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■works of art, it is said one should choose an occupation that 

 will give him the means to gratify his taste ; hut one whose life 

 is passed among the constantly changing aspects of nature 

 needs no j/icture to enable him to comprehend that a sunrise is 

 beautiful. It does not require the skill of an artist to reveal 

 to his eye the loveliness of the rpiiet valley among the hills, or 

 the broad panorama A\hich he can Aicw from so many of the 

 hilltops of old Essex. 



And if one has a taste for animals, it is much more satisfac- 

 tory to own the sturdy oxen, the quiet cow, or the fine horse, 

 than to be able to buy one of Landseer's paintings of them ; for 

 the most that he or Rosa Bonheur can do is to paint to look 

 like life. And what need has one, avIio can possess the origi- 

 nals, of the copies from life of even the most distinguished 

 -jirtists? So to every person who has a love for the beautiful, 

 •without the means to siuTOund himself Avith pictures, I sa}- 

 become a farmer, and then "lift up your eyes to the hills," or, 

 better yet, lice on one and be satisfied. 



We will now consider the third point, Avhich is the depriva- 

 lion of social advantages enjoyed by the residents of cities. If 

 you Avere to ask Avhat adAantages farmers lose, the reply AVQuld 

 jnost likely be lectures. Noav, Iioav about the lectures? The 

 <:ommon opinion among Avell-informed men is, that as a means 

 of education, they are valueless, if of the kind knoAvn as popu- 

 lar lectures ; and if scientific, they are interesting only to a 

 limited number, and Avhatever advantages they afford in a so- 

 cial Avay can l)e obtained by other methods. 



In reu'JU'd to conc^^rts and other i>'atheriui>s, Avhllc thev afford 

 much enjoyniient, avc think Ave are compensated in other Avays. 

 Said a minister to me or.ce, Avhen speaking on this subject, 

 ''You farmers have a chance to think, that those Avho live in 

 cities fail to t)btain." 



In the present condition of society, and Avith the aljundance 

 ^)f newspapers, there is no reason Avhy the young farmer can- 

 not l)e as Avell informed in regard to all matters of puldic inter- 

 4vst as the young man in the city ; and if the former Avill spend 



