11 



has distinguished himself by any such unusual labor or earn- 

 ing, may be very likely to spend that money in hiring a horse 

 or buying a new coat. Now I do not mean to speak dispar- 

 agingly of either horse or coat, only it is certain that when 

 both are gone they can neither of them be seen further, nor in 

 that way enjoyed. 



There is some motive, also, here toward economy and fore- 

 sight and thrift with the farmer in his living permanently in 

 the midst of his works. And these qualities are not now 

 mentioned on account of what they bring to a man in posses- 

 sion outside of himself, but for what they bring within him, in 

 that they make him to be sagacious, prudent and thrifty. 



Then a man's permanent home tends to give him a marked 

 character of his own. He lives by himself. Pie lives on his 

 own land. He takes care of it himself; and does his own 

 thinking and ordering about it, and has done so for years. He 

 gets planted on that spot like a man with a standing place and 

 foothold of his own. He comes to be a whole, distinct, estal)- 

 lished man by himself, with marks of his own upon him. Or 

 whatever the occasion may be, of the fact itself I am sure, 

 that there are more men of marked character and individual- 

 ity and self-completeness in our agricultural districts than are 

 to be found anywhere else, unless perhaps it may be among the 

 men of the sea. 



Then, too, though the farmer has a place of his own, yet he 

 lives conspicuously among his neighbors. He knows them and 

 they him. They have been long there together. A man's 

 doings are observed, his habits noticed and remembered. Each 

 name and family seat gets a character in the neighborhood. 

 It is likely to be a better one for this continual observation and 

 responsibility. Thus it is that the neighborly relations of 

 farmers are apt to be pleasant and helpful. The exceptions 

 will be conspicuous and disagreeable, no doubt, by the w^orking 

 of the same causes that make them rare. 



And here I will say that I do not believe it to be true, as is 

 often reported, that these agricultural districts are peculiarly 

 infected with gossiping and scandal and a peering and vexatious 



