HINDRANCES AND HELPS 



sees, indeed, rustic-work of most cumbrous 

 and portentous dimensions — overladen with 

 extraordinary crooks and curves, and showing 

 at a glance immense labor in selection and in 

 arrangement. All this may be pleasing, and 

 often exceedingly beautiful; but it is a mere 

 affectation of rural simplicity; it wears none 

 of that fit and homely character which would 

 at once commend it to the eye of a practical 

 man as an available and imitable feature. If 

 I can give such arrangement to simple boughs, 

 otherwise worthless, or to pine-pickets of little 

 cost — in the paling of a yard, or the tracery 

 of a gate, as shall catch the eye by its grace of 

 outline, and suggest imitation by its easy con- 

 struction, and entire feasibility, there is some 

 hope of leading country tastes in that direc- 

 tion; but if work shows great nicety of con- 

 struction, puzzling and complicated detail, im- 

 mense absorption of labor and material, it 

 might as well have been — so far as intended 

 to encourage farm ruralities — built of Car- 

 rara marble. 



Again a stone wall, or dyke, is not generally 

 counted an object of much beauty, except it be 

 laid up in hammered work ; this, of course, is 

 out of the question for a farmer who studies 

 economy: but suppose that to a substantial 



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