18 



^\)t Jarmcr's iHonti)lu JHsitor. 



some salt, or old l)i-ine, iimkes the best pnint for 

 a house in the eoiiiitr.v. It will last as long as oil 

 paint, adheres well, and it' put upon a shiniile 

 roof, will not readily take fire. Appearanres are 

 worth attending to, as well as the more soliil 

 concerns, and where, as in this iuslanre, ihev go 

 hand in liaml with eeonomj', all will admit of 

 their importance. All foreign travellers are 

 struck with the youthfid freshness of the appear- 

 ance of our country ; if we will hesiir ourselves, 

 and use the ndvaniages we enjoy under our free 

 institutions, we may increase our own happiness, 

 and still further excite their wonder and applause. 



A FARMER. 



From the Knickerbucker. 

 A Remiuiscence of the late War. 



" The King of France, with forty thoasnnd men, 

 Mar hed up tlie hil I, and then — marched down again." 

 " There appeared to be some Vitality attending almost 

 all our attacks upon .'\mcrica, during the last war.'' — Mar- 

 ryatt. 



About the middle of May, in the year of our 

 Lord one thousand eight hundred uud tbtirteen, 

 the inhabitantsof a vill.ige not liirlioin the mouth 

 of the Genesee river were tlirown into a tumult 

 of alarm, by the ajipearance of a British fleet 

 under Sir J. L. Yeo, oft" their shores. In the 

 general consternation and confusion, various ex- 

 pedients were ' proposed, rejected, suggested 

 again.' lor ridding themselves of their unwelcome 

 visiter. Some were in fiivor of an immediate 

 fortification of their dwellings; others thought it 

 more easy to Ueep them oft' shore, and prevent 

 their landing, than to defend their families after 

 they had landed. 'I'he proposition was at last 

 suggested, by a timid citizen, 'to retire,' and save 

 what they could in a lnirrie<l flight. But stoutly 

 and manfully the good people rejected this shaiiie- 

 fid proposition, and put their heads together to 

 concoct a plan more agreeable to their sturdy 

 patriotism. 



During this lime of doubt and uncertainly, it 

 was a moving spectacle to see the 'tremblings of 

 distress' which many of the good people exhib- 

 ited, as the ships of the fleet slowly neared the 

 shore. Mothers shrieked and clasped their in- 

 iimts to their biisoms ill fearful anxiety ; the little 

 girls crii'd, while the larger ones looked to their 

 sweet-hearts for protection in this horn- of peril. 

 These latter again bluntly declared that they 

 would nut run, but wouhl 'slick by and see fair 

 play. Let the red-coats come on ; we'll meet 

 'em!' One yoim^ gallant, exasperated tit seeing 

 the aftiirtion of his lacl_\-love, swore that the Brit- 

 ish were 'a set of rascally, heathenish racamuf- 

 fiii.«, good for nntliihg under God's heavens but to 

 scare women and children I' The more sagacious 

 saw in this move the destru'tioii of their stores, 

 and feared lor the result. 



Deteriiiiiiiug at last not to yield without a show 

 of fi^ht. the iiiilitia were assendiled, men and 

 bovs, ill all three lumdred strong, and occupied 

 nn elevated position near the lake, whence they 

 could see all the mancEiivrcsof the fleet. Present- 

 ly a boat was seen to put oft' from the commo- 

 (iiire's ship. Now let the valiant soldiers nerve 

 tlienispKes for the contest! But slop! It is a 

 flag of truce ! Now our friends are in a worse 

 dilemma than before, being entirely guiltless of 

 any Know ledge of military or naval etiquette, or 

 indeed of military aftairs in general, save the reg- 

 ular militia drill. What a predicament! No- 

 body seemed to know what to do, but everybody 

 was of the opinion that something must he done. 

 After some deliberation, hastened uiidmibtedly 

 by the rapid approach of ihe boat, Lieulennnt H. 

 was delegated to lead a file of men riown to the 

 water's edge, and 'find out wliiit was wanted.' 



As this lieutenant is a conspicuous character 

 in this reminiscence, it may not be amiss to give 

 the reader a descriplion of his person, in the 

 words of a bai-k-woodsman : ' He w as a great fii- 

 vorite among the girls in the village, and liad en- 

 joyed a great name in the military line, having 

 commanded a com))any of volunteers in New 

 Hampshire, before lie emigrated to the West. — 

 A shrewd yet reckless disposition marked all his 

 actions. A man couldn't get round him, no more 

 than he could choke a lion, and yet he was as 

 i're.p, open-hearted a chap as ever kissed a pretty 

 girl afore she knew it. I've seen him mancpuvre- 

 ing the sogers too, when Ca|)tain Sliiite used to 

 1)6 to the widow's a-Saturday evening, and 

 couldn't attend to the military exercises.' In short, 



the gallant lieutenant was a universal fivorite, 

 particularly among the ladies, who regarded him 

 as their esfiecial guardian and champion in these 

 troiibUsome times. 



Putting hiiiiseir at the head of his men, the 

 worthy lieutenant marched rapidly down the hill, 

 and forming a line near the water's edgi', awaited 

 the next movement in stern silence. Indeed, he 

 afterward said ' that he wasn't so very sure bin 

 the fellows in the boat wanted to play 'oin ,i trick, 

 and if there ever was a time when he leltagreat 

 responsibility on him, it was then.' He did not 

 wait long, before he was hailed by the liritish 

 messenger : ' Is that the way you receive a flag of 

 truce? It is generally the custom to meet with- 

 out arms on such occasions.' 



' VVal !' said the lieutenant, still maintaining his 

 soldier-like position, without turning his head, '1 

 didn't know but you mig-ht cut tip some deviltry 

 or other with our people : howsniiidever, as you 

 seem to be a pretty peaceable, well-disposed, w ell- 

 behaved sort of a lellow, my men may right about 

 face a little w.ays.' So turning on his heel, a la 

 mililnirc, he ordered his men to relire a few rods, 

 and hold themselves in readiness for farther ac- 

 tion. By this time, the boat was close in shore, 

 and the messenger, an officer, as appeared from 

 his iir<iform. was about stepping ashore, when the 

 Yankee interrupted him : 



' I say, hello, mister! you don't come on this 

 ground, till I know what you're after! So, jest 

 stay in the boat, and say your say out!' 



The Englishman, perceiving that it would be 

 useless to oppose this ajipeal, resumed his (losi- 

 tion in the boat, and declared his mis>ion, which 

 was, to demand a surrender of the stores that 

 were concealed there or ihereabont, on penalty 

 of an instant destruction in case ofa refusal. Our 

 officer replied : 



'I don't know about that 'ere last part of the 

 business; but I will consult my superiors, and 

 get their opinion on the subject.' 



Turninu to his men, he ordered them to wait, 

 and not ' let that <-liap come ashore till he came 

 back; when,' added he, adilressing the oificer, 

 'I'll report progress, and let yon know how we 

 conclude the act.' So saying, he marched up the 

 hill, and disappeared among the crowd ! Alter 

 some minutes conversation with the older inhab- 

 ilaiits, and a few young leaders in the little army, 

 he resumed his march down the hill, and placing 

 himself in front of his men, who had awaited 

 hi> return, agreeably to orders, he delivered him- 

 self of the following reply to the demand of the 

 British : 



' I am ordered by the General to tell you that 

 we shall keep the stores, until the king shall send 

 a force siifiicient to take them away. So, if yon 

 waul 'em badly, you must get 'em the best way 

 you can.' 



Somewhat astonished at the reception he had 

 met with, and seeing noihing very inviting in the 

 coiinlenauce of the sturdy Yankee, the servant 

 of the king gave the word to his men, and quick- 

 ly returned to his ship. 



While these occurrences were taking place, the 

 crowd on the hill were suddenly dis|iersed, and 

 the militia, in regular order, filed oft' on the left 

 into the brushwood, r.ud marching round to the 

 right, appeared again on the hill, in sight of the 

 fleet, but in a dilferent order, so as to present the 

 appearance of a new compi.ny just arrived from 

 another (iiiarter. These again in turn filed oft' 

 and immediately another body of men came in 

 directly in front, filed oft', and disappeared like 

 the former. These niaiiOPU\res were repeated 

 acain and again ; and the motley nnilorms of cit- 

 izens, with a great noise of ilrnni and fil'e, con- 

 triliuteil not a little In the deception. 



After this had continued a considerable time, 

 the lieutenant remarkeil, probably being some 

 what latigneil with his arduons'.luties, that 'the 

 Britishers didii'l seem in any hurry about them 

 stores, and he reckoned that they would take 

 time to consider the matter some, afore they tried 

 it!' And so it proved : for the British command- 

 er deliberated ;i long time before making any ap- 

 parent movement; and after firing a few guns, 

 with no other effect than to waken the echoes of 

 the dense forests which skirted the lake, and 

 elicit a few si'reams from the females, he sailed 

 leisurely away, to the no small gratificalion of the 

 Americans, w ho fe.-ired I'or the success of their 

 ruse. But ihe final disappearance of the fleet, in 

 the course of the afternoon, quieted entirely \hi 



doubts of the most timorous : and they returned 

 to their dwellings sincerely thanking that Provi- 

 dence, or ' liitality,' as the worthy captain has it, 

 which had protected them from the destructiou 

 that had threatened them. 



The evening was spent in joyous festivity, and 

 the agents of this great 'finality' were by no 

 means forgotten in the general joy. Lieutenant 



B was the hero of tlie day, and nobly lie 



bore his honors; gallantly reaping the reward of 

 his labors in the s7iiiles of the ladies whom lio 

 had protected. It is even asserted that he was 

 seen to steal various kisses I'rom the lips of these 

 pretty charmers, in the course of the evening. 



From llie Calctilta Clnarterly Review'. 

 THE SONG OF THE FORGE. 



Clan?, riane'. the massive anvils ring — 



C lang, clang ! a hundred hammers swing. 



Like the thunder rattle ofa tropic sky 



The mighty Idows still multiply; 



Clang, clang 1 



Say, brothers of the dusky brow. 



What are your strong arras forging now .* 



Clang, clang — we forge the coulter now — 

 The coultfr of the kindly plough. 

 Sweet Mar>- motlier, bless our toilj 

 M:iy its hro'ad furrow still unbind 

 To genial rains, to sun and wind, 

 The most benignant sud. 



riang, clang — our coulter's course shall be 

 ISy many a sweet and sheltered lea, 

 By many a strc-anilet's silver tide, 

 .Vmidst the song of moriiijic birds. 

 .Amidst the lo\v of sauntering herns. 

 Amidst soft breezes, which do stray 

 Through woodbine hedges and sweet May, 

 .Along the green bill's side. 



tVhen regal Autumn's bounteous hand, 

 With wide-spread glory clothes the land j 

 When to the valleys, from the brow 

 Of eacll resplendent slope, is rolled 

 A ruddy sea of living gold. 

 We bless — we bless the plough. 



Clang, clang — again, my mates, what glows 

 Beneath the hamm-r's potent blows? 

 Clink, clank— we f irgc the giant chain. 

 Which bears the gdlant vessel's strain, 

 '.Midst stormy winds and adverse tides; 

 Secured by this, the good ship braves 

 Th^"! rocky roadstead, and the waves 

 Which thunder on her sides. 



.Anxious no more, the merchant sees 

 Tlie mist drive dark btfore the breeze, 

 The storm-cloud on th:* hill ; 

 Calmly he rests, though far iiway. 

 In boisterous climes his vessel lay. 

 Reliant on our skill. 



Say on what sands these links shall sleep, 



Fathoms beneath the solemn deep? 



By .Afric's pestilential shirt*. 



By many an iceberg, lone and hoar, 



By many a palmy w-t-stern isle, 



BasMng in Spring's perpetual smile ; 



By stormy Labrador. 



Say, shall they feel the vessel reel 



Wiien 10 the battery's di-adlypeal 



The crashing broadside makes reply ; 



Or else, as at the glorious Xile, 



Hold crappling ships, that strive the while, 



For death or victor}- ? 



Hurrah — cling, clans — once more, what glows.' 

 Dark brothers of the forge, beneath 

 The iron tempest of your blows, 

 The furnace's red breath ? 



Clang, clang — a burning torrent clear 

 And hriUiant, t>f t)rieht sparks, is poured 

 -Around and up in the dusky air, 

 .-\s our hammers forge the swobd. 



The sword I — extreme of dread ; yet when 

 I'pon the freeman's iliigh 'lis bound, 

 ^Vliile for his allar and his hearth, 

 Whih^ for his land thai gave him birth. 

 The war-drums roll, the trumpets sound. 

 How sacred is it then I 



Whenever for the truth and right 

 It Ha-bes in the van .d' ligbr, 

 Whether in some wild mountain pass. 

 As that where fell Leonidas ; 

 Or on somt- sterile plain and stern, 

 .A IVIarston, or a Bannockliuni ; 

 Or amidst crags and bursting rills, 

 The Switzer's .-Mps, grey Tyrol's hills ; 

 Or, as wlem sunk the .Armada's pride, 

 It {.'leanis above the stormy tide ; 

 Still, still, whene'er the ba'ltle word 

 Is I.ibi.'rty, when men do stand 

 For justice and their native land. 

 Then Heaven bless the smobd! 



For the Farmer's Montlily Visitor. 



Cultivation of Peach Trees. 

 Mr. Hill: — It being a rainy day and out of 

 door work tmcomibrtalile, I tlinnglu I would oc- 

 cupy a leisure moment by answering the eittptiry 

 of vour Lowell correspondent and give some tic- 

 connt of my experience in cultivating the Peach. 

 .And as brevity is said to he the soul of wit, 1 

 shall endeavor to make my communication as 

 short us possible. 



