The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-19
Miscellany.
sa,baaiel Hawtborne's Experience at
Brook Farm.

1uruops "A cowaERDs-MARGARET Full
LER's "rRANscENDENTAL HEIFER."
The second volume of Passages from the
. perican Note Book of Nathaniel Haw-
, orne," just published by Fields Osgood &
CO., contains the following amusing account
, I Mr.. Hawthorne's experiences in the BROOK
J arm Community:
Al have not vet taken my first lesson III
agriculture, except that l went W &c ~.
COWS toddered Yesterday afternoon. we nave
light OF our own; and the numoer Is noM ~
creased by a transceDdental hener pelohSinS
20 Miss Margaret Fuller. She Is very naS
rious, believe, and apt to KICK over Tue MINK
pniI. / intend to convert myself into
m,llx,oaid this evening, but / pray heaven
that Mr.. Ripley may be moved to assign me
tbe kindllest COW in the herr, otherwise
shall perform my duty with fear and trem-
bling.
81 like my brethren in affiiction very well
and could you see us sitting round our table
ct meal times, before the great kitchen fire,
yeu would call il a cheerful sight MIS-. ID. =
emost comfortable woman to behold. ohe
toks as if her ample person were stu1ed lui,
q tenderness-indeed, as if she were an oiie
great, kind heart.
April 14-10 A. NJ. dIu noU MIN
Me cows last Eight, because Mr.. hpley was
AFRAID to trust them to my haiius' vi ihe ~ "
their horns, | know not shicn. Dut lhls
1nor. ling have done wonders. Before break
Cast 1 went out TO the barn and began to chop
lIay for the cattle, and with such righteous
Vehemenee,' as Mr. Ripley says, did | labor
THAT in the space Of ten minutes / broke the
machine. Then / brought wood and replen-
ished the fires; and finally went down TO
breakfast, and ate up huge mound OF buck
wheat cakes. Alter breakfast Mr.. Ripley put
a four pronged instrument into my hands,
which he gave me to understand was called
a pitchiork and he and Mr.. Farley being
armed with similar weapons, we all three
commenced gallant attack upon heap oil
manure. This office being concluded, and
having purified myself, sit down to finish
his letter.
Miss Fuller's cow hooks the other cows
and has made herself ruler of the herd, and
behaves in tyranncal manner.
shall make an excellent huSbandman; feel
she original Adam reviving within me.
April l6.-. Since | last wrote there
has been an addition TO our community oil
,our gentlemen in sables, who promise to be
among our most useful and respectable men,
bers. They arrived yesterday about noon.
Mr.. Ripley had proposed TO join us no longer
ago than that very morning. had some
conversation with them in the afternoon, and
was glad to heal them express much satisfac
ments. They do not appear to he very COM
inuncatiye, however-or perhaps it may be
merely an external reserve like my own, 10
shield their delicacy. Several of their promi-
nent characteristics as well as their black at
tire, I'D me to believe that they are members
OF the clerical profession; but have not vel
ascertained from their own lips what has been
the nature OF their past lives l trust to have
much pleasure in then society, and sooner OF
later that we shall all olus derive great strength
from our intercourse with them l cannot
too highly applaud the readiness with which
hese tour gentlemen in black have thrown
aside all the fopperies and fummeres which
have their origin in false state OF society,"
When | saw them, they looked as heroically
regardless Of the stains and soils incident to
our profession as did when l emerged from
:he gold mine.
IS have MIXED a COW |! -. The herd
have rebeled against the usurpations OF Miss
Fullers heller, and whenever they are turned
out OF the barn she is compelled to take RET
uge under our protection. So much did she
impede my labors, by keeping close TO me, that
found il necessary TO give her two or three
gentle pats with a shovel; but still she prefer
red to trus therself to my tender mercies rather
Than venture among the horns OF the herd.
She Is not an amiabe COW; but she has very
intelligent face, and seems to be OF a reflective
cast OF Character / dodbt not that she will
soon perceive the expediency ofbeing on good
terms with the rest of the sisterhood.
have not been twenty yards from our
house aud barn; but begin to perceive that
This is beautiful place. The scenery is of a
mild and placid character, with nothing bold
IN It's aspect; but think its beauties will
grow upon us, and make us love it
The more the longer We live here. There is
brook so near the house that we shall be
able 10 hear Its ripple in the summer even
ines; but Tor agricultural purposes, it
mas been made TO flow in straight and rect
angular fashion, which does it infinite dam
age as picturesque object"