88 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



iV. 



SEPTEMBER 84, 1834. 



MISCELLANY. 



From the Nantucket Inquirer. 

 MY FIRST JACKNIPE. 



I REMEMBER it well ! Its liorii liuiiilU', so smooth 

 and semi-tiiiiispareiit, glowing with the uniiiean 

 ing but magic word, ' Bunkum ;' and the blade 

 significantly inviting you to the test, by the two 

 monosyllables ' try me.' I united the character 

 istic recommendation on the haft and invitation 

 on the blade into a small couplet, vvhicli as near 

 as I can recollect ran thus — 



' Bunkum' on the lianrlle, 

 ' Try me' on the blade I 

 If by the word on the handle you were impelled 

 to believe that the article abounded in bumps of 

 self esteem, your ideas would at once be correct- 

 ed by the blade, which, conscious of intrinsic 

 merit, called iipnn yon promptly to test its sii[)e- 

 riority: an union of modest assurance and assmed 

 modesty, which I humbly recommend to all who 

 are their own trumpeters. 



I know not how it is, but I never could take 

 lialf the comfort in any thing which I have since 

 possessed that I took in this said jacknife: I earn- 

 ed it inyself, and there I had a feeling of indepen- 

 dence ; it was bought with my own money, not 

 teased out of a kind imcle, or still kinder father — 

 money that I had silently earned on the afternoons 

 of those days set apart tor boys from time ininje- 

 morial, therein to amuse themselves and annoy 

 their mothers. 



Yes ! with a s|iirit of persevering industry and 

 self-denial at which I now wonder, but of a kind 

 the temlency of which I do not doubt has had its 

 effect in the forniation of many an exalted charac- 

 ter, (from such trivial causes so great effects arise,) 

 I went every afternoon during 'berry time,' and 

 Jiicked the ripened fruit, with eagerness, for my 

 lieart was in my task. 



I sold my ben-ies, and carefully reserving the 

 proceeds shortly accumulated enough to purchase 

 the treasiu'e for which I so eagerly longed. I 

 went to one of the village stores, and requested 

 the conscientious dealer in tape and molasses to 

 show me his jacknives ; but he — seeing I was only 

 a boy, thinkiiig that, like many others who had 

 bothered him before with the same requests, mere- 

 ly meant to amuse myself in looking at the nicest, 

 and wishing it was mine — told me not to plague 

 him with any nonsense while ' he was mixing 

 liquor for the gentlemen.' 



I turned with indignation : but felt the inward 

 comfort of a man who lias confidence in his own 

 resources, and knows he has the power in bis 

 hands. I (piictly jingled the money in my pockets, 

 and went to the ojiposite store, which I believe 

 was a temperance establishment, for I saw no re- 

 ceptacles of poison, triarslialled before me cocked 

 and primed for the business of destruction. 



1 asked for jacknives, and was shown a lot fresh 

 ■from the city, which were temptingly laid down 

 before me, and left for me to select from, w hije 

 the trader went to another part of his store to 

 please an older customer. I looked over them. I 

 o])cn<ul them, I breathed upon the blades, shut 

 them again ; one was too hard to open, another 

 had no spring; finally , however, after examining 

 them with all the judgment which in my opinion 

 the extent of the investment rc(piired, 1 selected 

 one with a hob; through its handle — and after a 

 diss(;rlation with the owner upon jacknives in 



buck-horn, I succeeded in closing a satisfactory 

 negoiiaiion for it. 



And here let rne refer once more to my consci- 

 entious dealer who could not leave his dram- 

 rlrinking friends to serve me. He sold ids poison 

 to the two gentlemen, and charged it on account, 

 as tliey with a commendable economy thought of 

 interest and would not pay ready cash ; but the 

 profit upon all they consumed was less than half the 

 sum he would have gained by the sale of the jac- 

 knife ; so clearly do those who ' ndx liquor for 

 gentlemen' mistake their true interest. 



I took the instrument I had ]iurchased. I felt 



a sudden expansion of my boyish frame ! It was 

 my world ! I deposited it carefully in my pocket, 

 among oilier valuables, twine, pipe-stems, slate 

 pencils, &c. I went home, I showed it to my 

 mother ; I displayed it to my father ; I told them 

 how long I b.'iil toiled for it, and how eagerly I 

 hail spent time which others bad allotted to play, 

 to possess myself of my treasure. 



My father gently chid me for not telling him of 

 my wants ; but boy as I was, I observed bis glis- 

 tening eye turn affectionately to my mother, and 

 then to me, and I thought his manly form seemed 

 to straighten up and he to look prouder — at any 

 rate he came to me, and patting my curly head 

 told me that there was no object in lif», which was 

 reasonably to be desired, that honesty, self-denial, 

 well directed industry, and perseverance, would 

 not place within my reach ; and if through life I 

 carried the spirit of independent exertion into 

 practice, which I had displayed in the matter of 

 the jacknife, I should be, that grand hobby-horse 

 of little boys, a Great Man. 



From that moment I was a new lad ; I had dis- 

 covered that I could rely upon myself; I took my 

 jacknife, and matiy a time while cutting the wal- 

 nut saplings for my bow, or the straight pine for 

 my arrow, or carving my mimic ship, did I muse 

 upon those words of my father, so deeply are the 

 kinil expressions of a judicious parent engraven on 

 the heart and memory of boyhood. 



My knife was my constant companion ; it was 

 my carpenter, my ship builder, my toy manufac- 

 turer, my factotum ; it was out upon all occasions, 

 never amiss, and always ' handy ;' and as I valued 

 it I never let it part from my neck, around which 

 I slung it, attached by a cord braided for me by 

 my sister. I own my selfishness : I would divide 

 my apples among my playmates, my whole store 

 of marbles was at their service, they might knock 

 my bats, kick my football as they chose ; — but I 

 bad no comnmnity of enjoyments in my jacknife. 

 Its possession was connected in my mind with 

 something so exclusive, that I could not permit 

 another to take it for a moment from me. I have 

 never, but once, felt such a sensation since. That 

 once was when boyhood had given place to youth- 

 ful manhood ; and I bail dared to jjour forth the 

 feelings of my heart, and open the fountains of 

 my airecnion, to one who has since proved worthy 

 of my devotion. Oh ! there is a wild and deli- 

 cious luxury in one's boyish anticipations and 

 youthful day dreams. 



If however the use of my jacknife afforded me 

 pleasure, the abstract idea of its possession was no 

 less a source of enjoyment. I was for the time 

 being, a little prince among my fellows; a perfect 

 monarcli ! Let no one exclaim against aristocracy; 



equal among a 



on the to]), while the contrary attributes will place 

 others at the bottom of Fortune's ever revolving, 

 ever restless wheel ! 



The mechanic is an aristocrat if he excels in 

 his vocation ; the ploughman is an aristocrat if he 

 turns a better and a straighter furrow than his 

 neighbor: the poorest poet is an aristocrat if he 

 writes more feelingly, in a purer language and 

 with a more euphonic jingle than his contempora- 

 ries ; the fisherman is an aristocrat if be wields 

 his harpoon with more skill and hurls it with a 

 deadlier energy than his messmates, or lias even 

 learned to fix his bait more alluringly on his barb- 

 ed hook. And the pedagogue is the veriest aris- 

 tocrat in creation ; surrounded by his subjects, 

 and dispensing his favors amid the muliitiule of 

 barefooted iwcbins, he feels an inward satisfaction, 

 which he will strive in vain to 

 community of men. 



All have, and have had their foibles ; all have 

 some possession, ' with secret pleasure held apart,' 

 upon which they pride themselves ; and I was 

 proud of my jacknife ! — Sfiirit of Socrates, forgive 

 me; was there no pride in dying like a philoso- 

 pher? Spirit of Demosthenes, forgive me ! was 

 there no pride in your addresses to the boundless 

 and roaring ocean .' Spirit of David ! was there 

 no pride in the deadly hurling of the smooth peb- 

 ble, which sank deep into the forehead of your 

 enemy .' And ye countless anchorites and devo- 

 tees, who have prided yourselves on your humili- 

 ty and tortured your bodies before men, were 

 your austere afflictions of self, and daily penances, 

 tinctured with no earthly feeling .' no jiride of 

 heart ? no aristocracy ? 



But I must take up my jacknife, and cut short 

 this digression. Let no man say, this or that oc- 

 currence ' will make no difference fifty years 

 hence' — a common but dangerous phrase. I am 

 now a man of threescore ; I can jioint my finger 

 here to my ships, there to my warehouses; my 

 name is well known in two hemispheres ; I have 

 drunk deeply of intellectual pleasures, have served 

 niy country in many important stations, luive bad 

 my giiins and made my losses ; have seen many 

 who started with fairer prospects, but witli no 

 compass or sheet anciior, wrecked before me ; but 

 I have been impelled in my operations, no matter 

 how extensive, by the same spirit which conceiv- 

 ed and executed the purchase of the Jacknife. 

 And, reflecting reader, youthful or aged, I liave 

 I'ound my account in it — and perhaps iiT after 

 years there will live those who will say that the 

 prediction of my father was fulfilled, and that 

 Irom small begiunings, by ' honesty, self-denial, 

 well-directed industry and perseverance,' Martiw 

 Thistle became truly a Great man. 



Ai/i'iisla, Me. — Wili.aiu) Snell, Druggist. 

 Wmilsiovk. 17. — J. A. I'katt. 

 were we all liecnniarily equal to day, there vion\A\Poilliind.!\Je. — Culman, IIulden & Co. Booksellers 



■' ^ . ' . - /,» lit. wr.. l\l.„.. i\ :„. 



THK SEW ENUIiABID PARMER 



Is iHiblishcd every Moiliicsilay Evening, al ^3 per annul) 

 it ilie Agricultural Warcliouse, No. 52,"Norlli Market slreelj 



AGENTS. 

 A'. Id Ynrk — G. C. Thokeui!n,G7 Liberly-slreet. 

 AllniHij — \Vm. TiiijRKUKN, j-i7 Markel-stroel. 

 I'luliu'lelphia — 1). & C. Landketh. S5 Cliesnul-strcel. 

 H'lllimurf — I. I. Hitchcock, Pubiislier of American Farme] 

 Cinciiitiati^S. C. Parkiiurst,23 Loivcr JIarkel-slrcel. 

 Fliisltmg, N. Y. — Wm. J'rince & Sons, Prop. Lin. l!oi. G 

 .Vidilleliiiry, Vt. — WiciiT Chapman, Mercluuii. 

 Ilarlford — GooiilviN & Co. Booksellers. 

 Ni'irlwirypnrt — Euknezer .Stkuman. Bookseller. 

 Portsmouth, N. N.—J. W. Foster. Bookseller. 



general and this one in particular, upon hawk-bill be an aristocracy tomorrow; talent, ju<'giiient, H^™^^."^' ^J^J'^'^^^p' j''^J^'^'^^ 

 • and dagger blades, and handles, iron, bone, and j skill, tact, industry, perseverance, will place some | S(. iou/s— Geo. Holton 



sq. Editor ofRecurderJ 



