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NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



SEPT. 14,1843. 



MISCELLANEOUS 



SOFT HANDS. 



There are false ideas of dignity, politeness and 

 beauty in the world, as well as false ideas on al- 

 most all subjects. A small key unlocks a large 

 house. So the expression of one thought will give 

 113 insight into a large region of mind. " VVhy 

 do n't you wear gloves ?" says a gentleman to a la- 

 dy with whom he is walking. "I dislike the feel- 

 ing of them," says the lady. "You should accus- 

 torn yourself to them.'' "Why?" " Because your 

 hands would be much more soft and beautiful." 

 Granted — they might be to some; but there are 

 different ideas of beauty — false and true. Let us 

 think a little about these soft hands : A certain 

 amount of physical exercise is necessary, to secure 

 health of body and mind. Where are intellectual 

 giants found ? Are they found in the families of 

 kings or nobles.? No. Thrones have been filled 

 by idiots, and monsters not iinfrcquently. Empty 

 titles have descended on empty heads, and the no- 

 bility and gentry, the rich and inefficient, are often 

 well nigh mindltss. Look at society as it is at 

 present. See our men of business, racked with 

 ten thousand cares, torn by ten thousand fears, suf- 

 fering daily martyrdom, with no time to cultivate 

 their intellectual powers — their minds running to 

 waste, their moral powers often vitiated, and a no- 

 ble soul degraded even to fraud — and for what ? 

 Because they must get, gel, get. They have per- 

 haps a wife and half a dozen daughters, with Jcuu- 

 tiful soft hands, hanging upon their single arm. 

 The wife cannot make home happy and desirable 

 without servants, because it will spoil her soft 

 hands. If sickness enters the dwelling, (and where 

 liealthful activity is wanting, sickness is a frequent 

 guest,) the daughters are inefficient. The father's 

 heart is not cheered, his cares are not lightened, 

 nor his hearth made cheerful by his daughters' 

 timely labor. Why ? They must have soft hands. 

 They may have intellectual capacity, ability of a 

 high order — but without exercise — active physical 

 exercise — these cannot be developed. Study and 

 labor must be combined, else there is listlessness 

 and ennui : the mind sympathizes with a diseased 

 body. There is often — perhaps always — a dis- 

 ease, a morbid developement of the animal propen- 

 Bities, and in the words of another, " the heart eats 

 itself out." This is never the case where there is 

 mental culture combined with bodily labor. 



If men wish to be chained to the oar for life, to 

 support useless lumber in mind and body, in those 

 women who hang dead weights upon them, let them 

 encourage the growth of soft hands, and they may 

 rest assured that by next generation, soft heads 

 will be added to the hands. 



Men are unjust to themselves, when they labor 

 so as to make life an intolerable burden, merely to 

 supply artificial wants, or gratify a foolish taste, 

 which results in making those depending on them 

 helpless and sickly. They do not wish to spend 

 their own lives in misery, or make those they love 

 miserable, but in gratifying this silly taste for soft 

 hands, they do both — and so, it is to be feared, will 

 they continue to do, till industry is ennobled and 

 made attractive and honorable. — Boit. Times. 



Wanted. — Girls want good husbands ; young 

 men want prudent and sweet tempered wives. 

 Dandies and fashionable ladies who screw their 

 waists to resemble a wasp, want common sense. 



' HuUua, you man with the pail and frock !" said 

 a British officer, as he brought his fiery steed to a 

 stand in front of Governor Chittenden's dwelling — 

 " Can you inform me whether His Excellency the 

 Governor of Vermont resides here ?" 



" He does," was the response of the man, still 

 wending his way to the pig-stye. 



"Is His Excellency at home?" continued the 

 stranger. 



" Most certain/y," replied the man of the frock. 



"Take my horse by the bit, then," said the offi- 

 cer, "I have business to transact with your nins/er." 



Without a second bidding the man done as re- 

 quested, and the officer alighted and made his way 

 up to the door and gave the pannel several hearty 

 taps with the butt of his riding whip — for be it 

 known, in those days of republican simplicity, 

 knockers and bells, like servants, were in but little 

 use. The good dame of the house answered the 

 summons in person; and having seated the officer 

 and ascertained his desire to see the Governor, de- 

 parted to inform her husband of the guest's arrival ; 

 but on ascertaining that the officer had made a 

 hitching post of her husband, she immediately re- 

 turned and informed the officer that the Governor 

 was engaged in the yard, and could not well wait 

 upon his Honor and his horse at the same time. 

 The predicament of the officer can be better imag- 

 ined than described. — Selected. 



Causes of Death amongst Women. — The mortali- 

 ty of English women by consumption may be as- 

 cribed partly to the indoor life which they lead, 

 and partly to the compression of the chest, by cos- 

 tume. In both ways they are deprived of free 

 draughts of vital air, and the altered blood deposits 

 tuberculous matter with a most fatal facility. 

 Thirtyone thousand English women annually die of 

 this incurable malady. Will not this impressive 

 fact induce persons of rank and influence to set 

 their countrywomen right in the article of dress, 

 and lead them to abandon a practice which disfig- 

 ures the body, strangles the chest, produces ner- 

 vous or other disorders, and has an unquestionable 

 tendency to implant hectic malady in the frame? 

 Girls have no more need of artificial bones and 

 bandages than boys. — English Register. 



The Olden Times of England. — The records of 

 the Corporation of Canterbury for the year 15.3.5, 

 contain the following items : "Paid for bringing a 

 heretic from London, I4s. 8d. ; for a load and a 

 half of wood to burn him, 2s. ; for gunpowder, Id. ; 

 a stake and staple, Sd." 



English Grammar. — " Did it rain tomorrow .'" 

 asked the Dutchman. "I guess it was," replied 

 the Frenchman. 



Quite an animated discussion is going on among 

 ornithologists down east, upon the following ques- 

 tion : — " Which is the mother of the chicken — the 

 hen that laid the egg or the hen that hatched it?" 



Franklin says that "seven hours sleep is enough 

 for a scholar, eight for a laborer, and nine for a hog." 

 Who flutters ? 



"Can you tell me the way to the penitentiary?" 

 asked a stranger. " Yes, sir — pick the first man's 

 pocket that you meet." 



"How do you do, Mr Smith ?" 

 " Do what ?" 



" Why, how do you find yourself?" 

 " I never lose myself." 

 " Well, how have you been ?" 

 " Been — been where ?" 



"Out upon your nonsense! How do you feel?' 

 " Feel of me and see." 

 "Good morning, Mr Smith." 

 "No, 'tis n't — it's a confounded wet and nastj 

 morning." — Western pap. 



It is very agreeable when making a call upon a i; 

 friend, to be met at the door by a large growlingj 

 ugly barking dog. 



When is a man over head and ears in debt; 

 Until his hat is paid for. 



Why are a lawyer and a lover alike ? BecauseHjS' 

 they go to couit. 



GREEN'S PATENT STRAW CUTTER, 



JOSEPH BRECK & CO. al IheNcw England A^ncul 

 tural Warehouse and Seed Store Nos. 61 and 52 North Mar- 

 ket Street, have for sale. Green's Patent Straw, Hay ani 

 Stalk Culler, operating on a mechanical principle not beion 

 applied to aay implement for this purpose. The mosl prom 

 inent effects of this application, and some of the coosequen: 

 peculiarities of the machine are : 



1. So great a reduction of the quanluin of power requisiti 

 to use-it, thai the strength of a half grown boy is sufficien 

 to work it efficiently. 



2. With even this moderate power, it easily cuts two bush 

 els a minute, which is full twice as fast as has been claimei 

 hy any other machine even when worked by horse or stean 

 power. 



3. The knives, owing to the peculiar manner in which thj] 

 cut, require sharpening less often than those of any othei 

 straw culler. 



4. The machine is simple in its construction, made and pu 

 together very strongly. It is therefore not so liable as the 

 complicated machines in general use to get nut of order. 



DRAFT AND TRACE CHAINS. 



400 pair Trace Chains, suitable for Ploughing. 

 200 " Truck and leading Chains. 

 200 " Draft Chains. For sale by J. BRECK & CO., 

 No. 62 North Market si. 



POUPRETTE. 



For sale 200 Barrels Poudreite, at $2 per barrel, by J. 

 BRECK Si, CO, 51 and 52 North Market si., Boston. 

 May 18. 



SAYLE'S GARDEN ENGINE. 



This is a splendid article. It will throw a constant stream 

 of water to the distance of 50 or fio feet, with great force, 

 and in case of fire would be a good substitute for a fire en- 

 gine. The mosl perfect article ior the purpose ever intro- 

 duced. For sale by J. BRECK & CO., No. 51 and 52 North 

 Market street. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



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