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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FARMERS' DAUGHTERS. 



"It's all owing to her laming /" exclaimed 

 Aunt Judy, as she commenced rubbing her glasses 

 with her new calico apron. "If they hadn't sent 

 her away to such a fine school she'd never a had 

 such stuck up notions in her head ! I never yet 

 saw a mite of good come of it ! Nobody need 

 tell me, it is in the bringing up, for a nicer woman 

 than Susan Grey's mother never was made. She's 

 up airly and late, and one thing is sartain, she 

 don't feel herself above the meanest creeter that 

 walks. I hold to ministers and school-masters 

 being lamed and sich like folks, but it don't seem 

 as if there was a mite of need of farmers' girls 

 having sich laming." 



"But what is the trouble with the daughter, 

 Miss Beman?" inquired the new school teacher, 

 as Aunt Judy replaced her glasses and resumed 

 her knitting. 



"Law sake ! I don't know hardly how to tell 

 you, only they have gin her a sight of schooling 

 here, and away from home too, and they have jest 

 about spoiled her; but Mrs. Green, here, can tell 

 you enough sight better than I can." 



"As to that," said Mrs. Green, "Aunt Judy 

 and I are such good friends, that we will agree to 

 differ in our opinion of these matters." 



"It seems to me that time will rectify Susan's 

 errors, for I do not deny that she has some foolish 

 notions, but not, as I think, owing to her educa- 

 tion, but only for the want of a little more." 



"Bless me," exclaimed Aunt Judy, "how in the 

 world could she have any more?" 



"I will tell you what I think of these things, 

 Aunt Judy, and perhaps we shall one day see even 

 in Susan Grey's case, whether these opinions are 

 correct or false. 



"Farmers' daughters, from their earliest child- 

 hood, are, as a matter of course, accustomed to 

 country notions, and country fashions. Comfort, 

 happiness, and usefulness, rather than show, are 

 what they are familiar with. Farmers' children 

 do not see labor performed by servants only, but 

 they see father and mother engaged in the active 

 duties of life. Now it is not at all strange if a 

 young miss who looks not beneath the surface at 

 first, is quite fascinated with the glitter and dis- 

 play of a city, or that she should begin to think 

 her quiet home in the country very homely, or 

 that she should rather conclude that it was better 

 to have servants do all the work. But ought 

 the fear that the farmers' daughter will despise 

 the home of her youth, and regard labor with aver- 

 sion, to deter her parents from giving her all the 

 advantages of education which their means will 

 allow? Why, it seems to me it would be quite 

 as ridiculous to exclude the pure air of Heaven 

 from our dwellings for fear of breathing the pesti- 

 lence, or to refuse to build a fire in mid-winter for 

 fear our children would be burned ! Let a farm- 

 er's daughter acquire as much information as pos- 

 sible, and let her be as accomplished as she pleases, 

 but it seems to me she is, or ought to be, the last 

 one to despise common things. Not that her be- 

 ing a farmer's daughter should prevent her hav- 

 ing her full share of New England pride, but one 

 ought never to despise any business or affairs which 

 may claim a tolerable share of one's time and at- 

 tention in after life. Although there may be no 

 actual merit in being well versed in these common 



things, yet there is great folly in being willingly 

 ignorant in regard to them. One of these common 

 things of which you suppose Susan ignorant, Aunt 

 Judy, is cooking." 



"Law yes ; if I had gals, they shouldn't be edi- 

 cated to be afeard to burn their fingers with a hot 

 pancake ! ' ' 



"The truth is," resumed Mrs. Green, "few 

 young ladies while at school have any idea how 

 close an oversight the mistress of any well-regula- 

 ted household has over her kitchen affairs. Al- 

 though she may not be required to do her cooking, 

 &c, entirely with her own hands, yet she is oblig- 

 ed to have the care of, and see to the whole. 



"There are many ladies of superior education, 

 who,commencing housekeeping with small families, 

 choose to dispense with help, and do their own 

 housework. Depend upon it, many a young house- 

 keeper would gladly exchange her knowledge of 

 French and Italian for the ability to place before 

 her husband and guests a dinner which should be 

 satisfactory to herself. Not that the exchange 

 would be justifiable, but for the time being, the 

 need of the one is felt to be almost as great as that 

 of the other. 



"A lady who was reared and educated at the 

 South, married a New England clergyman, who, 

 not unlike many of his brothers in the same pro- 

 fession, was not overburdened with this world's 

 goods. The lady not from necessity alone, how- 

 ever, took the charge of her domestic affairs. Vis- 

 iting her one day, I could not but observe the 

 ease, and perfect order, with which all her ar- 

 rangements were carried out. As I remarked this 

 to her, she replied that the satisfaction which the 

 discharge of these duties afforded her was sufficient 

 to repay her for all the anxiety and care which 

 she endured while attempting to learn. 'Were I 

 mother of a score of daughters,' said she, 'they 

 should all learn to cook while under the home 

 roof; I was a novice in this branch of housekeep- 

 ing, and finding, after some vain attempts, that I 

 could not learn without a teacher, my husband 

 brought the daughter of a farmer out of the city 

 to our house, to give me lessons. 



" 'Often as twilight gathered around us, and she 

 would solicit me to play some favorite piece of mu- 

 sic, did I think that I would gladly have exchanged 

 my acquirements in this delightful art with my 

 beautiful instrument which I brought from my 

 home, for her knowledge of cooking. But as I 

 was a teachable pupil, I soon acquired this knowl- 

 edge which you see is so useful to me ; of my tears 

 and discouragements, at my first attempts and 

 failures, I will say nothing.' This is no uncommon 

 case, but it is the experience of hundreds. 



"But farmers' 1 daughters, above all, should not 

 be ignorant of this branch of education. They can 

 acquire this more easily than others in different 

 situations, for they are less liable to be interrupted 

 by visitors, and usually have every facility and con- 

 venience at hand, and in truth there is no earthly 

 reason, why they should be ignorant of any of 

 these things. But I have almost forgotten Susan 

 Grey, of whom you were speaking, MissBeman!" 



"Wall, now, do tell me Mrs. Green, after all 

 you've said, which sounded well enough, if you 

 don't think it would a bin better for Susan, if Mr. 

 Grey had a took that very money which he paid 

 out for her schooling, and bought two cows a pur- 

 pose for Susan, and put the rest on't into the 



