The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-07-06

FANNY FERN, whose writings have been 81
indiscriminately praised, has produced number
of good things, and considerable quantity of
stuff. The following is very sweet and pretty :
"LirTLE BENSY."-So the simple headstone
said. Why did my eyes fill , never saw the
little creature. never looked into his laugh.
ing eye, or heard his merry shout, listened
for his tripping tread | never pillowed his
little head, or bore his little form, or smoothed
his silky locks, or laved his dimpled limbs, or
fed his cherry lips with dainty bits, or kissed his
rosy cheek as he lay sleeping.
did not see his eye grow dim or his little
hand drop powerless; or the dew Of agony gath
er on his pale forehead; stood not with clasp
ed hands and suspended breath, and watched
the look that comes but once, fit over his che
rub face. And yet, "ittle Benny, my tears
are falling; for, somephere, know there's an
empty crib, vacant chair, useless robes and
toys, desolate hearth stone and a weeping
mother.
"Lithe Benny."
II was all her full heart could utter and il,
was enough. 1t tells the whole story
Fern.
This is in different strain and also good:
A CHAPTER FOR NICE OLD FARMERS
Can any body tell why country people so
universally and pertinaciously persist in living
in the rear of the house? Can any body tell
why the front door and windows are never open
ed, save on the 4th of July and at Thanksgiv.
ing time? Why Zedekiah, and Timothy, and
Jonathan, and the old farmer himself, must go
round the house, in order to get into it? why
the whole family (oblivious of six empty rooms,)
take their 'vapor bath, and their meals, stimuli
taneously, in the vicinity of red hot cooking
Gnge, in the dog days' Why the village artist
med paint the root, and spout, and window
frames bright crimson, and the doors the color
of mermaid's tresses9 Why the detestable
sunfower (Which can never forgive "Tom
Moore" for noticing) must always faunt in the
garden? Why the ungraceful prim poplar, fl,
emblem OF a stiff old bachelor, is preferred to
the swaying elm, or dropping willow, or majes-
tic horse chestnut!
| should like to pull down the green paper
window-curtains, and hang up some of snowy
muslin. should like to throw wide open the
hall door, and let the south wind play through
| should like to 90 out in the woods, and COL
lect fresh, sweet, wild flowers to arrange in a
vase, in place of those defunct dried grasses,
and old maid "everastings." should like to
show Zedekiah how to nail together some bits
of board for an embryo lounge should like to
stuff it with cotton, and cover it with neat
"patch." | should like toicushion the chairs af.
ter the same fashion. Then should like, when
the white haired old farmer came painting up
the road at twelve ocle ok, with his scythe
hanging over his arm, to usher him into that
cool, and comfortable room set his bowl Of
bread and milk before him, and after he had dis
cussed it, coax him (instead of tlting back on
the hind legs of hard chair) to take ten min
utes' nap my 'mode" sofa, while kept
my eye on the clouds, to see that no thuhde r
shower played the mischief with his hay.
i should like to place few commou-sense,
practical books on the table, with some of our
fine daily and weekly papers. You may smile !;
but these inducements, and the comfortable and
pleasant: air Of the apartment would bring the
family oftener together after the days toll by
degrees they would lift the cove of the books,
and turn over the newspapers. Constant inter-
change of thought feeling and opinion, with
discussions of ths important and engrossing
questions of the day, would Of course necessa-
rlly follow.
The village tavern-keeper would probably
frown upon it bnt I will venture to predict for
the inmates of the farm house growing love
for home, and an added air or intelligence and
refinement, Of which they themselves might
possibly be unconscious. Fera-OHUt
Branch.