1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



429 



my family into a 7 by 9 room at Saratoga, or at 

 some of the watering-places — hot as blazes — eaten 

 up by flies in the day-time and mnsquitoes at night, 

 sweating under the glare of gas-light in the ball- 

 room in the evening, and under the burning sun by 

 day. Do you remember our own experience at 

 Piney Point one burning August ? We went for 

 pleasure, and perhaps we might, had we been pro- 

 vided with places in which we could have slept, 

 passed some hours (to quote Byron) 



"In dreaming this was pleasure," 



but, alas, we could not sleo]), and therefore had not 

 even the consolation of the dream, much less the re 

 ality. You have not forgotten it, I know. 



Now, if the real health and pleasure seekers, 

 would come here, where the summer days are 

 delightful, and however ihey may be warm, there is 

 always fresh and salubrious air to breathe, and the 

 nights are always comfortiibly cool, they would find 

 what they seek. And then we have the old forests 

 all around us, and the beautiful lalce Massabesic, 

 spreading its broad and pure waters in our inime 

 diate vicinity, where we can go and sail and fish, 

 and have chowder, and in which we can bathe and 

 swim, and disport ourselves, fearless of sm-f and 

 sharks and sea-serpents ! 



Let me describe to you one day of the pleasure 

 of old Chester. On Friday morning last, in accord- 

 ance with prexious arrangements, nearly forty of 

 us, old and young, started for the Alassabesic. A 

 large stage wagon was put in requisition, in wliich 

 nineteen of us were comfortable stowed, and amongst 

 them the Register of Probate of the County of Suf- 

 folk and his wife and daughter. The others went 

 in such carriages as they coidd conveniently procure. 

 We arrived at Auburn between ten and eleven, and 

 found, uj)on a ])lateau of land, in front of which, 

 spread far and wide the beautiful lake, and behind 

 which arose, what we modestly term. Mine-hill — 

 in fact qiute a tolerable mountain — a beautiful arbor, 

 erected for our accommodation, with a table set the 

 entire length of it, and all the necessary appliances 

 to make us comfortable and happy. The day was 

 lovely. As soon as our preliminaries were adjusted, 

 the party broke into groups. Some went fishing, 

 some sailing, some bathing, and the younger fry 

 were amused by the erection of a swing in an ad- 

 joining grove. 



At one o'clock, P. M., the chowder, prepared by 

 our excellent host and hostess, was Vn-ought on, and 

 the table was loaded with good things, in abund- 

 ance, and all ate and were filled. Any one would 

 have readily answered to the question of the stage- 

 driver — " all full inside ?" as (,'harles Lamb did — 

 " I don't know how it is with the rest of them, but 

 that last piece of pudding (fid the business for mc ! " 

 After dinner, most of the party made an excursion 

 to the top of the hill, from which the view is very 

 extensive and beautiful, and there, beneath the old 



forest trees, from sweet and ringing voices, were 

 sent forth, upon the summer breeze, tones to awak- 

 en the best feelings of the heart. " The Stiir Spang- 

 led Banner" was sung in fuU chorus. " The Old 

 Foil* s at Home" were not forgotten. " Auld Lang 

 Sjiie" came back fresh and glowing, and many 

 other songs of the olden and of the modern times 

 rang out on the joyous air. The party from the 

 hill having retired to the arbor, and all being there 

 assembled, " Auld Lang Syne" was joined in by 

 all who could raise a note, and then the party pre- 

 pared for its return. On the way back we paid a 

 risit to " The DcaiI's Den," but, his Majesty being 

 out, our stay was not long, and, at sunset, we were 

 all safely back at our respective domiciles, perfectly 

 satisfied that we had spent the day in a manner 

 as satisfactory as it could well be spent. 



In this region of country, cultivating the soil is 

 the main purpose of the ])eople ; of course there is 

 nothing of the starched and stiif formulas of the city. 

 Every man, woman and child is taught to wait upon 

 him or herself, and consequently every man, woman 

 and child is independent, and all is free and easy in 

 their social intercourse. A hearty welcome is given 

 to all comers who are entitled to be esteemed for the 

 ordinary virtues of life — talent is respected, as it 

 should ever be, in the humblest individual, but ratik 

 and dollars cannot purchase either respect or atten- 

 tion, unless combined with adjuncts deemed of far 

 greater importance — the power to instruct, or please, 

 or to render those about you contented and happy. 



The location of a people, as it seems to me, hsm 

 much to do with their characters. Here, where an 

 immense expanse of country is ever open to the 

 view, the tendency of the mind, as it gathers in 

 knowledge, is to expand and become enlarged in all 

 that does honor to human nature — the soul swells 

 as the eye embi"aces a magnificent })rospect, and one 

 with an imagination whose vision has never embrac- 

 ed more at a time than the single street of a city, 

 would go almost into ecstacies, could he be suddenly 

 placed at any point like this, where the eye could 

 rove over thousands of square miles of landscape 

 unim])cded. Then the natural tendency of the 

 0})cning mind, whose daily vision is thus enlarged, 

 is to enlarge with it, and to become geijcrous and 

 noble in its impulses ! 



God bless the good people of old Chester. 

 Very truly and faithfully yours, 



B. B. French. 



L.\RGE Eggs. — George W. White, Esq., of 

 North Cambridge, handed us four eggs this morn- 

 ing, which weigh one jjound. They were laid by 

 the same hen, and three of them in three succes- 

 sive days. 



Mr. George Hayes, of North Cambridge, and 

 one of the best farmers of Middlesex County, is the 

 owner of the Biddy, and possessor of the secret of 



