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NEW ENGLAND FAEMER 



Aug. 



Professorship of Agriculture. — Dr. William 

 Terrell, an eminent agriculturist, and one of the 

 wealthiest and most public-spirited citizens of 

 Georgia, died at his residence in Sparta, Hancock 

 Co., in tliat State, on the morning of 4th of July. 

 The deceased has especially entitled himself to 

 the gratitude of Georgia and of posterity by the 

 donation of twenty thousand dollars to Athens 

 College, for the establishment of a Professorship 

 of Agriculture. Called by his name, it will, for 

 all time, be his monument. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



USEFULNESS. 



Not unfrequently, have I heard women who 

 were surrounded by all the advantages that out- 

 ward wealth can give, say with sad and timid 

 eelf-reproach, "I ought to be happy. It is my 

 own fault that I am not. But, I know not how 

 it is, I cannot get up an interest in anything." 

 When I remind them that Richter said, "1 have 

 fire-proof perennial enjoyments, called employ- 

 ments," few have faith in such a cure for the 

 inanity of life. But the only certain way to at- 

 tain habitual content and cheerfulness, ia by the 

 active use of our faculties and feelings. Mrs. 

 Somerville finds too much excitement and pleas- 

 ure in her astronomical investigations to need the 

 poor stimulus of extravagant expenditure, or gos- 

 sipping about her neighbors. Yet the astronomer 

 discharges all womanly duties with beautiful pro- 

 priety. She takes nothing from her family. She 

 merely gives to science those hours which many 

 women in the same station waste in idleness and 

 dissipation. 



What can be more charming than the example 

 of Mrs. Huber, devoting herself to the study of 

 natural history, to assist her blind husband in his 

 observations? Or of Mrs. Blake, making grace- 

 ful drawings in her husband's studio, working oiF 

 the impression of his plates and coloring them 

 with her own hand ? Compare a mere leader of 

 ton with the noble German Countess, Julia Von 

 Eglofistein, who dared to follow her genius for 

 art, though all the prejudices of people in her 

 own rank were strongly arrayed against it. Mrs. 

 Jameson says, "When I have looked at the 

 Countess Julia in her painting-room, surrounded 

 by her drawings, models, casts — all the powers 

 of her exuberant, enthusiastic mind, flowing free 

 in their natural direction, I have at once felt 

 pleasure, admiration and respect." The same 

 writer says, "In general the conscious power of 

 maintaining themselves, habits of application and 

 manual industry in women, the application of 

 our feminine superfluity of sensibility and imagi- 

 nation to a tangible result, have produced fine 

 characters." 



That woman is slowly making her way into 

 freer life is evin3ed by the fact that, in a few 

 highly cultivated countries, literature is no long- 

 er deemed a disparagement to woman, and even 

 professed authorship does not involve loss of caste 

 in society. Maria Edgeworth, Mary Ilowitt, 

 Frederika Premer, our own admirable and excel- 

 lent Catharine Sedgwick, and many others wide- 

 ly known as writers, were placed in the genteel 



ranks of society by birth ; but they are univer- 

 ly regarded with increased respect, because they 

 have enlarged their bounds of usefulness, to 

 strengthen and refresh thousands of minds. 



Dorothea L. Dix, when she retired from school- 

 teaching because the occupation disagreed with 

 her health, had a competence that precluded the 

 necessity of further exertion. "Now she haa 

 nothing to do but to be a lady and enjoy her- 

 self," said an acquaintance. But Miss Dix, 

 though characterized by a most womanly sense of 

 propriety, did not think it lady-like to be useless, 

 or enjoyment to be indolent. "In a world where 

 there is so much to be done," said she, "I felt 

 strongly impressed that there must be something 

 for me to do." Circumstances attracted her at- 

 tention to the insane inmates of prisons and alms- 

 houses ; and for several years, she has b*ien to 

 them a missionary of mercy, soothing them by 

 her gentle influence, guiding them by her coun- 

 sel, and greatly ameliorating their condition, by 

 earnest representations to selectmen and legisla- 

 tors. Her health has improved wonderfully un- 

 der this continual activity of body, mind and 

 heart. 



Frederika Bremer, in her delightful book called 

 "Home," tells of one of the unmarried daughters 

 of a large family who evinced similar wisdom. 

 She obtained from her father the sum that would 

 have been her marriage portion, established a 

 neat household for herself, and adopted two 

 friendless orphan girls to educate. 



Use is the highest law of our being, and it 

 cannot be disobeyed' with impunity. The more 

 alive and earnest the soul is by nature, the more 

 does its vitality need active use, and its earnest- 

 ness an adequate motive. It will go well with 

 society when it practically illustrates Coleridge's 

 beautiful definition : "Labor should be the pleas- 

 ant exercise of sane minds in healthy bodies." 



But to fill employments with a divine life, 

 they must be performed with reference to others ; 

 for we can really enjoy only that which we im- 

 part freely. The following extract from one of 

 Beethoven's letters, exhil)its the human soul in 

 the noblest exercise of its immortal powers : viz. : 

 embodying the highest conception of art, from a 

 genuine love of art, warmed by the motive of do- 

 ing good to others. He writes thus : "My com- 

 positions are well paid, and I may say, I have 

 more orders than I can well execute. I ask my 

 terms and am paid. You see this is an excellent 

 thing ; as, for instance, I see a friend in want, 

 and my purse does not at the moment permit me 

 to assist him, I have but to sit down and write, 

 and my friend is no longer in need." — Mrs. L. 

 M. Child. 



Currant and Gooseberry Pies. — Green cur- 

 rants and gooseberries, for pies, are not apt to I>e 

 sweet enough, without the sugar is scalded in be- 

 fore they are baked, as the juice of the currant is 

 apt to run out while they are baking and leave 

 the fruit dry. Stew them on a moderate fire, 

 with a teacup of water to a couple of quarts of 

 currants ; as soon as they begin to break, add the 

 sugar, and let it scald in a few minutes. When 

 baked without stewing, put to each layer of fruit 

 a thick layer of sugar. There should be as much 

 as a quarter of a pound of sugar to a pint of cur- 

 rants, or more, if you wish it. — Ohio Farmer. 



