Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-08-05
Life in the Country.

call "the city'-and to live amid bios.
SONS and leaves, in shadow and sunshine,
in moonlight and starlight. in rain, mist,
dew, hoar-frost, and drought, out in the
open campaign, and under the blue dome
that is bounded by the horizon only. II
is good thing to have we'll with drip
ping buckets. q porch with honey.buds
and sweet bells, hive embroidered with
nimble bees, sun.dial mossed over, ivy
up the caves, curtains of dimity, tum.
bier of fresh flowers in your bedroom. a
rooster on the roof, and a dog under the
piazza.
When Mrs. Sparrowgrass and l moved
into the country, with our heads full Of
fresh butter, and cool, crisp radishes for
tea with ideas entirely lucid with re-
spect to milk, and looseness of calcula-
tion as to the number in family it would
take good laying hen to supply with
fresh eggs every morning; when Mrs.
Sparrowgrass and moved into the coun-
try, we found some preconceived notion
had to be abandoned, and some departures
made from the plans we had laid down
in the little back parlor 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 open evelids of the
MORN" and so forth What can be done
with FIVE or six o'clock in town. What
can be done at those hours in the coun.
try? With hoe, the rake, the dioble,
the spade, the water.pot ? To plant,
prune, drill, transplant, graft, train and
sprinkle Mrs. S and agreed to rise
early in the country.
Orchard and Robin were two pretty man,
They laid in bed till the clock struck ten;
Up jumped Richard and looked at the sky;
Oh, brother Robin! the sun is very high
Early rising in the country is not an
instinct it is a sentiment, and must be
cultivated.
A friend recommended me to send to
the south side of Long Island for some
very prolific potatoes-the real hippopot-
anus breed. Down went my man, and
what with expenses of horse hire, tavern
bills, toll gates, and breaking a wagon
the hippopotami cost as much apiece
as pineapples. They were foe potatoes
though, with comely features, and large,
languishing eyes, that promised increase
of family without delay. As I worked
my own garden, (for which l hired a
landscape gardener at two dollars pei
day to give me instructions,) l concluded
| thas .-J c. --ro-;o"en :" nnrlv risino
should be the planting of the hippopot'
amuscs~ l accordingly rose next MORN
ing at FIVE, and it rained l rose next
day at five. and it rained The next
and it rained 1t rained for two weeks
We had splendid potatoes every day for
dinner.
"My dear" said to Mrs. Sparrow
grass, where did you get these fine pota'
toes ?"
Why" said she, innocently, "out Of
that basket from Long Island -
The last Of the Hippotamuses were be
fore me, peeled, and boiled, and mashed
and baked, with nice thin brown crust
on the top.
l was more successful afterward.
did get some 6ne seed potatoes into The
ground. But something was the matter
at the end Of the season l did not get as
many out as put in.
Mrs. Spa.rowgrass, who was notable
housewife, said to me one day {:
Now, my dear, we shall soon have
plenty of eggs, for l have been buying t
lot of you0p chickens"
There they were, each one with as
many feathers as grasshopper, and a
chirp not louder. OF course we looked
forward with pleasant hopes to the pcriot
when the FIRST cackle should announce the
milk-white egg, warmly deposited in the
hay, which we had provided bountifuly
They grew finely, and one day l ventured
to remark that our hens had remarkably
large combs, to which Mrs. S. replied
"Yes, indeed. she had observed that
but il | wanted real treat. ought tc
get up early in the morning and heal
them crow"
Grow" said |, family, "our hens crow
ing! Then, by
The cook that crowed In the morn.
To wake the priest all shavsn and shorn,
we might as well give up the hopes O
having any eggs" said /, 'for, as sure al
you live, Mrs. S., our hens are all roos
ters /"
And so they were roosters that grew
up and fought with tie nei ghbours' chick
ems until there was not whole pair o.
eyes on either side of the fence.
\ dog is good thing to have in tn
country. have one which l raised from
pup. He is good stout fellow, AM
hearty barker and feeder. The man O
whom l bought him said he was thorough
bred, but he began to have morgre
look about him. He is good watch do
though, for, the moment he sees any sus
picious.looking person about the premises
he comes right into the kitchen and get
behind the stove. First we kept him II
the house, and he scratched all night t.
get out. Then We turned him out, ant
he scratched all night to get in. The
we tied him up at the back of the gar
den, and he howlcd so that our neighbo
shot at him before daybreak. Finally
We gave him away, and he came back
and now be is just recovering from a I'll
in which he has torn up patch that ha
been sown for our spring radishes.
A good strong gate is necessary ar'
icle tor your garden. A good, stron:
heavy gate, with dislocated hinge.
that it will neither open nor shut. Sue