570 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



farmers' sons and daughters with us. Nobody 

 that we can bring in, will make good tlie loss 

 of these. Thank Heaven for the children — 

 that the selfishness and sin of the cities has 

 not yet struck its poison into the country — 

 that Moloch is not God here. Thank Heaven 

 that here there are yet fathers and mothers. 

 The State owes them gratitude and honor. 

 I would rather see a list of the women who 

 had reared ten likely children than of the men 

 who had paid $100 a year taxes ; they are 

 greater benefactors. They deserve a pen- 

 sion ; but the beauty of it is such persons are 

 never in need of it. If they have borne a 

 cross it is the cross of the Legion of Honor ! 

 There are two kinds of laboring — for our own 

 profit, which is selfishness, and for the profit 

 of others, which is happiness. Getting money 

 isn't the chief good ; those who think it is, 

 sacrifice comfort or virtue to it, and find out 

 their mistake. Think it no waste of your 

 profits to improve and beautify your farms — 

 to make your homes attractive to sense and 

 heart. We have not enough of the hereditary 

 about our home notions. We don't build for 

 the future, — you hear men saying, "It will last 

 as long as I do," and you can't help thinking 

 it wouldn't be a great loss then if it didn't 

 last very long. I suppose they think it is un- 

 constitutional to have a family homestead — 

 since "no hereditary distinction, privilege, 

 honor, or emolument, shall be granted or con- 

 firmed" by the State. That is because the 

 State doesn't want to usurp the rights of in- 

 dividuals. Tou can grant hereditary honors 

 and privileges if you will, and bless your 

 memory for it to coming generations. 



It is of no use to talk of the dignity of 

 labor. Labor will take care of its own dig- 

 nity. What we want is the dignity of life, 

 and the graces of the heart; more that is 

 genial and social ; a kindlier, brighter, daily 

 living. 



And if our farmers' sons forsake us what is 

 left for the daughters ? The beneficent laws 

 of nature are interrupted — the beautiful ma- 

 chinery of human society is thrown out of 

 gear and goes jarringly and wrong. She 

 whose aptitudes fit her for the thousand sweet 

 and needful ministries of life — whose nature 

 demands something stouter, and bolder, than 

 she to lean on — finds no field for her chief 

 virtues as a helper, and^s thrown back upon 

 herticlf. If this does not wholly break her 

 spirit, she scorns to be dependent, and enters 

 the lists of labor, to keep herself from being 

 a burden, and to maintain her self-respect. 



It is no- derogatory thing for those whose 

 circumstances make it necessary to go into 

 factories as operatives. But it does seem to 

 mi'- a pity for a farmer's daughter to go there. 

 I know that good character will tell there too, 

 and the excf licnt gentlemen who have charge 

 of those institutions recognize the superiority 

 of such service, and do everything to make 

 the place worthy of it. But I do not know 



why it is not quite as well for a conscientious, 

 earnest girl, if she finds herself not useful at 

 home, to go to a good motlievly neighbor, and 

 work with her, learning the duties which per- 

 tain to her future station and keeping in that 

 honest, economical and womanly sphere and 

 habit till she becomes a householder herself. 

 Supposing she can earn more otherwise ? It 

 does not follow that this is worth most. If 

 this good old practice could be re-established 

 domestic life itself vould be happier, and a 

 girl would not think it degrading to serve an 

 honorable apprenticeship because she might 

 be called a servant. With the name changed, 

 we are all servants, and the higher we ris.e in 

 station, if we rise in character too, the more 

 we are servants. It is vexatious sometimes 

 to be at every body's call, but there is a view 

 of life and duty which makes true service to a 

 fellow-being a thing honorable and great 

 enough to satisfy any right ambition. * * * 



The enterprise and power which now goes 

 forth to work such wonders elsewhere may, if 

 applied at home, make this a great and beauti- 

 ful and happy State. The treasuries of na- 

 ture opened — the forces careering about as 

 applied to useful ends — all high industries set 

 in motion, and Agriculture, Manufactories and 

 Commerce advancing together in the union ; 

 that is strength and the diversity that is pros- 

 perity ! 



Let us stand then in our lot where Provi- 

 dence has cast it, anxious for nothing but to 

 be worthy of our opportunities, and diligent 

 to do our duty, content with a goodly heritage 

 while we seek another and better country — 

 that is, a heavenly. 



AGRICULTUKAL ITEMS. 



— It is remarked that the crop of dead leaves 

 from the trees was never known to be so large as 

 it is this year. 



— Apple trees in Florida have the advantage of 

 holding their leaves all winter like an evergreen, 

 but it is a drawback that they bear no fruit. 



— A yotmg Ladies' Seminary in Rochester, N. Y., 

 has arranged to have the elements of gardening 

 taught as one of the branches of female education. 



— The Iowa Agricultural College opens this 

 month; receives pupils without distinction of sex. 

 While the young men learn farming, the young 

 women learn to cook and keep house. 



— When a cow or ox gets choked it is said that 

 immediate relief may be obtained by strapping up 

 a fore leg, and compelling the animal to jump. 

 This will cause the obstruction to fly out. 



— Our correspondent at Livermore, Me., says the 

 snow was about two inclies deep on a level, Oct. 

 17th, and that last year there was a snow storm 

 there Sept. 30. 



— The Essex Banner asserts that small quanti- 

 ties of sunflower seed mixed with the food of a 

 horse will impart a fine gloss to his hair, while it 



