Piney Woods planter. (Liberty, Mi. [i.e. Miss.]) 1838-1840, 1839-06-22
PINEY WOODS TER

reason on our side, in the supposition, that
being could live after the principle Of
life was extnguished. But the character
Of man is moulded and established, not sui
geheris, but after the nature Of the pur-
suits in which he is engaged: hence, the
diversity ofcharacter we find in man; and
hence, we may say, that men who are en-
gagged in the delightful pursuits Of agricul-
ture, acquire habit of mind that scars
above the low and invidious distinctions,
admired and claimed by the fop and dan
dy genus of our race.
This latter set of human beings have,
by common consent, received the distinc-
tive appellation of Loafer, and under which
comprehensive cognomen is included a
vast tribe Of a similar species. The term
loafer, when properly defined, means the
refuse of men Of higher order, polished
down, however, into the human form, ex-
ternal, but totally destitute Of mind and
soul; lazy sort Of excrescene, much more
likely t. consume than add to the fruits of
the earth, and not worth notice except in
contradistinction to the other classes Of
community.
Husbandry, or the tillage of the earth,
is moi only favorable to intellectual i'm
provement, but it is the source Of various
innocent amusements which make life
greeable,- and which are withheld from
other employments. Sage Philosophers
undertake to teach that there is no real
and present happiness in this life, that it
is all imaginary and prospective; but they
reason from false premises, and arrive at
false conclusions. It is pleasure to watch
the buildings and Developments of infan-
tile intellect. 1t is pleasing to bid adieu
for awhile to subunary things, and on the
wings Of imagination, soar to distant and
unseen worlds; to people them with beings
of our own fancy, to give them laws and
governments. and make them superior to
ourselves. tits pleasing TO think that af-
ter we shall have passed the veil which
hides this world from that which is to come
we shall live in unlading youth and beau
ty. But they tell us that this is not hap
piness, that it is the vagaries Of the ina
gination, and not real and substantial
But he who reads only the dark pages o
human life finds thorn under every rose
and poison in every bliss.
Is it not happiness sublime to know thai
when friends prove false and deceive us
that when the slanderer's poisonous breath
Is endeavoring to blast our character anC
sink our reputation, that there is oNI
heart in the world that beats response t.
our own2 Is it not happiness divine t.
know, that false and tickle as the worlC
may be, there is ONE who will never de-
sert us, and that, that one will remain firm
and inhexible, "come veal, come wo?"-
There is, there must be happiness in thi'
life, and the little crosses and vexation'
that sometimes occur, only tend to rende
its enjoyment the more agreeable and sub
stantIal.
But again; the Industrious farmer en-
joys happiness, bliss which flows ma
turally from the nature of his employment
that no other man can enjoy, whose habl
of mind does not flow in the same chan
mel. The pleasures of happy family
circle are his; the heartfelt satisfaction o
rearing his offspring in the paths of viz
tue and honor, is his; he knows that he il
his country's stay in time of war, and he
support in time of peace; he looks FORWARD
to the day,when Time shall have sprinkle'
bis ashes upon his head. and wrinkled hi
brow with the burrows of age, as one o
calm SERENITY and inviting to repose. Hi
looks forward with pleasing anticipation
to III time when his children shall have
grown up around him, to comfort him ant
add to his cup Of bliss, by treading in the
paths Of virtue and innocence which HI
himself has trod His mind is free, com
paratively speaking, from those troubles
and turmoils incident to life's tempestu
GUS ocean. His life is like clear ant
placid stream, which flows gently on to th'
mighty ocean Of waters, unruffled by thu
breezes Of adverse winds, and unObstruct
ed by intervening shoals and quicksands
The honest farmer, in the rudest recesse
of the mountains, or far removed from man
in the deep forest, is a happy and conten
ted being. He enjoys, with delight, tn
bland breezes Of evening, and listens witt