42 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



men meet with on going into office, they are apt to go out 

 with none at all, as their constituents are too much convinced 

 by self-evident proof, in these degenerate days, that their 

 representative represents his own interests rather than theirs, 

 and looks upon office as an easy means of bettering his con- 

 dition. Occasionally, perhaps, you may find an official who 

 fairly represents his constituency for better for worse, though 

 perchance few are as plain-spoken as the member, I will not 

 say of what legislature, who, indulging in afternoon naps, 

 requested his friend to awaken him when the Lumber Act came 

 on. His friend omitted it by forgetfulness, but accidentally 

 gave him a jog as the house was discussing a bill to prevent 

 fraud. The sleeper started up suddenly, rubbed his eyes, 

 and exclaimed, "Mr. Speaker, a word or two upon that bill, 

 for more than half of my constituents get their living no other 

 way." 



The dignity of labor is purely a New England scheme of 

 thought, marking our country's history from the earliest 

 period of its settlement by our Puritan ancestors ; and the 

 great men of our earliest as well as more recent eras, hewed 

 their living and independence out of the wilderness, ennobling 

 the very axe and plough which were such useful instruments 

 in this peaceful warfare, and finding no station more exalted 

 than home and its surroundings. The rough country was 

 cultivated to the hill-tops, neat farm-houses dotted the land- 

 scape everywhere, the best and wisest contented themselves 

 with simple rural occupations, none felt the glow that now 

 warms and inspires every bosom to grow rich rapidly, but all 

 were satisfied with the comforts of life, and found their enjoy- 

 ments in the daily intercourse with pleasant rural objects, 

 with robust health and active exercise, with their children and 

 friends growing up about them ; and when called to preserve 

 their firesides from hostile attacks, or to sit in the councils of 

 state, they performed their obligations as became men and 

 citizens, and then gladly returned to their more congenial 

 employments. Neither did they neglect the amusements and 

 graces, so far as they could be found in a comparative wilder- 

 ness ; and though they stretched authority in these matters a 

 little too far, perhaps, prohibiting horse-racing and walking 

 about nights, putting drunkards and swearers into the stocks, 



