Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-01-29
agricultural.
THE FARMER s SON.

TO Till the farm which had yielded oats and
potatoes for two centuries, under the bands OF
his thrifty ancestors.
The carts and ploughs were Of the rudest |
kind. such as might have been used immedi- |
ately after the curse was pronounced on the
Garth for mans sin, and be was forced to earn I.
his bread by the sweat Of his brow. Hand
work supplied, as far as possible, the place #
science in farming.
Without regard TO symmetry or order, one
strip Of land was devoted to oats, an irregular
patch to potatoes, and then a ragged piece TO
cabbages these surrounded by and intersper-
sed with heaps Of rubbish. In the rear Of all
this and around the farm, stretched vast, un-
broken m1ors, the picture Of dosolation.
And this was the place to which an ambiti-
Gus boy was to be bound for life, because his
fore-fathers had been 30 before him. He was
to drag a cart without wheels and basket on
rollers home from the harvest field with hall
starved oxen.
Young Kenneth rebeled against his lot un-
Ill he disgrAced himself as "a child Of the CO..
venant," and brought down the censure Of the
minister on him, as son that would bring
down the gray hairs Of his father with sorrow
TO the grave.
He was for while forced to walk behind
the old plough, tina, only scratched the surface
Of the earth but often, after whole morn
ing's toll, it was found that he had been all
the time rettacng the first furrow He was
then given over as Incompetent for plough
boy, and regarded but one step higher than
fule."
Next the guide farmer. "sorely ashamed Of
his shiftless lad afore his industrious neigh
bors," set him to watching the sheep, saying
H.. g.I. 49, oh. Iru in
head could keep the gentle creatures from roll
ling over the bank into the burn
But even here young Kenneth proved un-
faithful. At the close Of the fret day several
of the sheep we're found with broken limbs
and necks at the bottom Of the burn, and the
res. fioting in the winters grain, while the
boy was in a deep ravine, constructing water
mills and pumps out OF hemlook twigs, with
which to raise the water from some puddles
he had extempofized for the experiment.
At other times he would be missing alto
gether, and the sheep would have their own
way, while he lay at full length in the sand
near meal mill mile off watching the play
of the wheel in the water.
At length the worthy old farmer declared
'he could max ma thing at a O the laddie
that although he seemed as full witted as any
ither lad wi the book and the thought, still,
when it com to the practical, he was just an
idiot"
Kenneth's mother, however, could not give
up her darling for lost, and insisted "there
was in MIN that wad max a man yet"
When at last be rose in unkirklike rebel
lion against parental authority, and declared
he wonld do anything if they bid him abroad
in the world but that he would not be far
mer, the mortified father took him to a neigh
boring town and apprenticed him to a cabinet
maker who soon grew very sick of his bargain.
The boy spoiled every thing be attempted,
aud at last got the name Of "spull the wood"
(spoil the wood and be made as sad havoc
among the tools and materials as he did before
among the sheep and grain.
But his day came ut last A ship had come
in needing some little repairs, which any man
who could handle a hammer could make. SO
our poor workman was dispatched on the bus
mess. Once on board he spie1 compass, the
first he had ever seen. He leaned over it in
rspt delight for hours, and suffered the repairs
TO take care of themselves. He forgot what
he had been sent for, aud returned home with
out bis tools, and biz head full Of compasses
Provoked by his heedlessness. the honest
cabinet maker tried TO throw him back as
bad bargain on his fathers hand ; but the ole
man was too shrewd for him, and would no
take the butden back TIL forced to do so b.
the expiration Of the time mentioned in TIA
indentures.
But their abuse Of him and quarrels abou
him were scarcely heard by Kenneth. II
thought Of compasses, ships, and mechanic
in general, and he whistled at the advice
his friends and the scorn of foes.
As soon as his apprenticeship was over h
laff ka lasa ka l.nw a g..
years he was heard Of only perchanoe by som
fellow townsmen meeting him in extern
povery.
But by-and. by the world heard that " ce
tain ingenious Scotchmsn, very scientii
man, had invented a compass, which was
mark new era in navigation" 1t was
every tongue. Prince William Henry, ate
ward William the w., was at that time col
manding man-ofwar and he tried the you
Scotchman's compass. He was charmed wi
it; and the lad who trod the clay floor of /
poor matched cottage with barrel chime
was appointed compass maker to His Nj
esty," and Catherine, ozarina Of Russia, hea
of the wonderful inventor, and felt that S
must have some of the results Of his genil
and she sent him order for philosoph
apparatus for a college being cree ed in
Petersburg.
He was ready for the royal order, and "
equal to its fuhlment. Money began to pc
in upon him, and he became master of f
mouse, aud was honor ed and respected by
very men who, when boys, used to call h
"Spull wood" and al max ma bread" in SEQ
All at once his old father found out Il
''Kenney had liver been a wonderful lad. a
although he did let few worthless SHE
brAk' their necks by falling over the edge
the rayine, after them devouring the wnte
corn: who could expect genius to be look
after poor shepherds work :"
And the minister, too, remembered how
used to balance one pin on another and whit
out wee anchors during the last half OF
two hours sermon. He forgot, however,
he used to threaten TO inform upon him
home, or report him to the elders for +" mi
unsanetfed lad, and now declared that
though his conduct was certainly disorde
for lad fortunate enough TO be born in t
kirk Of Scotland, he had ma doubt that it ,
the genius cropping out OF him, instead of
tai deprayity, as he then believed.
His native town grew proud Of him,
every man in il remembssed some word or
worth repeating Of the boy who, they once
clared, "wad never earn a red herring"
There was one who had always smiled