250 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



The daughters of the mothers who had struggled with 

 sickness, hunger, a savage foe, bore their full share of the 

 joys and sorrows, the burdens and triumphs of 1776. 



Then, as now, farmers' wives loved the home. "The 

 first sure symptom of a mind in health, is rest of heart and 

 pleasure felt at home." Every good home must have a good 

 woman at its head. In the country she is the farmer's wife. 

 To live in the country and enjoy all its pleasures, she must 

 love the country. She must appreciate for twelve months 

 the scenery which city visitors can have but for one. 



To me, city born and country bred, to watch the bursting 

 buds of spring, the growth of the green sward, the tossing 

 seas of grain, the shifting shadows as they lift and drop over 

 hill and valley, the matchless glory of the forest as it dons 

 its autumn gown of red and gold ; to listen to the hum of 

 bee, the chirp of cricket, the first chant of frog, the snatch 

 of bird song, the " gay gossip of the stream ; " to smell the 

 new-made hay, the healing breath of the pine ; to pluck and 

 taste fruit from my own vine and tree ; to drive by water, 

 meadow and Avood ; to stray through the fields, — these de- 

 light me. 



" A voice of greeting from the wind was sent ; 



The mists enfolded me with soft white arms ; 

 The birds did sing to lap me in content, 



The rivers wove their charms ; 

 And every little daisy in the grass 

 Did look up in my face and smile to see me pass." 



" Who lives to nature never can be poor." Teach the 

 children to love nature. Perhaps they will not need much 

 instruction. Some little people who spend their summer in 

 our town speak of it as " sweet Medfield." An older mem- 

 ber of their household marveled at their fondness for their 

 country home, until he began to explore it for himself; when 

 nearly every day he could be seen riding on the most retired 

 roads, — hard telling which of the three, rider, horse, or 

 Irish setter, enjoyed these excursions most. 



Two winter pictures I can never forget One, a sunrise 

 from a snowy hill ; far away stretched the glittering crust, 

 to where the frozen river pretended to be asleep at base of 

 other hill. The other came to me with a winter drive the 



