G4r AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. [February, 
fC , G7 v 71? T GTTT F^rrrRUF*.! 
“ASKING THE BLESSING. ’’—Drawn by F. Beard.— Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
A clergyman recently related the following: Two 
young friends of his were boarding in Germany with a 
very devout Catholic lady, who always asked a blessing 
before eacli meal. One day she asked the young men how 
the Americans asked a blessing. One of them, remem¬ 
bering the haste with which so many of his countrymen 
attack their food, said, “The American blessing is, ‘Pitch 
in.’■” A few days after, the good lady, thinking to please 
her boarders, reverently folded her hands before break¬ 
fast and uttered the words, “ Pitch in,” which they, of 
course, did. But such a custom, we are happy to know, is 
far from being universal. Thousands lovingly remember 
the source from which all good things are sent, and never 
partake of food without first lifting up thoughts of thank¬ 
fulness to the great Giver. The picture above shows 
such a scene. The settler on the far western frontier, 
who is about to take his noonday meal from the hands of 
hi3 little daughter, pauses, and reverently lifting his hat, 
asks God’s blessing, while she stands silent and thought¬ 
ful, learning a lesson for life. The man who is thus 
mindful of dependence upon the Father of all will bo 
likely to live continually in Ills smile and bo prospered. 
Crai*ions IPIailosopliy. 
The former sexton of the John St. Methodist Church 
in New York was an odd character. On one occasion he 
had taken a heavy cold, and was hoarsely croaking about, 
when a friend asked him how he was so unfortunate. “I 
know just how X got it,” replied ho. “I was shoveling 
snow, and my back was very cold. When I went into the 
house, I stood with my back to the fire for some time, and 
that gave me the cold. For, you see, I ought to have stood 
my face to the fire, then the cold would have been driven 
out; but instead of that it was driven right in through 
me, and settled on my lungs.” This was equaled by a 
member of the Board of Agriculture of a certain State. 
The plan of a new barn was under discussion, and there 
was a difference of opinion among the members, whether 
it should be boarded up tight, or left with openings be¬ 
tween the siding. One of the members said that he was 
opposed to the open siding, because the cold coming in 
from all parts would drive the heat of the hay to the cen¬ 
ter, and it would therefore burn 1 One of our editors was 
present at the discussion and knows this to be a fact. 
‘‘All a Settiai’.” 
An exchange gives the following: “ Old Farmer Grnff 
was one morning tugging away with all his might and 
main at a barrel of apples, which he was endeavoring to 
get up the cellar stair, and calling at the top of his voice 
for one of his boys to lend a helping hand, but in vain. 
When he had, after an infinite amount of sweating, ac¬ 
complished the task, and just when they were not needed, 
of course, the boys made their appearance. “ Where 
have you been and what have you been about, I’d like to 
know; couldn't you hear me call ?” inquired the farmer 
in an angry tone, addressing the eldest. “Out in the 
shop, settin’ the saw,” replied the youth. “And you, 
Dick?” “ Out in the barn, settin’ the hen.” “And you, 
sir?” “Up in Granny’s room, settin’ the clock.” “And 
you, young man ?” “ Up garret, settin’the trap.” “And 
now, Master Fred, where were you settin'?" asked the 
old farmer of his yonngest progeny, the asperity of his 
temper somewhat softened by this amusing catalogue of 
answers. “Come, let's hear.” “On the doorstep, settin’ 
still,” replied the young hopeful, seriously. “ A remark¬ 
able set, I must confess,” added the amused sire, dis¬ 
persing the grinning group with a wave of the hand. 
Simperstit.ioEss of MiBicrs. 
Miners in most countries are very superstitious, as 
might be expected from their general ignorance, and 
their gloomy occupation. This is especially true in Eng¬ 
land, where the miners will tell you of the “knockers” 
whom they declare they often hear in the solid rock be¬ 
fore them, boring, blasting, and getting out ore. They 
are not dreaded however, for the miners expect to find 
good workings when they can hear these mysterious 
noises. One singular feature in their operations is that 
they are only heard when the miners themselves are at 
work; the moment they stop to listen, the knockers are 
silent also. From this circumstance, unbelievers con¬ 
clude that echoes make all the mystery. In Staffordshire 
a story is current of a miner named Jack, who worked 
there many years ago. He would never descend the mine 
in the daytime, when others were at work, but always 
went down alone at night, and did more than three ordi¬ 
nary workmen could do in the same time. Finally a fel¬ 
low workman resolved to find out Jack’s secret,and quietly 
descended into the mine after Jack had been there for 
some time. To his astonishment he saw Jack seated at 
his ease smoking his pipe, while hundreds of little men 
were busy at work getting out coals for him. Alarmed 
at the curious sight, he immediately hastened out of the 
mine, but had only got fairly away from its opening, 
when a tremendous explosion was heard, and sulphurous 
smoke and a quantity of coals were blown out of the 
mouth of the pit with tremendous force. The next 
morning Jack was found dead at the bottom of the mine. 
The miners believe the pigmies were angry at the intru¬ 
sion of a stranger, and revenged themselves on Jack. 
No trace of them was ever again seen. It is very easy to 
see how such a story could have been started from the 
singular habits of some unusually active workman. 
