that a lot of hand v.'as especially reserved as 

 a donation or gift to the first settled minister. This 

 land he had increased facilities for clearing and 

 cultivating, as his parishioners made it a point fre- 

 quently to have a** bee" as it was then called, and 

 help the minister : his wood for fuel was always 

 cut and drawn to him. Although his salary was 

 then much smaller than the clerijymen'e salaries 

 now-a days, he had little occasion for spending 

 much money, as his fiirin furnished most of the ar 

 tides necessary for family sustenance ; and the 

 minister's wife in all liousehold affairs was as smart 

 as a steel trap, and was generally the head and 

 leader of the ladies of the parish as well in tilings 

 temporal as in things spiritual. 



Tile late Rev. Jeremiali Barnard of Amherst, of 

 our acquaintance, who succeeded tlie Rev. Mr. 

 Wilkins the first minister, and lie also a good I'ar- 

 mer, had the best farm, and was considered beiiind 

 no otiier man in the town in that occupation. His 

 good lady was also among the smartest i.n lier way, 

 and was the mother and instructress of daui' liters 

 who have figured as wives of the wealthy in the 

 cities. Rev. Dr. Burnap of Merrimack, and indeed 

 more than half of the settled clergymen in the old 

 county of Millsborougli, were good farmers. In 



used, and the minister exchanged with his brother 

 of a neighborincT town. On one of these occasions 

 Rev. Mr. Wadswortli of Brookline, wlio had an im- 

 pediment in his speech, exchanged with Mr. Bar- 

 nard of Amherst. The dinner at the house of the 

 latter was calf's head, &c. with the brains cooked 

 in the usual method. The good lady, by way of a 

 joke, remarking that it was a general rule that eve- 

 ry part strengthened a part, asked the Rrookline 

 minister if he would not be helped to some of the 

 tongue. "Yes, madam," retorted Mr. W. " and 

 may I be sufTered to furnish your plate with a por- 

 tion of b — b — brains ?'' 



Two of the elder clerg3'men of Hillsborough 

 county, known to the editor thirty-eight years ago, 

 are members of the present legislature of New 

 Hampshire, to wit. Rev. Ebcnezer Hill of Mason, 

 and Rev. Humphrey Moore of Milford. We be- 

 lieve they do not now officiate as clergymen in 

 their towns — at least Mr. Moore does not. Mr. 

 Hill graduated at Cambridge nearly half a centu- 

 ry ago, we believe as a charity scholar : a pair of 

 twins, his sons, graduated at the same institution 

 some twelve or fifteen years ago, and we think the 

 gentleman told us he had three more sons either 

 on the way or thrnugli college. The old gentle- 

 man was one of the most beautiful penmen of his 

 day : it was said that he would write out his ser- 

 mon on a piece of paper of the size of a man's 

 hand. He was a better minister than farmer; not 

 taller himself than some boys at the age of a doz- 

 en years, he is the father, if we are not under a 

 mistake, of as many a.sfifleri). sons besides a num- 

 hes of daughters, and has well obe^'ed the scripture 

 injunction to "be fruitful and multiply." 



The Representative of Milford, although not as 

 fortunate in raising sons and daughters as his bro- 

 ther of Mason, for thirty years has been known as 

 one of the very best practical farmers in the State. 

 His premises at all times have been a pattern to 

 other farmers of his neighborhood, and he has a- 

 bundantly increased his substance; and much of 

 it has been the result of iris own personal labor. 

 For several years he was the sole ofliciating cler- 

 gyman of i:is town, and never missed a sermon or 

 a Sabbath in the church, or a parocliial visit when 

 sickness, death, or any other occasion required. 

 In addition it is said he performed more personal 

 labor upon his farm than most of the farmers of his 

 neighborhood. Tills gentleman also wrote a beau- 

 tiful hand ; and his sermons, short and compre- 

 hensive, discovered a mind not less vigorous than 

 the physical strength which enabled him to perform 

 so much. 



We liave strayed from the purpose with which 

 we set out on remarking upon the article quoted 

 from the Maine Cultivator ; and this was to say 

 that we have not only read with pleasure an excel- 

 lent agricultural address delivered by Rev. Mr. 

 Putnam, of Danvers, but that we have seen and 

 conversed with that gentleman. He occupies a 

 farm f'ormerly owned by his father; and he inl'orms 

 us tiiat lie has succeeded, by improving the light 

 lands upon that farm, in nearly if not ([uite, doub- 

 ling the former crop of Indian corn upon the same 

 ground. The people near the .seaboard — indeed 

 tlie men of nearly every town of the county of 

 Essex, are better farmers than any number of men 

 fartiier in the interior. Yet at every annual return 

 the influence of good examples spreads further and 

 further, planners witiiiii the last few years have 

 liad an encouragement which was denied tiiem be- 

 fore the facilities of transport existed to tlieir pres- 

 ent extent; and there is really now no danger that 

 they will not, even at depressed prices, obtain tiie 

 full relative value for every article wiiicli the land 

 produces. 



The editor of the Maine Cultivator, himself a 

 clergyman we believe of the denomination of Uni- 

 ver&alists, is a farmer of no ordinary talent. Liv- 

 ing in the compact but flourishing village of Hallo- 

 well, surrounded by some of the best farmers of 

 New England, his account of the product of the 

 single acre which he cultivates with his own hands, 

 is worthy of recital. One tiiird of tiiis ground is 

 devoted to Indian corn, yieldi ;g nearly thirty bush- 

 els, which furnishes mucii of liis family bread; 

 and the corn stuff' witli the ruta baga raised on 'he 

 same premises, gives him winter Ibod for a cow. 

 Of the potatoes and otiier garden vegetables he 

 sells enough for the purcliase of the flour used in 

 his family : indeed the want:- of a numerous fami- 

 ly are well supplied from tiie generous production 

 of one well cultivated acre. 



Forty years ago and more there were only two or 

 three clergymen in New England of tlie Univer- 

 saliat persuasion; the venerable John Murray, an 

 Englishman by birth, at first stood alone in Boston. 



