, 1860-09-29
HOW l. CAME TO RUK 4 FARM.


itary transmission Of traits, qualities, capacities
and passions. My father il farmer, my grand
father toa>, and lis father before him, and biz.
and his sgain, 10 the seventh ancestor, who
came over in one Of William Penn'a vessels and
Immediately set about reducing the superauous
sslvantsm Of that Apostles Sgtpania.
Almost my l'st recolle -tion is that Of
swamp, into which went bare-1e7gtd 1t morn
ing, and cut cf which came, when driven BY
hun ger, " III long stockings Of black mud, and
a mask of the same.
If the cLila WAS missed from The house, the
first thing that suggestk dji self Was 10 climb
upon mound which overlooked the swamp.
Somewhere, among the tufts Of the rushes and
the nladed Leaves OF the caiamus, q little brown
ball IVES sure to be seen noving. now dipping
out Of sight, now rising again, like bit of DRIFT
OIL the ripping green water. 1t was my head.
The treasures there collected were bfaek terra
pins with orange spots, bsby trogs, the s:zs OF =
chestnut, shruah's eggs, and stems OF purple
phlo1.
Ic4nuot say that ny boyish experience Of
constitutional horror Of dirty hands, and my
first employ o5ments-pickirg stones and wesd-
Jog corn--were rather torture to this super.
6te taBte. But almost every field had its wal
nut tree, and many Of the last years unts Te-
timed their aaror in tho spring; melons were
planted amunz the corr, and the meadow
which lar between never exhausted its store
%%oAA<8t
It Easter; cherries and traNberrles in May /;
fruits all GUNNER. fi.bipg parties By torchlight;
lobsla aud ,umae to be gathered, dried, and
sold for pocket mocey; aud in the tail chest
nuts, perslmmont, wild grapes, cider, and the
grand "butcher1ng" after frost came so that
Ill she pleasures knew we're those incidental
to farmers life. The books read came from
the viil.ge library, aud the tafk Of helping to
"fo3des'' on the dark winter evenings was
li:btened by the anticipation Of sitting down 70
Gibbon's Rome, or Thaddeus Of Warsaw, after-
wards. TO he ture. sometlmes ensied the
storekeeper's boy, whom had once seen shov.
cling sugar cut OF 9 hogshea and who now
and ,hen stcalthily dipped his hand into tho
raisin boz; but it is not in the nature Of any
child to be perfectly satisfied with his lot.
4 life Of three years in . small country town
e1ecually cured me Of al such folly. When
l returned to the homestead as youth, first
felt the delight and the re!reshment Of labor in
the open air. I was then able to take the plow-
| handle, and I still remember the pride felt
when my burrows we're pronounced eren and
we'll turned. Although it was already decided
that should not make farming the business Of
my 1ife, I thrust into my plans the slender
wedge Of hope that might one day own bit
! of ground, for the luxury OF having. It not the
proft of cul,irating it. The aroma Of the sweet
sot, hsd tinctured my blood the black mud Of
the swamp still stuck to my feet
| ert there 1as an old farm. which was fast TO-
lapsir into state Of nature. Along the road
,,aa;;. harnded this farm On The east stood q
grove Of magnificent o--ssss; moro Than ahundred
| feet in height.
| 6eid tSars vse An old' pna,led mother pine,
..s...aaa5.J e. ~ her b. ond n roun0 onea. xho.
oi.ars sn-;r9;nr m in the aarne objection,
1.sra - ~ ,hst III seeda were scattered by
A tha rn,;west Winds sesmed to be runnlug ofl
| ~ 49, -. sfa," =. \ mi edped and eaper tn
ouHa ta tSs;e ~ Ito tbc worIi- This old nine
~ a., swfri ;ntare.t tn ,oe a. A Inv. More
nau III s saih. w. h,sek snaIea had beer s.rn
h tusu ~ F-.,r, -. hnuobs and n. farm hant,
R anRd Hi % .nr.teT;ons stnr;es If an old mo,hei
sraaat ~ -, iono A. a fence rail and IA swift nj
e.pen' bar,e n fsc! nv brother and /. on our va,
% ~ th. neach 1Iees' which still produced som'
h;ttar Asvored frnit. had more than once see1
.rsEa. ;n mr. nath. o. a certain occaston. q,
ar resmoTr ~ ~ rnns CHASED the snaEe. Wills b,
-. H;a .tnrv IL that he chaaed and
raa-and the Question remAtus unsettled 10 thi
~
Souet;mes xe extended our rambles to tn
end ~ the farm. and looked down into the Sc
cinded drllx betond the ridge which it covered
| .n.h 0limnaes were like the discoye.v of IN
knnwn lands. How far eff The other peopi
i;redt How stra.oa It must be to dwell con
4inuai1v doxn in that hollow. with no othe
hnn,e II s;cbtI But when lbuild house,
+hnnsht I aSali hu,td II m On the ridge. with
NOR s.eenle. from the top Of which can se
fsf and vide.
A. last rama thu n1unpa into the world =
.,:de a n,nnpe. a sbnddr9. and tho shin ride
- 1.ras 1hsenre orcnnxt,nn travt1- snhatj
tusd reaities for dre.ma. and he farm, If no
for1ntten hec.me A rerv suhordiuata object Il
~ i' cstsingns of thinosto bs attained. When
"a .n, aet thronoh i,a gratinp Of foreat.
E.ftv rears If i.eolpct hid 1iyen the ad;,in
in9 farm bad na,ne among the farmers, Will
Ns,r+. ~ az + nj; ltd tn recorer poa7esaior
h.d rnns on adofninr it in her own wild an
m.tchIess xar. t looEed on The SPOT With a
,n.tTncted eve and sighed. a. / counted IN m
soantv earninrs. At Ihe reftcton that year
ronst e1,n.e hefnre I cou]d yenture to think j
,,ns..ss;ng Il Mv wiah. nevertheleas.xas be ar
ri .sn.nharad
n 1nlr 1s53- was nm the is]and of Loc
cba, Pssurn,n1 n thr ia 7shi1 of tbe snnnd
~ ~. sren;na sft.r . ionu tramn oTrr til
Ills lii to tho soa,h Of Sapa Kiane, in SUI
,.ss. ~ s T;ma nnssn waa summoned br II, tn
af;aar ~ * ~ ~ r,ce;r. a n,rksoa vhir
I ~ sant ~ hao-d froro ~. NJ H. oths
s.s,. w
i.s,tsrx fron hcme .ft.r m ;ntarv., of 3;
menths vi,hont nswst immrdi:teiv nste
nr1missien ia burn a 1an1p on he orlop decl
p1d resd until midniaht. p fprcettlnc m tin % The tram
the,r ' hsmmocSs nv H. a1onnd o % mes 0oenina lei.
sfter letter. and deyourine piece bv piece. Il
h.eonst n Va theT Contained he no
. s,sTfI;nr s.T+,l ~ the nost imnortsnt comm
n;ca,inn was-the cid fsrm wa mfnel |
r~' 80 - ~ a., --.n.~.- -. III
,gaais and hat p htrn nnrebassd III N R nv name ia
aasE ~. p;d-stsh nd int re|;er.d d
~ ~ -. r;aht T.s n,tch d,rF. on,y nov At
then'a ' W. TsTe hnrst.in % f,ssb Of xhi1e Ire. d
!. .a lonted Ees,r.rd 49, ths .tsrnr.ii' =,
!. ~ o;.nt n,rs T.;ne blact aoain.t The crims,
s.. .ne snd frs~ that ths1 were vs;t;no +
suas.s ,S,+ ~ + .honid .nrsix ~. ,hs1n o"s;n
|. w. moth. af;eTVsra. / annrnsched hon
.ftsr ~ .h.ancs ~ neariT two teaTs and - ha