Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-05-23
LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.

escape from the prison walls of the metropolis
the great brickery we call the ''city''-and
to live amid blossoms and leaves, in shadows
and sunshine, in moonlight and starlight, in
rain, mist, dew, hosr frost, and drought, out
IN the open campaign, and under the blue
dome that is bounded by the horizon only. Ii
Is a good thing to have a well with dripping
buckets, porch with honey buds, and sweet
bells, hive embroidered with nimble bees, n
sun-dial messed over, ivy up TO the caves,
curtains OF dimity, tumbler Of fresh flowers
In your bedroom, a rooster on the roof, and a
dog upon the piazza.
When Mrs. Sparrowgrass and moved into
the country, with our heads full Of fresh but.
ter, and COOL crisp radishes for tea with IDEAS
entirely lucid respecting milk, and a loseness
Of calculation as TO the number in family IL
would take good laying hen to supply with
fresh eggs every morning. when Mrs Spar
rowgrass and L moved into the country We
found some preconceived notions had 10 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 eyelids of the morn" and 90 forth
Early rising What can be done with FIVE or
six clock in town? What may not be done
at those hours in the country? With the hoe,
the rake, the dibble, the spade, the watering
pot. To plant, prune, drill, transplant, graft,
train, and sprinkle? Mrs. S. and agreed TO
rise carly in the country.
Z" Richard and X obbin were two pretty men.
They laid In their bed Till the clock struck ten
UP jumped Richard and looked at the sky:
o, brother Robin the suns very high -
Early rising in the country is not an instinct:
Is Is sentiment and must be cultivated
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 expenses
of horse hire, tavern bills, toll gates. aud
breaking wagon, the hippopotami cost a.
much apiece rs pine-apples They were fne
potatoes, though, with comely features and
large, languishing eyes, that promised in
crease of family without delay. As worked
my own garden (for which hired landscape
gardener, at two dollars per day, TO give me
instructiOns,D L concluded that the object Of
my first experiment in early rising should be
the planting OF the appropriateness L sc-
cOrdlngly rose next day at FIVE, and IL rained.
The next, and it rained Ii rained for two
weeks! We had splendid potatoes every day
for dinner. @ My dear, said TO Mrs Spar,
rOwgrass, 4" where did you get these fine no.
tatOes?" Why" said she innocentiy.
- out Of that basket fir m Long Island 90 The
last Of the bippOpOta'Iusses were before me.
peeled, and boiled, and mashed and baked
was more successful afterwards I did
get some seed potatoes in the ground. But
something was tho matter; at the end of the
season, L did not get as many out as had
put in.
Mrs. SparrOwgrass, who is notable bouse
wife, said to me one day, 'Now, my dear, we
shall soon have plenty of eggs, for L have been
buying lot of young chickens" There they
were, each one with as many feathers a. ;.
grasshOpper, and a chirp not louder Ofcourss
VIC looked forward with pleasant hopes 20 a..
period when the FIRST cackle should anpour,,
the mix white egg, warmly deposited in the
hay which we had provided bountifully. They
grew hnely, and one day ventured to remark
that our hens had remarkably large combs. Ia
which Mrs, 5. repliei "Yes, indeed She hal
observed that; but if wanted to have real
treat, L ought to get up early in the morning
and hear them crow y "Crow d" said I faint
ly, ''Our hens Growing, Then the Geek tbat
eroWed in the morn, to wake .4e priest an
shaven and shorn, we might as well give un
all hopes OF having any eggs, said L, for as
sure as you live, Mrs. 8, our hens are an
roosters." And so they were roosters that
grew up and fought with the neighbors' chick
ems, until there was lot a whole pair of ewes
on either side of the fence
A dog is good thing to have ia the country.
have one which L raised from a pun. Heis
a good stout fellow, and hearty barker anu
m
he was thoroughbred, but he begin 10 have
a mOngrel look about him. He is a ggod
watchdog, though; for the moment be sees
any susplcious-loOking person about the prem
Uses, he comes right in to the kitchen and pets
behind the stove. First we keep him in the
house, and he scratched all night 10 yet ont
Then we turned him out, and he scratched an
night to get in. Then we tied him up in tho
back of the garden, aud he how led so that our
neighbOr shot at him twice before day break
Finally, We gave him away, and be cana
back; and now is just recovering from a A.
IN which he has torn the patch that has been
sown tor our spring radishes.
good strong gate is a necessary artjele for
your garden. good strong, heavy gste with
dlsocated hinge, SO that il will neither omen
or shut Such a one have l. The grounds
before my fence arc In common, ana all the
nelghbors' cows pasture there remarked n
Mr. 8, as we stood at the window in a lime
sunset, how placid and picturesque the cattIs
looked as they Strolled about croppipy green
herbage. Next morning L found the innocept
creatures in my garden. They had not left a
green thing 1T. The corn in the milk, the beaps
on the poles, the young cabbage and tender
lettuce, evon the thriving shoots on nv youno
fruit trees had vanished. And there thew wero
looking quietly on the ruin they had made
Our watch dog, too was for gathering witb
them. 1t was too much, so got large stick
ana drove them all cut, except a young heifer.
whom chased all over all the foucr-heds
breaking down my trellises my woodbines and
Sweetbrlers, my roses and petunias, until
cornered her in the h0t-bed. L had TO call for
assistance TO extricate her from the sashes and
her owner has sued me for damages. believe