Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-04-13
General 1Hiscellanu,
From the Knckcrbockcr for April
A "GOOD TIME GENERALLY ON A
FARM.


potatoes and hoe corn.
My friend the Colonel tells me the KNIcK-
EHpooKER never publishes communications
from farmers pens Very likely; but
shall nevertheless "lct her slide.
! was always particularly fond Of the coun-
try. When child used to dream Of broad
green fields, waving grain clover, the hum
ming Of bees. flowers, strawberries and cream,
and portland beans Hay-making was superb
drinking warm milk magnificent. At college
/ wrote many essays on the subject. My ora
ton at the Junior Exhibition was, The Coun-
try :" and at Commencement, "The Dignity
Of Labor" / received the degree Of A. b.,
,rondered by a classmate, who had the Latin
Grafton, "a. Buster / spent a year in the
country went Vest got lost on a grand
prairie - killed prairie-hens by the bushel,
and finally wound up my tour by purchasing
three eighties
| Returning, entered law Offices read all the
books on "Real Estate from Blackstone to
/ llilliard; was admitted TO the Bar and wound
up that affair, by falling head-oyer-heels in
/ love with very beautiful and accomplished
girl.
! ! had chosen law as a profession, and it was
arranged that we should be married as soon
as was established in business. was trou-
] bed with many doubts about my capacity for
the law. ! could pethiog tolorably well my
preceptor said ! would certainly succeed. and
make good lawyer and he being Judge,
should have judged correctly. rather
thought not | had many longings for a ru-
raj life heard many constantly speaking Of
it in the highest terms What life so delight
ful as farmers, what profession so lucra-
tive what life afforded so much leisure for
reading, thinking, writing, and having good
time generally; so free from care and yeXa-
tion Of spirit; Every one wished for a farm ;
every one was going to retire to a farm, and
iattcn his own pigs, as soon as he could arr
range his affairs for so doing
I began 20 think Of the subject became cX-
cited +; was more and more impressed with the
idea that this was nag vocation a country life
was one had always liked; what a fool TO
force myself out Of the directions Of my natu-
raj tastes could work. and should be got-
ting a stock Of health very different from that
usually acquired in an office. ! talked over
the matter with my "intended.' She was dc
lighted with the idea; "it was 50 sweet to be
always in the country to run over the fields /;
to wander through wood and brake, and re-
cline under shady trees; patdn rocabans su5
tcgmme fagi to always have horses at one s
command to feed and fonde animals, and
raise poultry: and then, should we not always
be together: oh ocstacy Do let us go
I and live on a farm
r OF course We were fitted for iarm-lile, it was
so very simple. We could and would work
but that would be necessary only for very
few years for was it not lucratiyc--very,
! merry lucrative: And then what pleasure to
! work for those we love, and Hat work, too,
on a farm. We should live SO cozily, could
! read SO many books together during the long
winter evenings, while the winds were whist
! ling, and the snow drifting against the win
dows.
That conversation. and the two soft arms
, around my neck, with several kisses, decided
the matter, and made me a farmer: a farmer
and dair, man of Hcrkimer County.
Ia the valley of the Mohawk, near thriv-
ing village, almost surrounded by hills which
nearly rise to the dignity of mountains, lay
one hundred acres, which had belonged tC
my family twas in very romantic region
b lovely spot for poet or painter.
That farm was mUc under the will OF my
b most excellent father | had offered it for
T. sale many times, chiefly through a tenant who
4 rented the premises at one hundred dollars
, per annum. lie had been ON the place seve-
raj years was always talking of leaving
thought the rent high, and said he labored
: incossantly to find me purchaser No pur-
chaser ever came, and how ! blessed my stars
= that he never had come.
: packed up my trunk and started for Her
u kimcr County. 1t was in August: we were
a in the midst of cheated term:' no rain
not breath of air: the great red sun came
out every day ike ball of fire. the very
T, pavements scorch your feet. Arrived at the
farm, | found they were busy at haying.-
Z How pleasant it was to be in the country
Here was air, room and shade - beautiful
scenery, hill, dale, and waving woodland
How the lusty arms rolled up the hay how
cheerly the work went on; what appetites
what health. l felt l had chosen rightly IN
the country only was happiness to be found
I, | ran over my farm was struck with the
great quantity Of stones lying about in all di.
rections never had noticed it before | fre-
quently heard the mowers cxclaim. Rim
there she goes = followed by some very largc
words, as tho sharp scythe grapped with and
endcayorcd TO decapitato hard head
p thought the large boy who had charge Of tho
i grndstone earned his money and subsequent
, experience in that line has confirmed that i'm
r preston ! saw a sort of rubbish inclosinl
y several fields was told it was a fence, though
y my tenant added that he had for the last few
G years used a boy and dog as fencing material
y he found it "a good institution : less aborou,
and less expensive than rails they did tn,
thing up to the handle
2 The buildings would have delighted an ar.
tst. | could discover no doors to the barns
their places were supplied by rails thrown
n across, forming very substantial fence On
one side of the large barn | counted three
;, boards but then that side was already filled
with hay, and the roof was good. The house
t. was in somewhat better condition; many q
r the windows had been boarded up, which my
tenant said made it much cooler in summer
and warmer in winter "too many Window
made it bad 1t was an old-ashioned house
solidly put together, and had resisted tim,
and tenants tolerably we'll
There were few noble trees standing il
the lawn, but the shrubbery had long sine,
> fallen before the bon viUans of the herd no
a vestige remained for this being the bes
inolosed part of the farm, was used as night
pasture aud general "pound."
had fifteen hundred dollars in bank thi
was the amount Of my capital. | had intend
ed it for the purchase of my law library, an,
. setting up in business. but on farm filteel
hundred dollars would go long way.
N | determined to repair the house and ont