'ilis vviis llie case. Might it not lie that different 

 soils coiiliiiii (lidi.'rnit acids, dclftciioiis to ti-o|is, 

 vvhicli, vvliiMi iiii.ved, lieiiliidize ciicii uiIk r, pro- 

 diice a ;.'iiod soil, and conftfiutmly a fj,ood crop ? 

 This iiiceliiii:, Mr. IJ. ^^aid, sccincil to lie one lor 

 telling r.\|>eriencct:. He would lell his, so tin- as 

 his liiriiiint; opejutions had eMended, in a lew 

 words. Whi II he lirst commenced tiirminf;, he 

 let his land fio without maiuiie, on the "sUinning" 

 process: alteruards I'oimd this wouldn't do. — 

 Went to hiiying tmnivre ; and at the second lime 

 of mantn in^ foimd that his crops were doidiled. 

 On ^!) acres he had raised 30 to ;j5 lojis ol' hay 

 nnil 300 hnshels of corn, in a season, all in con- 

 sequence of manurhig. 



Mr. I!radlcy spoke of the benefit derived by a 

 relative of his [Mr. Mowc) residing in liaverliili, 

 Mass., from tlic use of pluxicr »n a jioor piece of 

 lanil. FoiN' hnshils was applied to an acie and 

 comnjon manwre lo another acre ; a plain dilier- 

 ence coidd he seen in liivor of the jdaster — the 

 grass ajipcariiig green on the first, while the sec- 

 ond acre prodnccd only a while moss. 



On motion of I'rofessor IIadduck. Messrs. 

 Richard JJra.llcy, G. \V. Nesmith and Isaac Hill, 

 were appointed a committee to ■•all another Ag- 

 ricnltinal Meeting, in June 1815, choo.se subjects 

 for discussion, give public notice thereof, &c. &c. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



Diseased Potatocs.— Mr. H. M. Paine, of the 

 optical worlis at Oxibrd, Mass., has applied a 

 glas.s, that magnifies 9000 times, lo the diseased 

 parts of the potatoes, and finds lliem filled with 

 anrnialcuke with bodies like the sohlicr-ant, and 

 legs like ihe hairy garden spider. He thiidvs there 

 IS no epidemic amongst potatoes, biit that the 

 diseasR is caused by these insects. 



Col. 



For the K.Trmer's iSIonlhly Visitor. 

 The BncUelor in Spite of Elimself. 



iSinalel'in hiij re:iched Ins ri)rt)'-niiilli year, li.id 

 served with approved but not briiiiant repuliitiou ilirough 

 (he grades Irom lieutenant lo the coninund of a regiment 

 of militia in his native Sl.ilo, Connecticut, and was bo 

 polite .Ttid careful to wound llie feelings of no one, that 

 when a Senator lo represent Ihe State at \V.nsliin;;lon was 

 to l>e chosen, superior minds saw il-.e intlnence of the 

 rules of decf^rn.^l, for ho was elected^ vvjthout distinction 

 of parly, upon llie lirst ballot. 



In his youth lie had desired to be a farmer, in which 

 his mother, a iliscreet and sensible woman, joined her ap- 

 probilion ; but his fither would hear nolhinpr with fivor 

 Ujion that preference. *■ Ciurles,'' (said he} '* can easier 

 oultiv.ite Ins Olind ihan our three only acres ot land, 

 and I am deairous that uiy uanie should be noticed. 'Die 

 jaw is the road thai leads to ihe eminences, and as we can 

 wiirk him throiiL'h the college at iNew Haven he must be 

 a lawyer. It will be the hafipiest day of my life, my dear, 

 when I hear him open a cause in a Court of Justice." 



His youlii was devoid of incident worth relaling except 

 liiat he catin.* near yivm;,' liis worthy parents the slip at 

 eii^iiteen years of age, by ruiininjj away to the West with 

 a very prelly robust pennyless girl one year younger than 

 hiniseli". which was discovered atid defeal'ed. 



Charles Singleton was a precise, a particular man, j^real 

 in small matters, and methodical to a fault. When he com- 

 menced his prolV^ssion, his briefs and declarations were 

 raultles<!, but the power of e1;'qurncc had been denied to 

 him. The comprehension of the principles, the philoso- 

 pliy of jurisprudence, were beyond his reach. By his in- 

 dustry and atteniiou, however, added lo the promptness 

 with which he paid over the proceeds to his clients, he 

 was respectable as a lawyer. an<i had a'full sliaie of tlie 

 pl.iin e.ises, growin;; out of the trade and commerce of 

 New Haven, and the predilections of his moiher were 

 Silenced by llic success and respect tliat attended her imlv 

 child. 



Ureal and solid reputations, and great and durable wealth, 

 are generally the work of time ; the earliest promise of 

 the spring is apt to be blighted, and hasty fortunes like a 

 Huod, are apt to disappear wiih marked desolation in its 

 iootsteps. JNeither of these conditions were ever desired 

 or attained by Mr. Singleton. He was one of Ihose use- 

 ful men always destined to fill an important place in so- 

 ciety as time removes the aged, and at forty-three, thc.i a 

 colonel, and a representative in li:n Jiate govcrnioenl, he 

 ca.aic into the possession of the small old-lashioned house 

 of his deceased pareiils, with tiie lliree acres of land, as 

 his only inheritance. He had accumulated no fortune, 

 anil was liberal in Ihe use of his gains. His pride was lo 

 be the best dressed man every where, and in tiiis his su- 

 periority was admitted liy all. The lime had been when 

 the plain honicspuu of .i farmer, and a wife with liie l)esl 

 of all lorlunes, health, industry, and frugality, wouhl have 

 filled the measure nf his anibition ; but that tide in his 

 life had been crt)ssed, and now nothing short of a fortune 

 that would aid him in eupporfing his rank would answer 

 his purpose, .^h. how unlucky it is that education and 

 cievaliou is not liic readiest road to happiness — how 1 al- 

 most envy the ploughman with his chubby children around 

 him — was a frenur;nt remark, lie went to the Senate 

 under a hope that, the happiness of being married was yel 

 in store lor him ; his perfect appearance, and perfect'ad- 

 herence to the rules of politeness made him every where 

 a favorite with the ladies, old and young, and this was 



increased by every symptom of a man eager for matrimo- 

 ny. 



Fortune in money was indispensable ; the more so, since 

 he was now the ilonoraldc Senator Singleton, and the 

 pains of celibacy were less humiliating than the abate- 

 ment of one little of his style and dignity. 



'J'hose manners and feelings of some' forty years ago 

 have greatly changed ; no such nttciiliun is now paid to 

 dress and appearance, and men have learned that happi- 

 ness is prelerable to hollow appearance, iiut lo our sub- 

 ject : we shall now see that the lionorable Senator al last 

 found a lady lo his mind. 



I'rofessionai duties .summoned the honorable ex-Sena- 

 tor Singleton to Boston in the spring following the termi- 

 nation of his term of services at Washington. 



The precise gentleman, the lawyer and late Senator 

 could not fail to attract the reputed attentions of the in- 

 telligent and alHuent citizens of this revolutionary cradle 

 of Irccmen. 



At an evening party to which Col. Singleton was invi- 

 ted, he found himself by the side of a very pretty woman 

 of apparently some lorty years of age, who had nei- 

 ther blue eyes nor auburn locks lo recommend her ; for 

 except here and liiere a straggling wliiie thread, her locks 

 were like her eyes, shining black. Like himself in Ihis, 

 her tiress was neat lo a fault, " rich but not costly," and 

 h.id hut enough of fashion in it to show ihat the vvearcr 

 knew what the fashion was. Like her mind conspicuous 

 rather in modest praciical good sense, than a blaze of 

 splendor without judgment to control the balance. 



As the effort was mutual, each was interested in the 

 conversation. "j\o pait of my lilc," said he, "has af- 

 lordeii 



badge of sorrow. Her manners and accomplithments 

 were like the splendid forlune now in her hands, rather 

 solid than brilliant, just such as wire adapted lo improve 

 on acquaintance, and to fix such a man as the honorable 

 ex-Sciiator. They inetoftcn abroad, and soon discovered 

 to each other what was in the bosoms of both, and the 

 preliminaries having been duly settled, in the summer of 

 the fourth year from the deaths of iicr huiband and only 

 sou, the Reverend Dr. Lalhrop, in the presence of her 

 sisters and brother, declared ihem united by that tic lh:it 

 death only should separate. 



The good manners and correct deportment that marked 

 the conduct of both, caused them to appear as one of 

 those fortunate marriages, where tune has worn off thu 

 earlier fancies of ambrosial bliss. 



Col. 'Singleton upbraided himself with having lost so 

 large a portion of the happiness of hie in a single slate, 

 and Mrs. Singleton supposed herself the most fortunate 

 of women in tinding a second excellent husband. When 

 parties '-wisely wed, in their matnrer years," that stale 

 they reach cannot he termed exactly the sweet moon that 

 sheds its blissful rays upon youth and ardor ; but rather 

 the sober beams of noon-day when the dreams and visions 

 have tied in the broad light. Apart from business they 

 made little journeys together in the surrounding country, 

 but avoided the very common resorts among the beauti- 

 ful islands and shores of the harbor. She had never men- 

 tioned a ride upon the shores, or a sail upon the waters, 

 and Col. Singleton, who had taste and feeling, was silent 

 also. ^ 



.\ plan for the passing a part of the following summer 

 it his little homestead in Connecticut, as a sort cd' res,- 



e so much unalloyed pleasure as the cultivation dcnce in the country, was agreed upon, and the spacious 

 of my little garden ; no personal passion is awakened by I house of Mrs. Singleton in Boston supplied the rest.— 



it ; and as [ give away all the Huwers as they come inlo 

 bloom, I have in return the sniile of recognition from ev- 

 ery pretty face in the neighborhood ;"' bowing as he spoke. 

 The lady, who was unknown to the colonel, although 

 she kneViT him, remarked that her preference was decided- 

 ly for the pleasures of the country. " 1 never have tasted 

 so much of the pleasures of life as when a girl, 1 walked 

 three miles to school, gathered nuts and frolicked by the 

 way — and Air. Owen used lo say that my perforinance 

 ii;)on the old-fashioned large wheel was more attractive 

 than in after times upon the piano." 



iliiral life, a country life, and all its enjoyments, and 

 other matters were discussed to hll up tiie hiilf hour that 

 preceded the handing of Mrs. Laura Owen to her car- 

 riage ; — her carriage, for she was one of the wealthiest 

 widows of the enterprising cily of Boston. 



When she had gone, the colonel was tcild that the lady 

 in question was the widow of JSir. George Owen, wiio 

 \vitii their only son, a you til of seventeen, had been drown- 

 ed three years since on the passage to the island of Ja- 

 maica. 



Mr. Owen had in his youth come to Boston from the 

 country, willi no other furlune tiian a plain education, good 

 morals and industrious habits. He w.is one of those cases 

 so cominon in onr land of equality, where the boys from 

 the country become the wealthy men of our oilies, and 

 in which wo so much ditl'er from the rest of the world. 

 When he married it was the fittle country girl who had 

 gone to llie same school with him and tlVc s.ime meeting 

 on Sunday. She had industry and frugality as her only 

 portion ; and these qualities in no very linig life are, if 

 lertune be the object, the best of dowries, ftlr. Owen 

 had as a merchani in ihote prusperous times of some forty 

 or lilty years since, become very wealthy. Their only 

 son, William, became hectic, and the pliysician. recom- 

 mended a winter residence, or rather a residence during 

 our winter, in the We.-t Indies. 



With Ins father, on board of a schooner, they embarked 

 for Jamaica, and having crossed the Gulf Stream the ves- 

 sel was struck by a squ ill of wind which threw her upon 

 her beam, i.i which perilous condition they v-ere lost, as 

 the vessel was disc veied abontcight weeks after she had 

 sailed from Boston, adrilt, and toivcd iuio the harbor of 

 the island of Berinuda. Not a living thing was on the 

 v.reck.hut the name of till' vessel ; the cloihing ol Mr. 

 Owen and his son was found and siiit to Boston. .A lu»pc 

 ■.v:i3 entertained for more tlyin a year that some vessel had 

 rtdieved the pastengera and crew- from their peril, hut 

 week after week, and inonlh afler month elapsed, and al 

 last the painful truth was admitted by all that they had 

 terminated their lives, like so many tlK.u.^ands jieline 

 ihcm, in the bosom of ilw great ocean. Mrs. Owen had 

 borne the trial with anxiety and composure ; she had 

 clung to hope, and the time ihat had elapsed in uncer 

 tainty, tended to weaken the blow of her misforlunes. 



.Mis. Owen was iH '. one ot' those who have an ambition 

 in inconsolable gric-f. It was nol alone in the weeds, the 

 habiliamcnls of sotrow' that she felt, these were signals 

 to the world, to the eye of the siranger, that she had met 

 with affliction ; but her tears, nnt! teios she shed, vvere lor 

 her chamber and her pillow. Those who jhicked losvm- 

 pathise lound her ealm and collected, pursuing her daily 

 avocations; and ilouhtirss s!:c found in employment a 

 great solace in her iiiisfi.rtuue. 



She bore up like a sensible and religious woman who 

 had been taught by precept and observation that 111 is scene 

 through which we pass, is a scene of trials and alfliclions. 

 and ihat our duly as (.'hristians is lo bow in submission to 

 the dispensations of a L'ood Providence, and not by our 

 condiicl l^. question the wisdom even when those trials 

 are InJI of aiigi.ia'i and sorrow. 



Mrs. Owet) IhankeU those who expressed llieir symfia- 

 liiy, wiih measured terms, leaving no room, if any were 

 disposed to carry the subject inlo the tragic or palhelic, 

 and the.-eby she gained Iheir more sidid csfimalion. Time 

 seemed ratlier to increase th .n to diminish the iniensitv 

 of her feelings, •' as streams deepen their channels j" bin 

 in her outward appearance she paid the homage due lo 

 fashion and usage, lirst in black, at iIic end of Iwdvc 

 months half mourning, and in anotl.cr year the inoiiruin:: 

 widow was once more in Ihe ranks of those who ,vear no 



Occupation, employment, is necessary' lo the happine-ss 

 nl' all classes, to each individual who may couipose if. 

 Ilecreation, and what is called pleasure found in relaxa- 

 tion and idleness, only unbend the how of steady employ- 

 ments, that its powers may be the more useful. 



The colonel removed his books and opened his oflice 

 at Boston, there to prosecute his profession. Ho had 

 never been so happy. Kvcry thing he wore, and in his 

 dress as we have already seen he was most pariieni ir, 

 was in place, and in such excellent order and neatness he 

 even fancied that he looked some years younger, and mu- 

 tual affection grew with time and mutual respect, for bo 

 it remembered that married people but pave the road to 

 discord when Ihey disregard respect lor each other in 

 public and private. 



A meeting of kindred was suggested for the month of 

 iN'ovember, on the day of the gratelu< festival of New 

 Kngland. Mrs. Singleton had a brother and sisters, nie- 

 ces and nephews, not far remote in the towns ot Massa- 

 chusetts, but the colonel's only relations were in Connee- 

 ticnt, and nol so nearly connected with him : hence a 

 meeting which took place at Boston at the thanksgiving 

 dinner, was limited to her connexions alone. One family 

 alter another came, aiui, those who had not previously 

 been made acquainted with Mr. Singleton, who shook liia 

 nephews by the hand, and kissed his blooming country 

 nieces, with a grace peculiar to bachekirs, or those vi'ho 

 havi? had experience in that lonclv condition. 



F.very thing went on well, evciy new relative seemed 

 to the colonel hut a new source of enjoyment, and when 

 he overheard a group of his nieces in the corner tif the 

 room, express surprise al his youthliil appearance, he 

 blessed within hira the day that had brought him to Bos- 

 ton. 



They were summoned to dinner, where wc wilt for the 

 present leave them, and turn our attention lo the harbor 

 of Aanlncket, whi-re the evenillL' previous a whaling ship 

 from the Pacilic had dropped her anchor. In the lirst 

 boat that left her side for the shore were Mr. Owen and 

 his son William, both in e.vcelleiit health, and the latter 

 a head taller than Khnn he had left more than three years 

 before for the island of J innica. From a delicate and 

 heclic stripling he had become a vigorous youn<» seaman, 

 and had twice performed the feat. said lobe indispensablo 

 with the fair daughters of Nantucket, of striking a whale. 

 How they came on bnaid of this vessel, and had remained 

 so long unknown to their Iriends.we will now proceed to 

 relate. 



,\'Ier being twelve lionrs upon the wreck of the cap- 

 sized schooner, Ihey wnit ihe rest ofthecreiv were taken 

 olf by a whaler, ju^t from p<otand binind for the P.icilic 

 ocean. No opportunity had presented of returning, as 

 they saw no vessel t<t speak with her until hound liome- 

 ward, and this one was for F.uropc. Father aad son both 

 had improved in health ; the latter a robust man grown, 

 and both hail long since, from necessity, put on the sail- 

 or's dress. Eager to reach Boston they found the mail 

 boat nearly ready for the main lanil, and fteppcd on board 

 the following d.iy just at the dinner hour. And as the 

 party we have mentioned had set down to table, the stage 

 drew up at Bromfield's lane, near by. Mr. Owen and his 

 son met no one they knew in the short walk to their for- 

 mer residence ; they entered the house without knncking 

 at 111- door, and hearing voices in the dining room lurned 

 that way. With glaztsl hats and bell-muzzled trowsera 

 they entered the room, and stood for a moment. " Mv 

 dear," ^Col. Singleton was lathe act of saying to his 

 wife) " the rest are helped, but the merry thought remains; 

 shall I send it t" you ?" Airs. Sin4;leliMi was sitting with 

 her hack to the door, and although she heard some one or 

 more enter the room, did not yet sec them ; but at this 

 monient her sister wlio sat facing the door and near llie 

 colonel, exclaimed •' Heavens, Mr. Owen 1" His wili,, 

 ay his wife, turned her head, rose aiuI was encircled in 

 his arms, during the space of a moment. As they em- 

 bra'-'ctl. the sister said to the astonished colonel, ex-sena- 

 tor and lawyer, " it is I\'lr. Owen and his son." William 

 in turn loll the tears of his moiher flowing upon his cheek, 

 and the colonel feeling how much his importance had di- 

 minished, and being withal a man of decision, remarkt-d 

 to the sister, " I shall feel obliged if you will have my 



