1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



34^ 



ness of things than otherwise. The turbaned, 

 shawled, loose-ti'ousered, pipe-smoking merchants, 

 speaking an unknown tongue, looked as if they 

 were engaged in a legitimate business. One 

 knew that their slaves would not be condemned 

 to any very hard labor, and that they would be 

 in some sort the inmates of the family and mem- 

 bers of it. Here it grated on my ear to listen to 

 the familiar tones of the English tongue as the 

 medium by which the transfer was effected, and 

 it was painful to see decent-looking men in Euro- 

 pean garb engaged in the work before me. The 

 negro was sold to one of the bystanders, and 

 walked off, with his bundle, God knows where. 

 'Niggers is cheap,* was the only remark of the 

 bystanders. Another auctioneer, a flat, flabby, 

 perspiring, puffy man, was trying to sell a negro 

 girl who stood on the deal box beside him. She 

 was dressed pretty much like a London servant 

 girl of the lower order, out of place, except that 

 her shoes were shreds of leather patches and her 

 bonnet would have scarce passed muster in the 

 New Cut. She, too, had a little bundle in her 

 hand, and looked out at the buyers from a pair 

 of large, sad eyes. 'Niggers were cheap ;' still 

 here was this young woman going for an upset 

 price of $610, but no one would bid, and the 

 auctioneer, after vain attempts to raise the price 

 and excite competition, said, 'Not sold to-day, 

 Sally ; you may get down.' She stepped down 

 from the box and walked off down the main street 

 without further notice, while the auctioneer saun- 

 tered away in another direction." 



Tit for Tat a Bad Rule. — When I was a 

 little girl, I learned a good lesson. One frosty 

 morning I was looking out ot a window into my 

 father's farm-yard, where stood many cows, oxen, 

 and horses, waiting for drink. The morning was 

 very cold ; the animals stood meek and quiet, till 

 one of the cows wanted to move, and tried to turn 

 round. In trying to do this she hit against her 

 neighbor ; whereupon that one kicked, and hit 

 the one next to her. In five minutes the late 

 peaceful congregation of animals was in great 

 turmoil, furiously kicking and butting each other. 

 My mother laughed, and said, "See what comes 

 of kicking when you are hit ; just so have I seen 

 one cross Vford set a whole family by the ears." 

 Afterward, if my brothers or myself were cross or 

 irritable, she would say, "Takecare, my children, 

 remember how the fight in the straw-yard began ; 

 never give back a' kick for a hit, and you will save 

 yourself and others much trouble." 



Sheep and Dogs in Massachusetts.— The 

 sheep in Massachusetts numbered 378,226 in 

 1840 ; but they decreased to only 11,311 in 1860. 

 In 1850 they numbered 188,651, and produced 

 585,000 lbs. of wool, while the manufacturers of 

 the State consumed 22,000,000 lbs., outside of 

 domestic or household products. The returns 

 from the various towns, almost without exception, 

 attribute the decrease in sheep in great part to 

 the killing and worrying of dogs. The benefits 

 of the stringent dog law passed two years ago, 

 are beginning to be perceived. All dogs are 

 taxed, and from the fund thus obtained all losses 

 caused by dogs are paid. 



Meat for Hens. — If confined to the hennery, 

 these fowls will require meat daily. If meat is 

 not at command, fish, fresh, will answer as a sub- 

 stitute. 



YOUTH'S DEPARTMENT. 



THE BOBIN'S SONG. 



One summer morning early, 



When the dew was bright to see. 

 Our dark eyed little Charlie 



Stood by his mother's knee, 

 And he heard a robin singing 



In a tree so tall and high, 

 On the topmost bough 'twas swinging, 



Away up in the sky. 



"Mamma, the robin's praying, 



In the very tree-top there ; 

 Glory ! Glory ! it is saying, 



And that is all its prayer. 

 But God will surely hear him. 



And the angels standing by, 

 For God is very near him, 



Away up in the sky." 



"My child ! God is no nearer 



To the robin on the tree, 

 And does not hear him clearer 



Than he does you and me. 

 For He hears the angels harping 



In sun-bright glory drest, 

 And the little birdlings chirpiog 



Down in their leafy nest." 



"Mamma, if you should hide me 



Away down in the dark. 

 And leave no lamp beside me. 

 Would God then have to hark ? 



And if I whisper lowly, 

 All covered in my bed. 

 Do you think that Jesus holy 



Would know what 'twas I said ?" 



"My darling little lisper, 



God's light is never dim} 

 The very lowest whisper 



Is always close to Him." 



Now the robin's song was filling 

 The child's soul full of bliss ; 



The very air was trilling 

 When his mamma told him this. 



And he wished, in childish craving, 

 For the robin's wings to fly; 



To sing on tree-tops waving, 



So very near the sky. 



Child at Home. 



SKIPPING AND SKIMMING. 



Two bad habits, increasing among the young 

 folk — some of them, at least. "Why, is it bad to 

 skip or skim ?" you ask, perhaps. That depends 

 upon how and what you skip and skim. 



I find there is a great deal of skipping and 

 skimming in the way children read their books 

 in these days, and that is bad. It is a loose, 

 careless, hasty way of reading, which snatches up 

 the story, and hardly that, leaving out all the in- 

 struction, thought, purpose of the book, and 

 making pretty much all of it a confused jumble, 

 like type in pi. 



"We have so many books." Yes, some of you 

 have, and it is a pity, for you do not value them 

 as the few I used to have in my childhood. These 

 few were not only read with great attention the 

 first time, but they were read and re-read, put 

 away, brought back and read again ; and the 

 consequence was they made an impression. I feel 

 their power to this day. The true way to read is, 

 first to select, or have selected for you, a book 

 that is worth reading ; then read it carefully, 

 thoughtfully, attentively. Read it to remember 

 it, and read it accurately. 



Let me tell you about a little boy. His auntie 



