14 



the owner of the farm house, is, to secure thereto the 

 attachment of his children." 



Indorsing this eminently true sentiment, I would en- 

 large it, and add to it, by saying, that among- our first 

 duties at least, is to secure the attachment of our children, 

 and strengthen our own, not only to their and our own 

 farms and farm houses — our own homes — but to the good 

 old county itself, to all that has made it what it has been 

 and is. And what it has been— in the origin, habits and 

 character of its people — has made it what it is. This is 

 especially true as to the agricultural portion of the people, 

 for upon the character of a people depends very largely 

 the character of its agriculture. Out of the character 

 and habits of the farmers of this county for more than 

 two centuries has grown their character of to-day. 



On this occasion, in this ancient town, in this presence, 

 before an almost exclusively Essex county audience, I 

 cannot believe it to be out of place to say, that we can- 

 not too often recall the circumstances of the immigration 

 of our ancestors to the shores of Massachusetts Bay, to 

 the harbor of Naumkeag. Nor can we too thoroughly 

 study their character, their motives, their lives ; or be- 

 come too familiar with the story of their heroic sufferings, 

 their patient endurance, their exposures to all the dangers 

 and perils of a new country and an inhospitable climate, 

 subsisting, as it is said, on " clams, ground nuts and 

 acorns ;" with their sacrifices of the comforts and luxuries 

 of their homes of ease and plenty left forever behind 

 them ; the sundering of family ties and all the dear re- 

 lationships of home. 



It can never be in vain that we look back upon the men 

 from whom we have sprung, and trace through the inter- 

 mediate years the steps they, and the generations follow- 



