The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-12-26


vate the fields, and TO receive In return
the beautiful rewards for their toll He
llaqs in the burrows of the old cornfield,
he feels heavy at heart, he stops his team,
and, seating himself upon his plough
beam, Eliminates upon the joys and the
fancied delights of the far-west husband
man. He says 10 himself, "no plough
ing, no manuring, no hoeing, no digging
is there; but, in order to grow rich, you
have only to will it, and it is done Hon.
ors, too, there crown the wish Of every
aspirant l' This thought at once electrl-
fes him! He starts up in the midst oil
his revery and resolves no longer to delve
and to tug like fill-horse, upon the old,
thread-bare domain of his ancestors. So
he hastens to his father, and calls for the
''portion of goods that faleth to hin"
that he may depart for different home,
and different fortune, declaring himself to
be tired with perpetual laboring, while 9th
ers grow rich with little exertion. No
parental tears, no expostulations can avail
against his inclination; but go he must,
and 90 he does. Thus "sweet home"
with its three hundred acres, whichmight
suffice for three good farms, is contemp>
tuousIy deserted by this foolish and incon-
sidcrate young man. Westward he turns
his course, but, unfortunately, when too
late, discovers that, even where the land
is said 10 "how with milk and honey"
and wealth TO crown every exertlon, the
wheat-6elds will not yield their increase.
without cultivation none can prosper
without industry and steady application to
business; and that, be where we may,
bodily employment is necessary to health
and peace of mind.
There are sundry causes for the above
besettng evil, and they are signally prev
aem at the present day. One is an ca
gerness to become rich at cnce, without
the usual wholesome and proper means.
Another is a contempt Of manual labor.
The latter discovers itself more or less a.
mong all classes of people, but affects
most injuriously the farmer. The honest
and industrious husbandman who has, by
means of economy and attention to his
own affairs, arrived to that independence,
so characteristic generally Of New Eng
land yeomanry; viz, plenty TO live on,
and something laid up for casualty and
misfortune, has half dozen of stout, lus-
ty sons He brings them up in the "way
they should go" giving them such educa-
ton, as the common town school affords,
which is competent for all the purposes
and business of common life, short of
professional concerns. But, as soon as
:hey arrive TO the age of usefulness, and
are capable Of Judging and taking some
lead in the management of the farm, by
some luckless incident or other (it may be
a visit from city cousin from behind the
counter of a soda-shop, or the return of
tourist from the Rocky Mountains their
heads are, all on a sudden turned their
minds, hitherto peaceful and happy, are
filled with thousand vagaries strange
and inconsistent notion possesses them
viz, that it is dishonorabe 10 be seen at
work, laboring with the hands, especially
the labor necessary to Agriculture or Hor-
ticulture and this, lorsooth, because OF
the dirt. For the hands to be suiled with
DIRT, or to be toughened BY the use Of
farming implements is disgraceful, low
and unbecoming any one but hirelings
and drudges Thus, this new doctrine is
received and foolishly credited. The con-
sequence is disappointment and distress to
the parent, and ruin to his once bright, in
dustrions and happy offspring. In their
search for living without bodily labor they
find i: too true that call is not GOLD that
glitters ;" they lose their early and valua>
Bile habits, and contract others which are
alike detrimental 10 their morals and their
health. The farm which, under proper
management, might have supported Il EN-
all, has been necessarily neglected, and
run down, thistles, thorns, and brambles
encompass it, and its income is scarcely
sufficient for the support of its aged occu'
pants, the disheartened and solitary father
and mother. Such is the effect of false
pride, and the silly noIIon that manual la
Dor is disgraceful.
An eager desire TO gain fortune sud-
denly. by one single swoop, is another
source of evil. Success may sometimes
attend such spectators, but generally the
riches SO gained are apt to take wings
and fly away" as hastily as they were OBJ
tained.-When this passion seizes ayoung
farmer, and thousand ignes .tatui are
dancing around him, too often he is deaf
to every warning voice, and nothing save
fatal experience will bring him 10 reason.
Suppose that he has settled down upon
rich alluyion in the western country, and
by reason of his industry is in thriving
condition, Astounding with plenty, &c. !;
how might it have been, had he resisted
this love of change, and tarried upon the
parental lot? 1t is well understood now
that the good management of few acres,
even garden spot, Is better than the poor
husbandry of large farm. The love of
being thought great landholder without
improvement is altogether idle Has any
thing been gained BY removal? Unques-
tionabiy not. He is worth no more, en-
| Joys no more, and is no more respected,