The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-05-29
LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.

city-and TO live amid blossoms and
! leaves, i'll shadow and sunshine, in moon
light and starlight, in rain, mist, dew, hoar-
frost, and drouth, out in the open campaign,
and under the blue dome that is bounded
10y tho horizon only. 1t is good thing to
have well with dripping buckets, n porch
with horcvbuds, and swcct-belIs, a hive
embroidered with nimGle bees, sun-dial
mosscd over, ivy up to the caves, curtains
of dimi:y, a tumLler of fresh flowers in
your bedroom, a rooster on the roof, and a
dog upon the niazza.
When Mrs. Sparrowgrass and moved
into the country, with our heads full of
fresh butter, and cool, crisp radishes for
tea; with ideas entirely lucid respecting
milk, and looseness Of calculation as to the
number i'll family it would tako good
laying hen TO supply with fresh eggs every
morning; when Mrs. Sparrowgrass and
moved into the country, we found some
prcconceivcd notions mad to bc abandoned,
and some departures made from the plans
we had laid down in the little back porlor
in Avenue G..
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 cyclids of the
morn," and so forth. Early rising! What
can Lc done with five or six o'clock in town {:
What may not lie done at those hours in
the country? With the hoe, the rake, the
'libhle, the spade, the watering-pot To
plant, prunc, drill, transplant, graft, train,
and sprinkle! Mrs. S. and agreed to
rise early in the country.
" Richard and Ruhn were two pretty Incn.
They laid in the bee. till the clock struck ten:
Up jumped Richard and looked at the sky
. Brother Robin! the suns ~ry hight
Early rising in the country is not an in
stinct it is n sentiment, and must be cul-
tivatcl.
a friend recommended me to send to the
south side Of Long Island for some very
prolific potat"es-the real hippopo;amns
breed. Down went my man, and what
will, expenses OF horse hire, tavern bills,
toll gates, and breaking /, wagon, the hip
popotami cost as much n piece as pinc-ap-
plcs. They were fine potatoes, though,
with comcIy features, ana large, anguish
ing eye, that promised increase Of family
without delay. AS worked my own gar
den (for Which hired a landscape gardener
at two dollars ler day, to give mo instruc-
tionS.) ] concluded that the Object OF my
first experiment i'll early rising should be
the planting Of the hippopotamusses. ]
accordingly rose next day at five, and it
rained. The next, and it rained II
raincd for two weeks: We had splendid
potatoes every day for dinner. MY DEAR"
said to Mrs. Sparrowgrass, "wherc did
you get these fine potatoes :" Why"
said she, innoccntly, "out that basket from
Long Island" The last Of the hippopo-
tamusses were before mc, peeled and boiled,
and mashed anl bakc,l, with u nice thin
brown crust Oh 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, Jil not get us many out as
l had put in.
Mrs. Srarrowgrass, who is n notable house
wife, sail t" me 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 rs many
feathers as grasshorper and = chirp not
louder. Of course, we looked forward will,
pleasant hopes to the period when the first
cacklc should announce the milk white
egg, warmly deposited in the hay which
we had provided bountifully. They grew
finely, and one day ventured to remark
that orr hens had remarkably large combs,
to which Mrs. S. replied, Yes indeed she
had observed that; but if 1 wanted to have
a real treat, ought to get up early in the
morning and hear them crow" "Crow ~
said family, "our hens growing! Then,
by the cock that crowded in the morn, to
wake the priest all shaved and shorn,' we
might as we'll give up all hopes Of having
any eggs" said I; for, as sure you live,
Mrs. s., our hens are all roosters. all roos-
tors - And 30 they were roosters! that
grew up and fought with the neighbors'
chickens, until there was not whole pair
Of eyes or either side Of the fence.
A dog is good thing TO have in the
country. Illave one which I raised from a
pup. lie is a good, stout fellow, and a
hearty barker and feeder. The man Of
whom I bought him said he was thorough.
bred, but lie begins to have a mongrel look
about him. He is a good Watchdog
though; for the moment he sees any sls.