Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-10-31
VOL. v.
No ; ffty-eight.'

low me for it,
'Fify-eight cents. Well, that beats all =
And did you sell your whole five hundred BUSH
els at that pricel' -i r.-
Yes
while | received sixty-eight cents for all of
mine y
You did y
Certainly did. So you lost just fifty dol
lars on your wheat crop by not getting the mar
ket price
Fifty dollars How many comforts fifty
dollars would buy said Hannah, letting her
work fall in her lap with gesture of despon-
dency.
And what price did you get for your corn =
asked Uncle Ben.
twenty-five cents
From Gray & Elder =
Yes
Mine brought thirty-two. Just seven cents
bushel difference. How many bushels had
youl'
Il sold three hundred bushels
~ ioSS VI t"Cut uoiidlo. AO'OutN
one dollars loss on your wheat and corn crops
in single year. l don't much wonder, Peter,
that you don't get along, if you let other peo-
pie swindle you in this way. 1t requires two
things to make successful farmer htelli-
gence in agricultural matters, sufficient to make
the ground produce freely, and that knowledge
/ in rd IN fho Stata of tho r,rn1ucp ket
necessary to ensure sales at the best prices
You are hard working man, Peter; but to
ensure success, something beyond hard work is
needed. The head must guide the hands,
And in order to do this, the head must be prop
erly enlightened
Uncle Ben inquired still further and more
minutely into Peters affairs, and the results
confirmed his first impression. There was
industry, but it was not enlightened indus
try.
Do you take an agricultural paper!' he ask
ed during the conversation.
No, replied Peter, with some emphasis. q
don't believe in book farming I've seen too
many men ruin themselves by new experiments
l was brought up one of the best practical far
mers in the state, and know my business tho
roughly. There only one right way to till the
ground, and l fatter myself that l understand
that way
Uncle Benz. Hicks tried to show Peter that
he was in the error here !; but this was subject
on which Peter grew warm at once, and thus
closed the avenues of his mind to all the appeals
of reason.
On the next day, Peter Miller was absent on
business which called him TO a neighboring
town, and the old gentleman spent most of the
time in the house with his neice, asking ques-
tions, giving advice, and infinitely observing
every thing that passed around him. There
was but little real comfort in the dwelling, and
little cultivation in the children
you re working Ellen too hard, said the old
gentleman TO his neice, as the girl passed
through the room where they were sitting,
carrying large kettle of boiling water which
she had just heated for washing.
Il know it, replied Mrs. Miller, Il think of
it every day. Ellen ought to be going to
school. But can't spare her. five could
have help, it would be very different. 1t
makes my very heart ache, Uncle Ben, when
ever think of the way our children are grow
ing up
'All day-very bad said Uncle Ben, shak-
ing his head, and looking grave. There's
something wrong. Depend upon it Ellen,
there's something wrong. You're all indus
trious enough, all, in fact, overworked and yet
there is no thrift; no order in your family; no
| cheerfulness no comfort
Hannah acknowledged with tears in her
eyes, the truth of the picture. But she knew
no remedy; and saw nothing but trouble
ahead.
IF we go on as we have been going said
she, well lose our farm in two or three years;
and then what is to become of us feel utter
| ly discouraged
Il see no books about, said Uncle Ben, some
time afterwards. Don't Ellen and Henry
spend some of their time in readingr
There's the Bible and some old religious
books up stairs, replied Hannah But the
children don't care about them. Henry bor-
rowed the Arabian Knights and Robinson CRU
soc from some of our neighbors children, and
he and Ellen got so interested in them, that
they couldn't do anything else. Henry would
leave his work in the field, and hide away
among the bushes to read and Ellen would
neglect everything for the same purpose. Their
father got so angry about it, that he positively
forbade their bringing any more books into the
house.
Is it possible You take newspaper
mo. We can't afford to spend money in that
way, We have nothing to spare for useless
things. And, besides, Peter has no time to
read When night comes, he is so worn down
with work that he is glad to get in bed'
No newspaper! Why Hannah! You had
much better all go without a meal once a
week than not have anewspaper. Idon't won-
der
Uncle Ben checked himself and became more
thoughtful than before.
on the next day he asked Peter why he dGnt
take paper.
No time to read and besides, can't afforc
the expense replied Peter.
A couple of dollars year would NEE
that
7 IL