The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-06-07
Country Cifc.
LIVING In THE COUNTRY

ow and sunshine, in moonlight and starlight
in rain, midst, dew, hoar frost, and drought
out IN the open campaign, and under the blue
dome that is bounded by the horizon only
1t is good thing to have a well with Drip.
ping buckets, porch with honey buds. and
sweet bells, a hive embroidered with nimb!t
bees, aun-dal messed over, ivy up to III,
caves, curtains of dmty, tumbler of fresh
fl overs in your bedroom, a rooster on the
roof. and dog upon the pizza.
When Mrs SparrowgraSs and moycd into
the Country, with our heads full Of fresh but
ter, and cool, crisp radi>hes for tea: with
Ideas entirely lucid respecting milk, and u
ioosencSs OF calculation as to the number in
family it would takea good laying hen to sup.
ply with fresh eggs every morning: when
Mrs. SparrowgrasS and moved into the coun.
try, we found that some preconccrtcd notions
had to be abandoned, and some departures
made from the plan we had laid down in tn,
little back parlor in Avenue G.
One of the first achievement III the country
is carly rsing-with the lark--with the sun
while the dew is on the grass, "undcr the
opening eyclids of the moon, " and 50 forth.
Early rising What can be done at five OF
six O clock in town? What may not be don,
at those hours in the country? with the
hoe, the rake, tho dibble, the spade, and the
watcring-pot. To plant, prunc, drill trans.
plant, graft, train and sprinkle? Mrs. S.
and agreed to rise early in the country.
Richard and Robin were two pretty men,
They laid in their led till The clock struck ten
Up jumped Richard and looked at the sky,
o. Brother Robbn the suns very high -
Early rising in the country is not an in
stinct; it is o sentiment and must be- cutiva.
ted.
A friend recommended me to send to the
south side of Long Island for some very pro,
life potatoes--the real hippopotamus breed.
Down went my man, and what with expcn-
SIS Of horse hire, tavern bill, toll gate. and
breaking wagon, the hippopotami cost as
much apiece as pinc-apples. They were fine
potatoes, though, with comely features, and
large, langui>hing eyes that promised increase
of family without delay. AS work my own
garden flor which hired a landscape garden
or, at two dollars per day to give me instruc-
lions) | concluded that my first experiment
in carly rising should be the planting of the
appropriateness | accordingly rose next
day at five, and it raincd. The next and it
ialned! 1t rained for two weeks! We had
splendid potatoes every day for dinner. My
dear" said | to Mrs. Sparrowgrass, "whcrc
did you get these fine potatoes !" "Why,"
said she mnocently, "out of that basket from
Long island j. The last of the hippopota-
muses. was before me, peeled and boiled, and
mashed and baked, with nice thin brown
crust on the top.
was more successful afterwards. did
get some seed potatoes in the ground. But
something was the matter; at the end of the
season, did not get as many out as ! had
put in.
Nrc Sno ~ i I
wife, said to Inc one day, " Now, my dear,
we Shall soon have plenty of eggs, for |
have been buying lot Of young chickens "
There they were, each one with Us many
feathers as grasshopper, and chirp not
louder OF course we looked forward with
pleasant hopes to the period when the first
cackle should announce the milk white cry,
warmly deposited in the hay which we had
provided bountlluly. They grew finely, and
one day ventured to remark that our hens
had remarkably large combs. to which Mrs
5 , replied: ayes, indeed, she had observed
that: but if I wanted to have a real treat,
ought to get up carly in the morning and hear
them cow" Grow" said family, ..our
hens growing? Then the cock that crowed
III the morn, to wake the priest all shaven and
storn, we might as well give up all hopes of
having any eggs said |, "for as sure as YOU
live Mrs s., our hens are all ROSTERS - And
so they were ROSTERS that grew up and fought
with the neighbors' chickens, until there was
not whole pair Of eyes on either side of the
fence
A dog is good thing to have in the coun-
try, have one which raised from a pup
Lie is good stout fellow, and heavy barker
and feeder. The man of whom bought him,
said he was thorough bred, but he begins to
have mongrel look about him. lie is a
good Watchdog, though: for the moment he
sees any suspicious-looking person about the
premises, he comes right into the kitchen and
gets behind the stove. First we keep him in
the house, and he scratches all night to get
out. Then we turned him out, and he
scratched all night to get in. Then we tied
him up i'll the back of the garden. and he
howlcd so that our ncighbor shot at him be.
fore day break. Finally, we gave him away,
and he came back; and now is Just recovering
srom fit. in which he has torn the patch that
has been sowed for our spring radishcs.
A good strong gate is necessary article
for your garden. A good strong, heavy gate
with dislocatcd hinge, so that it will neither
open or shut. Such u one have l. The
grounds before my fence are in CO mmon, and
all the neghbors' COWS pasture there. re-
marked to Mr. s., as we stood at the window
in June sunset, how placid and picturesque
the cattle looked as they strolled a bout crop
ping green heritage. Next morning found
the innocent creatures IN my garden. They
had not left green thing in it. The corn in
the milk, the beans on the polls, the young
cabbage and the tender lettuce, even the
thriving, shoots on my young fruit trees had
vanished. And there they were looking quiz
city on the ruin they had made. Our watch
dog, too, was for gathering with them. TWAS
too much so got large stick and drove
them all out, except young hcfcr, whom |
chased all over the flower beds, breaking
down my trellses, my woodbines and sweet.
brlers, my roses and petunias, until corner
ell her in the hot-bcd. | had to call for as
sistance to extrcate her from the sasles and
her owner has sued me for damages. be-
llcve Shall never novel into town.-Sparro,c-
grass papers.
"A SNALE SToRY.-Nlr. John Young cap
| tured black snake on his Mountain lot. in
Frederick county, u few daye ago, measuring
Y foot on inCboc