22 



^l)c jTavincv's iHcmtl)lij iMsitor. 



For the Fiirincr's Monthly ^'iRi^•r. 

 Matters and thiu?<^ in aeneral"T\vo days ride 

 with my I'ucle Jiicob--The pair ol .Scis- 

 sors. 

 A belter speciinen ofa iiiiiii of siMy-five cniiM 

 liiiidly lie Ibiiiiil llimi my iimcIh J.icoli. He liiid 

 never lieeii iii:iriii'il, aiii! like ni(wt single men of 

 tliis Mini lie Wiis keeiil,\ |MMTe|)tive cjf all ilie ills 

 tliiit iirmifest lliemselves in tlie ennnnhiiil slate. 

 lie iva!< a tliiilty man, and was a snil ol |irnent to 

 all tl.e little orphans ul'tlie vill!i);e. All of tliem 

 have a liow or a comtesy for nncle Jacoli; .anil 

 when his cherries and sninnier apples were ripe, 

 they were snre of a welcome, and a ride in the 

 swing that he |>iit up on pmpuse tor his little 

 visitors. I was a visitor iVom boyhood at his 

 house. [ rode his poney w hen I desired, bnt on 

 riindilion that 1 rode without a siii-k, lor my ini- 

 cle Jacob used to say as he pnt me on bis back, 

 '• ii!w;iys keep the whip in the manger, Billy, and 

 there will he no occasi<in elsewhere." I\ly mi- 

 cle's apartment had the ptcnliai Ities of single 

 men. Me had a place for every thing, ami Ii.kI so 

 long been used to it that be coidd, he said, find 

 every thing in the darkest night as well as in the 

 brightest day. \o hand of woman ever raised 

 the tranqifd dnst of tlie corners. The spiders 

 liad their appropriate corners, and were viewed 

 with pei-nli.ir liivor, as one had nerved the arm 

 of Wallace, be saiil, by an exemplary lesson of 

 perseverance. 



My nncle was fond of hooks, gave a peference 

 over the early |ioels, as they came wilhin l.is 

 range, and took a leafling newspaper on each 

 side; Imt, allhongh fieipienily solicited, be never 

 conid he prevailed npon to lie a candidate for any 

 office. In his scrap book I noticed that save a 

 few pieces of poetry there was nothing bnl 

 recipes tor pickling meal, dnrable cements, cnres 

 for the ails of cattle; and nearly the wlirjje was 

 copies li'oni Enrope.in journals of elopements of 

 married people, hnsban<ls poisoned by their 

 wives, migratefnl children, leniale extravagance, 

 &(■. From tlie.se pieces he evidently ilrank in 

 a solace to wnniaU'd affections, or composeil his 

 mind in the horns of solitnde, from the woini of 

 those ibonghts (hat are more afflicting than the 

 excitement of an ill-snited ininriage. 



My nncle, as he bad no wife, occasionally, as 

 all old bachelors have to do, did his little rents of 

 mending, ,Tnd be wore aioinid his neck a neat 

 gold chain which suspended a common old liish- 

 ioned pair of sm.ill scissors. What was rather 

 singular I had never seen him nse them, liir, 

 slipped in a little case to keep harmless iheir 

 points, they were constantly kept in an inside 

 pocket. 



My nncle and my father were fre(]nent visi- 

 tor.s, allhongh some twenty miles ap.nt; bnt my 

 lather's other brother he never visited. 1 never 

 bearil him mention bis name or inrpiire concern- 

 ing his family; and this occnrred to me as rath- 

 er sing(dar, as toy nncle William .anil my liither 

 were as aftectionate as brothers generally are. 

 Trne be resided in Massacbnsetis, .and at a con- 

 siderable distance, bnt this coidd not exactly ac- 

 coimt tor the silence and indiffui'ence of my mi- 

 cle Jacob. 



One pleasant day in antnmn. as pievionsly ar- 

 ranged, we took .a ri<le towards the npp.i r part of 

 the State. Wy micle came the evening previ(nis 

 and took me to wnit upon him as he saiii, and as 

 the sun touched the neighboring hills with his 

 bright beaiiKS, we were in the little Dearborn, 

 lifted the reins, and tny uncle remarkeil as his 

 horse put out with a flowing mane and trumpet 

 nostril, "always keep the whip in the manger, 

 my boy." 



My uncle wi.shed to see some cattle almnt fifiy- 

 five nfiles dist.int, and we led off; wlien rising 

 the hill, "steady Selim, said be, we sliall have 

 need of your mettle bel'ore night." We descen- 

 ded and m.ide a short turn in the road by w hich 

 some beanliful cows were enclosed, and a line 

 blooming girl of eighteen had just set through 

 the fence the third pail of milk, and stepped 

 round a noble imp.itient Durhaju to pri>ceed with 

 her morning's work. It was still, and we heard 

 her tine clear voii-e betbre we came in view, and 

 as she pushed the cow to make her conveniently 

 step her hind foot, she recognizeil us and nodded 

 with a smile. "You're acqnainred with that girl 

 1 see. Bob," .said my nncle ; "that smile coidd nev- 

 er shed its beam upon a stranger I" "She knows 

 tis boili i think, said I ; and as she is neighlKir 



Tbriliy's dattgliter Peggy, she could do no less 

 than recognize us." "She is a line liK'king girl 

 any bow," s.iid my uncle. "Her gown was 

 pinned up, which was neat on her, and as she 

 stepped imind that cow she displaM'd a line 

 turned ancle. Her stockings were as while as 

 her pail, and Bob, as liir as I could judge, there 

 was no bole in the heel. There is no better 

 sign than a girl neat in llie morning, and were 1 

 a young man 1 would not wed the Venus de 

 iMedici, if J once caught ber with a hole in the 

 heel other stockings." 



I had long bad a curiosity to know how it 

 bail happened that my uncle had never married : 

 the way was now opened, ami 1 said, "Uncle, 

 fine girls could not have lieeii so plenty lormer- 

 ly as How. 1 |ja\e wondertd that yon have ever 

 lieen single. Why, it every girl should get a 

 husband that keeps her stockings whole, there 

 would not be an nnmanied girl in the whole 

 Stale by next thanksgiving." 



We were passing on at a brisk trot: my uncle 

 averletl his lace and made no reply. We were 

 close upon neiidibor 'I'lnitiy at the bead of a 



n ber of bands cutting up his corn. A how 



was all that passed, when my uncle remarked 

 "that man knows what he is about; he takes 

 time by the liirelock, and he is pnrsniiig the best 

 plan in the best way. See Bob, that tine Held ot 

 corn has never been topped. That is wise, and 

 the stems are still green near the ground. The 

 corn will weigh more, and ilie liidder isworili 

 double what it would be if suffered to sland uinil 

 it is ilry. You perceive aUo ihat be is Ibllowing 

 tlie men and hauling and sitting it upright against 

 that rail fence. When it is busked, which should 

 be done in lour or five weeks at farthest, the 

 blades, tops and sliooks should all he taken to- 

 gether to the barn or stack. The stalks are best 

 got rid of by burning them up, for they will take 

 ilnee years to rol." "1 have neverseen that mode 

 of culling or hauling corn : how is that ?" " Why 



you si'e. Bob, be has ii i pie of saplings like a 



"pair of shalls: they are long, and the bulls upon 

 the ground; at the Inwir extremities are a 

 couple of stakes to keep the com from stripping 

 off Corn when cut up is an inconvenient tiling 

 10 handle, especially on a cart. Now this is law 

 and by pulling out the stakes at the fence there, 

 then hold ;ind start the horse, and it is unloaded 

 at once, and l.iys even for setting up." 



We were slopiiiL'down a hill, and out of sight : 

 — "See," says my uncle, "these fences are in 

 good order, things .ire well done within and with- 

 out that placi'. Boll." 



We measured miles along ; my uncle said but 

 little except vvliin he saw sometiiing to profit by 

 or commend, " That liidil," said he, " is too flat, 

 it does not carry off the water soon enough after 

 it tidls. How easy it would be to double the hay 

 upon it by some Ireiich drains. They could 

 easilv be "led inlo this little valley here," as he 

 poinied bis finger. "See, it is some ten feet 

 lower. There is not one farm in ten. Bob, that 

 could not be improved by draining; wherever 

 the water stands, it does barm." 



.\s we passed a cart and pair of oxen, my un- 

 cle read me another lesson. "Did you observe 

 his nose. Bob, that driver.^ The temperance 

 people, I think have yet something to do. Whey, 

 Selim ; I do -'Ot wonder he starts, tor it is many 

 ,1 day since he heard a wheel cry tor grease; and 

 he had no lasli to bis whip, or rather stake, and 

 that was pointed. 1 dismissed a man last spring 

 hicaiise be put a point in the end of his whip 

 handle to drive my callle with." 



.\ house now opened to our view ; looped am 



windowed raggcdness was exhibited ; and my 

 uncle said, " It is all of a price. 1 expected as 

 much w hen I heard the wheels cry out." 



" We will not be too critical, Bob," said my 

 nncle Jacob ; " it is unpleasant to view the de- 

 ti'cts of tiirnis or our fellow creatures ; they are 

 always worthy ol" our sympathy rather thail ceii- 

 snre,"anil always take irdngs by the smooth han- 

 dle, my boy." 



The day was a pattern of a day, of our calm 

 moral speaking Autumn. " 'I'liere," said my nn- 

 cle as he pointed to a cattle yard at the right, 

 " there is an error in placing that yard ; every 

 thing else appears well about that place. In or- 

 der to have the southern aspect, which is right, 

 the wash of that yard rims inlo the road. See 

 how the grass iiiid trees show it where bis neigh- 

 bor over iherc has turned in the drain." " Ma- 



nure, Bob," continued my uncle, "is the hncr 

 and the screw in the machinery of the farmer. 

 it raises and overcomes almost every lliing. We 

 have much lo learn in making and appliiig it. 

 It should never he siitli;red to beat and hiirii up, 

 and the ottemr a barn yard is cleared out, and 

 put in a pile wilh sods, or dilch mud, the belter. 

 The books are lidl of direciions about the ap- 

 pliialion of manure, &c. but in my jndgineiit." 

 said my nncle Jacob, "in all cases it sbonid 

 be eillier on, or near the top ol'ihe ground. Jl is 

 in tlie l-er^ act ofdecomposilion, Ihat it feeds veg- 

 elalion ; and this optration goes on llie liistest 

 where the nianuie is exposed lo ihe air." 



"I have never .^reii," said my nncle Jacob, 

 "a rich liuin and a poor farmer together. They 

 are as inseparable as man and wile. 1 have ot- 

 len seen a lean man and a fleshy wife, and vice 

 versa: this will do very well in our cold (-01111- 

 Irles; but a fat liirm and tiit owner go band in 

 band." 



"There is a right kind of a hmise. 1 have til- 

 wa^s wished, iSob, since I visited Pennsylvania, 

 ihat I bad built my house afier that fiishion. 

 They call ihem Switzer houses there, as they 

 were iuirodnied by the emigrants fiom Swiizer- 

 laiid. It is cut in, you see, on the soutli side of 

 the bill, ai'd the catlle are stalled in the basement, 

 which has three sides of walling and the soiilli 

 »ide is open, and tiiere is the yaid fur the slock 

 of catlle. 'fbese slabs are warm in llie winter,- 

 .'mil cool in the summer. The hay is easily put 

 in above, and easily slipped down to the racks, if 

 ihev have rack,-', for I have dispen.sed with mine 

 for cows and horses both. It .will do out of 

 doors; but horses are very ajit in reaching up to 

 suck ill with their brealb the dirt and seeds of 

 llie hay, and this is injinions. I have found that 

 ihev avoid this and eat quicker from a box or 

 crib." 



"There isanniher of my contrivances ;" .said my 

 uncle Jacob. "The waler is conveyed to the caiile 

 _\aid. This is not of snail iinpoitance. ]n sli|i- 

 perv weather ihey will fnqiieiilly go \\ilhoiit 

 waler tliaii go a sliort dislance. and no one \\lio 

 has not tried it can imagine the difference where 

 water is always at hand. Callle are like ourselves 

 in this, that tiiey do best to have it when they 

 want ii, and Si bin here cannot be induced to 

 drink when be is very warm. I have noticed the 

 same lliing in other horses." 



Ill this manner we rude on. 1 listened to my 

 nncle Jacob, and f.aind lliat he bad a reason 

 liir all his views, and he w.is alwa\s uoiiced as a 

 man of judgmenl. \ red flag now iippeari il on 

 ihe lii;;li ground at some di-lance ahead, and as 

 we drew near, we saw that il was an auction, and 

 ii large niim'.ier were collected. 



" Ah," i-aid my uncle, shaking Ids head, "ah. 

 Bob, there it is. I wonder how many of the 

 people have read the great Franklin upon auc- 

 tions. How plenty is good advice, and bow i'ew 

 follow it! I have olfeii read the s.-ige advice of 

 Poor Richard, ;ind like him I abstained. ] never 

 went to an aiiciion unless to buy something I 

 wanted. If 1 did not see il, I imin Mb.-itely re- 

 turned lest I should buy that which I ilid not 

 want, and thereby lose both time and money ! 

 Cmiosily, Bob, lakes jicople from place to place, 

 and lo auctions among the rest ; and how lew of 

 IIS can resist temptation. I have always thought 

 that most sublime and awful produclion, the 

 Lord's prayer, was not exactly correct in the 

 translation. Lead us not into temptalinn 

 iniElit have been, preserve us from temptation. 

 CerUiin it i.s. that temptation is a perilous silua- 

 lion lor weak human nature. I have prayed for 

 Divine assistance to resist il, bnt never could be- 

 lieve that good Being was instrumental in leading 

 me into it." 



"I wish," added my uncle, reverting to the 

 (.rndenlial sayings of Poor Richard, " that they 

 appeared more iiei-|uently in print, for ahliniigli 

 the saying is that all good advice goes to the 

 moon, I think that some of it remains behind, as 

 I have tpiite lieqneiitly Ibiinil these remains to 

 come quite convenienily to my a.-sislance." 



It was getting near dinner time, and some 

 miles beyond w,-is llie nexl tavern : but we kept 

 straight on, although we had a niuuber of bows 

 from the company collected, and one Iroiu the 

 man of the white hammer himself, ".is we 

 want nothing. Bob, let us not appear among 

 them," said my uncle. 

 " Here we have another Thrifty," said he, as 



