350 



NEW ENGLAKD FARIMER. 



Arc. 



what they should be happy to witness, even down 

 to the five-year old child, who would like to see 

 the ocean, but not to sail in ships in a storm ! She 

 thought she would not like the flowers of the 

 ocean as well as those of the land, as they would 

 be too slimy." Deacon Qro\Ti;snoii beckoned to 

 her, and she went and nestled in his lap as confi- 

 dently and lovingly as the babe clings to the bo- 

 som of its mother. There seemed to be but "one 

 heart, one mind, one voice," and I felt as though 

 it were "heaven on earth begun." The teacher 

 seemed to me highly accomplished, not only as a 

 teacher, but in all those graces which adorn wo- 

 man the most. Her manner and conversation 

 were elegant, without effort, and her sketches, sing- 

 ing, and her affectionate attention to the children 

 in her care, all told of the deep sentiment and lov- 

 ing heart that shone out so conspicuously in her 

 life. It was a model school. 



There are four "families" here, as they are 

 called, owning the real estate in common, while 

 the business and pecuniary matters of each fami- 

 ly are entirely distinct. There are subdivisions of 

 these families, 1 believe, where smaller numbers 

 occupy a tenement, but all go to a common table, 

 the women being seated on one side and the men 

 on the other. 



They have cleared large tracts of rocky and 

 springy lands, so that they now present smooth 

 surfaces and fioe crops. The first process in this 

 reclamation has been drainage, and the next re- 

 moving the rocks — the latter being used to fill 

 wide and deep excavations made to receive them. 

 They have not yet introduced tiles, and find, so 

 far, that their ample ditches, with the stones rest- 

 ing upon a gravelly bottom, answered all purpos- 

 es on the lands which they have reclaimed. I vis- 

 ited one drained field of about twenty acres, which 

 was covered with fine crops of clover, roots, sage. 

 Sec. An account of the manner of reclaiming this 

 field was Avritten for the Farmer by Dea. GuoVES- 

 NOR, and may be found in our last year's volume. 

 They keep, in all, about one hundred head of cat- 

 tle. I saw a portion of them, which were a credit 

 to the skill and management of their owners. 



A variety of employment is engaged in on the 

 estate — each branch having its special and respon- 

 sible supei'intendent. One has charge of the 

 orchards and vineyards, another of the stock and 

 care of the barn, while a third, perhaps, sees to the 

 collection and drying of herbs, which a fourth 

 presses and packs, with such assistance as may be 

 requii'ed in his department. I suppose a similar 

 arrangement exists in regard to the field crops and 

 to the articles which they manufacture. I have long 

 enjoyed an acquaintance with several of these per- 

 sons, and have ever found them upright and intel- 

 Ugent, possessing an urbanity of manner rarely 

 surpassed by those in the most polite circles of life. 



Neatness, order and industry are everjTvhere 

 visible among these people, and when I passed 

 from the workshop or the field to the parlor, and 

 in social converse there ti'ied to learn something 

 of their inner life, all seemed to be real and har- 

 monious. I have never been able to discover the 

 demon discord between their thoughts and their 

 acts. They are cheerful, though serene, often un- 

 bending in a quiet facetiousness which shows a 

 decided elasticity of mind. I have noticed this 

 among the women as well as men — ^perhaps more 

 frequently. I should be glad to speali of individ- 

 uals, but dare not invade the sanctity of their re- 

 tirement. One lady informed me that she had 

 been there more than forty years, and never had 

 found the first hour when she regretted her com- 

 ing, or had a desire to leave ! If "contentment 

 with godliness is great gain," surely they must be 

 a happy people, for every indication is an attesta- 

 tion that they are happy. I look upon this asso- 

 ciation as the soundest Insurance Company known 

 to men. It insm-es not only against fire and flood, 

 but against poverty, sickness and disease — against 

 the loss of home and reputation, and most of the 

 ills that flesh is heir to, and in doing this, it in- 

 sures long life and a serene old age. In the lan- 

 guage of the great Master, it says to ail — "Come 

 unto me, all ye that ai-e weary and heavy laden, 

 and I will give you rest." To the young, the 

 middle aged and old — to the afflicted, disappoint- 

 ed, tempted, discouraged and persecuted, it says 

 this : — "Come Home ! The conditions are Heaven- 

 given, and simple. Come and earn your bread by 

 the sweat of your brow. Come with coffers full, if 

 you will, but come empty-handed if you have them 

 not, and the mortal body and immortal soul which 

 you bring, shall receive our affectionate nurture 

 and tender care." What need we more ? 



I am under obligations to Dea. Augustus H. 

 Grovesnor, and, indeed, to all, men and women, 

 for the most polite attention to myself, wife, and 

 our companions. Dr. Joseph Reynolds and wife, 

 of Concord. 



For the benefit of the inquiring reader who may 

 not have the information before him, I copy one 

 or two paragraphs from the New American Cyclo- 

 pccdia, in relation to these interesting- people. 



"These settlements are composed of from 2 to 

 8 'families,' or households. A large dwelling- 

 house, divided through the centre by wide halls, 

 and capable of accommodating from 30 to 150 in- 

 mates, is erected f(/r each family, the male mem- 

 bers occupying one end and the females the other. 

 The societies all possess considerable tracts of 

 land, averaging nearly 7 acres to each member. 

 They believe idleness to be sinful, and hence every 

 member who is able to work, is employed in some 

 labor. They have usually very extensive gardens 

 connected with their settlements, and the culture 

 of flowers, medicinal hei'bs, fruits and vegetables 

 has been a favorite business with thera ; garden 



