AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
267 
pigeons, of which he has a large variety of 
fancy birds. Under this shed, near the tank 
of water, in a secluded nest, one of our beau¬ 
tiful little wood ducks was sitting on six eggs. 
In a yard, with high paling, outside this shed, 
were the larger aquatic birds, such as the 
wild or Canada geese, the African, the Bre¬ 
men, and the Barnacle geese, the Muscovy, 
Aylesbury, Cayuga, and Top-knot or Crested 
ducks. In this yard, the waste water from 
the tank under the shed is conveyed, forming 
quite a large pool for their accommodation. 
The lower end of the shed is divided off 
into a room for the larger fowls, such as 
pea fowls, turkies and Guinea fowls. In 
front, on both sides of a large latticed gate, 
stands square building, one of which is filled 
with draw-nests, and secured from cold, for 
the fowls to lay in the winter. The other 
building has conveniences for cooking or 
boiling food for the poultry. We noticed 
also in another yard adjoining quite a num¬ 
ber of fancy rabbits, and several deer, one 
doe of which had a pair of beautiful fawns 
by her side. One great objection to this 
poultry establishment is, the contracted space 
allowed for the fowls to roam—they require 
more room for exercise and pure air. 
In the general arrangement of these 
grounds, the hand and spirit of the lamented 
Downing is visible at every turn. There are 
two miies of drives and walks, girting the 
knolls and encircling the hills, through gen¬ 
tle sloping vales up to the summit; arbors 
erected on the most elevated points of ob¬ 
servation, overlooking unsurpassed landscape 
views in the distance, and are appropriately 
deserving their significant ancient name of 
“ Eden Hills.” Such a variety of surface 
formation for rural and picturesque scenery, 
springs of pure water supplying the jets for 
fountains, fish ponds, and pools for aquatic 
birds by its own gravitation, can scarcely 
be found on so limited an area of land. And 
it would appear now that all the necessary 
substantial buildings and embellishments 
were completed except the “Villa” residence, 
which still remains on paper only. 
Staten Island, June, 1855. 
The Lover’s Leg. —The following story, 
which is calculated to make “each particular 
hair to stand like quills upon the fretful por¬ 
cupine,” is said to have happened in JSt. Law¬ 
rence County, in this State, and is given on 
the authority of a gentleman of undoubted 
veracity : 
“ A young man addicted to intemperate 
habits, during one of his periodical ‘ sprees ’ 
took a sudden notion to pay a visit to his 
‘ sweetheart.’ On the evening alluded to, 
the young lady and a female associate were 
the only occupants of the house where she 
resided. About ten o’clock in the evening 
the young man arrived at the house, consid¬ 
erably worse from the use of ‘ beverages.” 
His strange manner in approaching the door 
excited the suspicions of the young ladies, 
who supposed the hmse was attacked by 
robbers. He knocked at the door, and de¬ 
manded admission; but his voice not being 
recognized, from the thickness of his tongue, 
the ladies refused to comply with the de¬ 
mand. Determined to force an entrance he 
c >mmenced a series of assaults upon the 
barred and bolted door by kicking and pound¬ 
ing. After a number of desperate kicks, the 
pannel of the door gave way, and the leg of 
the besieger went through the aperture, and 
was immediately seized by one of the ladies 
and firmly held, while the other, armed with 
a saw, commenced the work of amputation ! 
The grasp was firmly maintained, and the 
saw vigorously plied, until the leg was com¬ 
pletely severed from the body! With the 
loss of his leg, the intoxicated wretch fell 
back, and in that condition lay the remain¬ 
der of the night. In the meantime the la¬ 
dies were frightened almost to death. With 
the dawn of morning the revelation was 
made that one of the ladies bad participated 
in the amputation of her lover’s leg! The 
wretched man was still alive. His friends 
were immediately sent for, and he was con¬ 
veyed to his home, where, with proper treat¬ 
ment he gradually and miraculously recov 
ered, and is now alive and well. We hardly 
credited,” says the editor of the journal 
from which we quote, “ the latter part of the 
story, and contended that the man must have 
bled to death on the spot, insisting, indeed, 
that it could not be otherwise. But we were 
mistaken. The leg was a wooden one. 
“A little humor now and then, 
Is relished by the best of men.” 
’TIS SUMMER! 
'Tis Summer, fond Summer ; adorning he kneels, 
To offer bright bounties at foot of the Earth ; 
And 6he turns to him blushing ; full surely she feels, 
That no other can equal his love and his worth; 
Young Spring may woo softly, with wist in his eye ; 
Proud Autumn may lavishly deck her with gold ; 
And old Winter may clasp his bare bosom and sigh ; 
But the fond Summer wins, for his love ne’er grows 
cold! 
’Tis Summer, sweet Summer; the sunniest hours 
The bright skies can deck forth are his jubilant train ; 
Rich-laden he comes with ripe fruits and choice flow’rs ; 
And the woods peal in concert a welcoming strain, 
And the hills echo back the glad notes of their song 
As they lift their tail heads o’er the valleys below ; 
Where the minstrel-streams, caroling, wander along, 
Gathering blossom gifts, dropped by charm’d winds as 
they go. 
’Tis Summer, bright Summer; rare blessings he yields. 
With his gifts, smiling Plenty is filling her horn; 
He throws a free hand o’er the supplicant fields, 
And turns then a-golden with treasures of corn! 
For the harvests he brings us, our thanks then are due ; 
O, we all have a share ofhis bountiful grace; 
And like good men, God bless them ! with hearts warm 
and true, 
He gives what he gives with a smile on his face ! 
Newakk. T. E. 
Anecdote of Chancellor Kent. —The late 
Chancellor Kent was one of those men 
whose innate dignity enabled him to take in 
good part familiarity—the result of ignor¬ 
ance and accident. He was exceedingly 
fond of martial music; and hearing the 
drums of a recruiting party, who had taken 
a station at the corner of the street, beat a 
point of war, he walked out to listen to it 
nearer. Insensibly he was whistling the 
burthen of the tune when the man of war ac¬ 
costed him thus: 
“ You are fond of such music, then, my 
fine fellow V ’ 
“Very,” was the reply. 
“ Well, then,” said Sergeant Kite, “ why 
not join us? Good quarters—good bounty— 
large bounty! besides our Captain is a glo¬ 
rious fellow. Why don’t you, now? You 
can’t do better.” 
“ Well,” said the Chancellor, “ I have one 
pretty strong objection.” 
“ What is it ?” asked the Sergeant. 
“ Why, just now I happen to have a better 
trade.” 
“ What trade is it?” said the inquisitor. 
“ I am Chancellor of the State of New- 
Y T ork.” 
“ Whew ! muttered the Sergeant. Strike 
up!—quick time !—forward, march !” 
Off tramped the military man, without 
looking behind him, leaving the Chancellor 
to enjoy his laugh at the adventure. 
A Quick Repartee. —Governor Morris, of 
New-Y'ork, had a high respect for Bishop 
Moore, a man noted not only for the purity 
of his character, but also for the ’’retiring 
modesty of his disposition, and for the gen¬ 
eral favor in which he was held. As the 
story ran : A dinner was given by some one 
of Governor Morris’s friends when he was 
about departing for Europe. Bishop Moore 
and his wife were of the party. Among 
other things that passed in conversation, Mr. 
Morris said that he had made his will in 
prospect of going abroad ; and, turning to 
Bishop Moore, said to him : “ My reverend 
friend, I have bequeathed to you my whole 
stock of impudence.” 
Bishop Moore replied : 
“Sir, you are not only very kind, but very 
generous ; you have left me by far the 
largest portion of your estate.” 
Mrs. Moore immediately added: 
“ My dear, you have come into possession 
of your inheritance remarkably soon.” 
Seven Fools. —1 . The Envious Man—who 
sends away his mutton, because the person 
next to him is eating venison. 
2. The Jealous Man—who spreads his 
bed with stinging nettles, and then sleeps 
in it. 
3. The Proud Man—who gets wet through 
sooner than ride in the carriage of an in¬ 
ferior. 
4. The Litigious Man—who goes to law 
in the hope of ruining his opponent and gets 
ruined himself. 
5. The Extravagant Man—who buys a 
herring, and takes a cab to carry it home. 
6. The Angry Man—who learns the 
ophicleide because he is annoyed by the 
playing of his neighbor’s piano. 
7. The Ostentatious Man—who illumin¬ 
ates the outside of his house most brilliant¬ 
ly, and sits inside in the dark.— Punch. 
A LOVER STILL. 
“ No longer a lover !” exclaimed an aged 
patriarch ; “ Ah ! you mistake me, if you 
think age has blotted out my heart. Though 
silver hair fall over a brow all wrinkled, and 
a cheek all furrowed, yet I am a lover still. 
I love the beauty of the maiden’s blush, the 
soft tint of flowers, the singing of birds, and 
above all, the silvery laugh of a child. I love 
the starlike meadows where butter-cups 
grow, with almost the same enthusiasm as 
when, with my ringlets flying loose in the 
wind, and my cap in hand, years ago, I 
chased the painted butterfly. I love yon 
aged dame—look at her. Her face is care¬ 
worn, but it has ever held a smile for me. 
Often have I shared the bitter cup of sorrow 
with her—and so shared, it seemed almost 
sweet. Years of freshness have stolen the 
freshness of her life ; but, like the faded 
rose, the perfume of her love is richer than 
when in the full bloom of her youth and 
maturity. Together we have placed flowers 
in the casements, and in the folded hand of 
the dead; together wept over little graves. 
Through storm and sunshine we have clung 
together; and now she sits with her knitting, 
her cap quaintly frilled, the old-styled ’ker¬ 
chief crossed white and prim above the heart 
that has beat so long and truly for me, the 
dim blue eye that shrinkingly fronts the glad 
day, the sunlight throwing her a parting fare- 
