HAMPDEN SOCIETY. 189 



world to produce them, and they answer important purposes ; 

 but except in a highly artificial state of society, where great 

 inequalities of condition prevail, they must needs be rare, and 

 ought, perhaps, in any case, to be rather the pride of the pub- 

 lic, in halls of state, schools and churches, than the boast of 

 individuals. It is a happy condition of things, let the connois- 

 seur complain as he may, when the industry of a country can 

 be profitably directed to the production of articles which may 

 gain a place in the cottage as well as in the palace, and will 

 help to make the life of the laborer comfortable and free. For 

 this reason, we like to see substantial woolens rather than costly 

 brocades ; a plain strong chair rather than a curiously wrought 

 lounge, too beautiful to remain uncovered except on great state 

 occasions ; a well shaped spade or axe or saw rather than an ele- 

 gant and costly jewel. In our circumstances we are bound to 

 strive after a beautiful simplicity, to set the seal of genius upon 

 coarse and common materials, to make pine wood classic, and 

 arrange linsey woolsey into graceful folds. 



Articles of strictly domestic manufacture are of course be- 

 coming less numerous, as our manufacturing establishments in- 

 crease. The fire-sides are gone, in these days of stoves, and 

 the old fire-side occupations are gone with them. The work 

 which is done after the household labors have been discharged 

 in our farm houses, is performed under the direction of large 

 establishments in town or country, and is too suggestive of 

 masses and of competition to remitid one of the spinning wheel 

 and distaff. It is pleasant, however, to know that a portion of 

 the work done in our busy time can be performed at home, to 

 relieve the monotony and fill up the intervals of domestic life, 

 and, at the same time, to do away with any necessity for en- 

 tirely deserting the parental roof in search of a livelihood. It 

 is vain to fight against Providence ; it is wise to direct as we 

 best can the great tide of civilization. Labor in cottages, labor 

 by hand of all sorts, we can return to if we choose, but who 

 will choose so to do ? We are not insensible to the many 

 evils which infest manufacturing neighborhoods, but exclu- 

 sively farming regions have never so far raised themselves 

 above our common humanity as to be faultless, free from social 



