SOCIOLOGY 



In our great-grandfathers' time, however, this was no expe: 

 ment, curious and interesting, but a fact to be reckoned wi 

 from day to day throughout their lives. 



The village store sold the few luxuries of life white ai 

 brown sugar, salt, West Indian goods, such as molasses ai 

 spices, and, most of all, New England rum. 



Nearly every town boasted a foundry, where articles we 

 made by hand, which would be far beyond the ability of 01 

 modern blacksmith. Here were made the plows and scythes, 

 the foundry was equipped with a trip hammer; shovels and ho 

 for outside work, nails for the carpenter, from the great ire 

 spike to the shingle nail. The tools the carpenter used also can 

 from the hands of the local blacksmith. In many country town 

 old garrets will yield great chisels, primitive axes, and wrong! 

 iron bit-stocks, all made by hand and testifying to the excellenc 

 of workmanship by their age and condition. The househol 

 utensils, too, were his work, the fire dogs, toasting racks, hob; 

 iron kettles, skillets, and an endless array of less common things 

 and all this in addition to the shoeing of horses and oxen. 



From 1799 to 1853, without a break, a good man of 

 Massachusetts town kept a line-a-day diary, and from that I as 

 going to quote, from the four seasons of the year, to show th 

 dull routine of work in which the lives of our grandfathers am 

 great-grandfathers were passed; how it lacked the diversifiec 

 interests which we consider necessary to our happiness to-day 

 and yet how little the unrest of modern times enters into any o: 

 its spirit. 



Take these short sketches of the life of James Parker, knowi 

 as ' * Captain James, ' ' a young and newly married man in 1806 



" April 1st. I cut Hop-poles at the South End. 



2nd. I wrought for Ivory Longl'ey, cart wood. Mr 



Edgarton Departed this life. 

 3d. Fast Day. I and Ruthy (his wife) went to Mr. 



Harkness (his wife's father). James came 



home with us. 

 4th. I and Ruthy went to the Funeral of Mr. Edgarton. 



Buryed in Mason order. The day was pleas- 



ant. A great collection of People. 



