Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-06-17
MlisteIld1teons.
From Chan. ber's Edingburgh Journal.
The Fool of Laboudie


Some people are all hand, and some are II
heart. The first do, and the others feel. The
one is always at work-laborng, creating, pro-
ducng the other spends his life in deplorlng
the miseries of humanity, its wrongs-but there
he stops. Thh same in human life. A man Of
hand supports his family, gives them good beef
and mutton, dresses them WELL and proves that
he loves them by making them happy; the man
of heart feels intensely if they are sick, has
tears for the slightest ills that happen, dePloreS
their want of luxuries ard necessities, sits by
his chimney-corne and talks-proving, after oil
that he loves but himself lie is the most ami
able man in the world, general favorlte in So
ciety, an outwardly afectionate father and hus-
band but his children are half-starved, and his
wife goes about in an old gown which the man
of hands wife would give away to some beggar
to whom it would be useful and welcome. Not
that we object to heart far from it. A man
cannot have too much feeling, if he allies with
it the head 10 conceive and the hand to execute.
A man wholly without heart is a monster; and
the great defect of Napoeon's character was,
that with mighty head and stupendous hand,
he had scarcely any heart. 1t is the union OF
the hand and heart with head to guide both,
which makes a man useful member OF society
Ernest Delavgne was the only child Of
widow His father had been superior farmer
of considerable property, and he died leaving
the land to his wife and son. But Ernest, though
fond of the country, aspired to something better
than the peasautrv around him. He lived in a
~. ur rrarce where lgnu--zAaaa sA---
Lrowledges where bad roads and impenetratra-
BILE bogs retarded the progress OF clVllizauon'
and where the people were in that happy state
of ignorance which prevailed over most parts OF
Europe some two hundred years ago; where
agriculture cost twice the labor and gave half
the returns which it afforded to the more enlight-
ened and where no one had ever yet attempted
to penetrate the crust of barbarism which gener-
ally prevailed. Ernest had been educated at
town school, and, when young man, completed
his education at provincial college. Though
acquiring all the general knowledge which was
conveyed by the professor, he devoted himself
particularly to chemistry as applied to agricul-
ture, and TO the formation of new agricultural
implements.
He returned home at twenty one, full Of mag
nifcent projects He would effect revolution
in the land he would open course oflectures
he would teach the advantage of all the new in
struments of draining, of manuring; and above
all, he would effect complete alteration in the
dwellings-close, dirty, unwhoIesome and COM
fortress now. Admirable and praiseworthy no.
ton was that of Ernest Delavigne. We shall
see how it was carried out.
Ernest had, as he thought, very plain way
before him. He set up a lecturer, with the
honest design of instructing his less intelligent
neighbors. Unfortunately, however, nobody
went to his lectures and all his solicitations
met with polite but peremptory rebuff. The
people, in fact, liked their own way best, and
believed nothing to the contrary on mere here
say. He was generally spoken of as fool, for
his pretensions Fool of Laboudie."
The manner in which Ernest was treated, at
length induced him to abandon all attempts at
reformation, and he betoOL himself To Paris, a
somewhat wiser man. Experience had cooled
his ardor for improving mankind. Arrived at
Paris, he took up his lodgings in the Quarter
Latin and went to see M. Beholt, a notary in
high repute with the old arstocracy-who con-
hdcd to him the management of their pecuniary
affairs, with a confidence and security which
spoke volumes for his honesty and honorable
character.
M. Benolt received Ernest kindly, listened
patiently to what he had to say, and then gave
=, him advice. He approved Of his selecting med
icine as a profession and promised that if i
pleased Ernest, he would introduce him int
good society, that the intervals of time betweel
1 his studies might be well spent. Ernest accept
ed gladly, and at once begun the study Of hi
new profession. 1t suited his character, hi
i feeling for suffering humanity, to be healer {
the sick and the prospect of associating as
student with the upper classes of society wa
. pleasant and agreeable. He went to publ
- lectures, he read hard-and in the evening h
, visited one or two saloons, which were freeI
opened to him on the recommendation OF
4 Benolt. He found this way of passing his tin
vastly agreeable He liked the conversation OF Il
ID dies for they ,as he abstained from potlcssymp'
re thized with his views, approved OF his human
is tartan principles, and proved always an atte
IN tive audience.
re One evening he was speaking of his old fav
re rite topic-the introduction of agricultural in
be provement in the country-when a young q
if Joined in the debate -
ct. " o monseur!" she cried warmly" | a
ed happy to meet with some one Of my way
ig, thinking, | live in country district which