serve for those who work with her. The largest success 

 lies within the secret place where nature holds her treas- 

 ures ready for him who surmounts the obstacles, and 

 earns the right and title to her gifts untold. 



LABOR AND REST. 



The next suggestion of our indebtedness to the farm is 

 that it affords intervals of rest. The best condition of 

 health is when rest and labor are so intermingled that 

 the life is renewed for the duties of each new day. It is 

 one of the pleasant things which the Hebrew bard sang 

 of the gifts of God when he added to his verse, " So he 

 giveth his beloved sleep." Rest answers a necessity of 

 nature. It recuperates the weary body. It gives new 

 strength to the over-taxed brain, and sends man fresh 

 and vigorous to each new duty. Rest is a law of nature. 



The trees rest. You shall see when the season is over, 

 how the apple boughs have little buds "ready formed for 

 next year's growth. Nature forms the bud, covers it 

 with varnish to keep out the moisture, and then the tree 

 sleeps till it is awakened by the soft winds and the 

 voices of birds singing in the branches in the opening 

 spring. You can wake up that tree in the cold winter 

 time, by bringing it within doors, but it will be like a 

 man roused at midnight: restless and fruitless all the 

 day. Nature teaches us the duty of rest ; every shrub 

 and herb, and tender plant, has its season of repose. 

 The land restg. God spreads the white mantle over it, 

 and it sleeps through its winter night. The frost disin- 

 tegrates it, and loosens and lightens and tempers it, and 

 he is a foolish farmer who tries to work the soil before 

 nature has made it ready. The wise man watches the 

 opening season, and at the appointed time puts in the 



