Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-09-16
RURAL LIFE.

When Mrs. Sparrowgrass and moved int,
the country, with our heads full of fresh butte
and cool crisp radshes for tea; with ideas en-
tirely lucid respecting milk, and loosness o
calculation as to the number in family it woult
take good laying hen to supply with fresf
eggs every morning; when Mrs. Sparrowgras.
and moved into the country we found some
preconceived notions had to be abandoned and
! some departures made from the plans we had
laid down in the little back parlor in avenue
c.
One of the first achievements in the country
is early rising! with the lark, with the sun, while
the dew is on the grass, under the opening eve.
lids of the morn,' and so forth. Early rising!-
What can be done with FIVE or six o'clock in
town! What may not be done at those hours
in the country, with the hoe, the rake, the b.
bic, the spade, the watering pot! To plant,
prune drill, transplant, graft train and sprinkle!
Mrs. .Sparrowgrass and agreed to rise early
in the country.
Early rising in the country is not an instinct,
it is sentiment, and must be cultivated.
A friend recommended me to send TO the
south side of Long Island for some very prol.
fc potatoes, the real hippopotamus breed
Down went my man, and what with expenses
of horse hire, tavern bills, toll gates, and break
ing wagon, the hippopotami cost as much a
piece as pine apples. They were fine potatoes
though, with comely features and large Ian.
gushing eyes, that promised increase Of family
without delay. As worked my own garden,
(for which hired landscape gardner at two
dollars per day to give me instructions,) I con-
cluded that the object of my first experience in
early rising should be the planting of the hip
popotamuses. l accordingly rose the next
morning at FIVE, and it rained! The next. and
it rained! 1t rained for two weeks! We had
splendid potatoes every day for dinner. My
DEAR said to Mrs. Sparrowgrass, where did
you get those fine potatoesp why said she
innocently, 'out of the basket from Long ISL
and" The last of the hippopotamuses we peel.
ed and boiled, and mashed and baked, with
nice thin brown crust on the top!
Twas more successful afterwards. I did get
some fine seed potatoes in the ground. But
was the matter; at the end of the
season did not get as many as Iput in.
Mrs. Sparrowgrass, who is notable house.
wife said to me one day, Nov, my dear, we
shall soon have plenty Of eggs, for | have been
buying lot of young chickens There they
ire, each one with as many feathers as grass.
hopper and chirp not louder. OF course we
ooked forward with pleasant hopes to the pc |
iod when the first cackle should announce the |
milk white egg warmly deposited in the hay
which we had provided bountifully. They |
rev finely, and one day l ventured to remark
hat our hens had remarkably large combs, to
which Mrs. Sparrowgrass replid, Yes, indeed.
he had observed that; but if wanted to have
real treat ought to get up early in the morn
ng and hear them crow 'Crowr said faint.
y; 'our hens growing" Then, by the cock that
rowed in the morn to wake the priest all sha-
en- and shorn,' we might as well give up all
opes of having eggs, said |; for as you live,
ur hens are all roostersr And they were roos-
srs! that grew up and fought with the neigh.
ors' chickens until there was not whole pair
eyes on either side of the fence.
A dog is good thing to have in the country.
have one which raised from pup. Heisa
tout fellow, and hearty barker and feeder