NEW ENGLAND HOMES. 167 



thither to procure a livelihood, and secure to their children the 

 advantages of the city schools, by keeping boarders on tlie cor- 

 porations or elsewhere, few indeed of whom are so conditioned 

 that it would be convenient daily to attend a market; therefore 

 they expect that market-men, and women too, will call at their 

 doors with the things needful, and they do so. It must be con- 

 fessed, however, that the labor required to sell to advantage any 

 commodity of which there is a superabundance, as was the ease 

 with apples in the autumn of 1870, is sometimes onerous, but 

 may as well be submitted to philosophically as otherwise. In 

 the larger cities like Boston, with its thronged and crowded 

 streets, no way to dispense with middle-men is yet clear to my 

 mind, however desirable such a result may appear on its face ; 

 still I would resort to any legitimate means to break up mono- 

 polies and secure to the producer a fair share of the profits. 

 Adjourned to evening. 



Evening Session. 

 The Board met at 7| o'clock, to listen to a lecture on 



NEW ENGLAND HOMES, 



BY PROFESSOR ALBERT HOPKINS, OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE. 



Home is a word which has a definite meaning in New Eng- 

 land. It is a word which cannot be defined in dictionaries ; yet 

 there is no word the meaning of which is better understood — • 

 scarce any more comprehensive word. Certainly, there are few 

 terms of one syllable which enfold and wrap up within them- 

 selves so much that is precious. 



There was a time in New England, and it was a very good 

 time, when her homes, for the most part, were those of the men 

 who cultivated the soil. Yet, even then, there were other 

 homes ; as no profession or calling can be absolutely indepen- 

 dent of all others. There was a man who exchanged certain 

 articles, either of luxury or of essential use, for the products of 

 the farm. This was the merchant. There was a man who laid 

 cellar walls, and occasionally reared upon those walls an edifice 

 of stone or of brick — the mason. Usually, however, this artisan 

 exercised the duties of his ol'fice about the chimneys ; — not a 

 sinecure office by any means in those days. 



