Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-27
reported for the Herald
How Shall We Employ Our Winter
Evenings? RI

The Brandon Farmers and Mechanics
club on Friday evening discussed the
subject, 6 How shall we profitabiy EN-
ploy our winter evenings 2" MIR. John
Sherman opened by saying that our :oc-
| equations must for the greater part de-
ternine the mode of spending our win
| ter evenings. We should study in the
evening what we are to practice by day.
The farmer must read up and make him
self intelligent in his calling. He should
read some able agricultural paper, and
the more OF Chemistry, Botany, and
Geology and other natural sciences. the
better farmer he may be. He would
also have the farmer spend a certain
part of his, evenings in general read
ing. He. should read something of his
tory, especially that Of our own country,
and also become familiar with some of
the best English and American authors,
such as Addison, Sir Walter Scott, En-
erson, o. w. Holmes, and j. r. Lowell.
BY such a course of reading, and regular
attendance. on the meetings of the Farm
ers Club, the young man might find his
evenings profitably occupied. &. ~.
. Mr.. II. @. Copeland said the winter
evenings, and indeed all of our leisure,
should be spent in improving our minds
and fitting ourselves for usefulness We
should always haye.a book at hand, that
we may read every spare moment. No
class of men have SO much leisure as the
farmers, and too many of them spend it
uselessly, They should first study the 4
theory and practice OF husbandry, and
learn how to make two blades, of grass
grow where but one grew before. He
thought the best place to spend Friday
evenings was at the Farmers Club.
Mr.. DurkeeI said that the mechanic !
should study the scientific principles
which lie at the foundation of his BUSH /
ness. He should make drawing a study, /
and be able to. construct a model from a /
drawing. 81 10. t.S Isl Il
:, Mr.. A. b.. Case spoke of what we
should not do on our winter evenings. 4
We should not spend them at tayerns or 1
on the street. or in the billiard saloon, or i
in lOafing about stores and talking scan /
dial, or ia reading the light and PERM. i
cious yellow covered literature of the !
day .s- 4; Z ~. ; : /
. Mr.. II. Barnes did not approve of.
farmers going to the village three or
four times a week.. and fooIing away
their time in stores or on sidewalks !; !
neither cid he believe we. ought to be 4
expected to go to meeting three or -four
evenings IN a week, God, having set |
apart the seventh. part of our, time for
worship. q I. =. "a, ~.
K Col. Merritt said man was created to 4
rest during the darkness. Tallow cam /
dies, kerosene and gas light were inyen- 4
tions of man, instigated by the devil, 1
designed to spoil our eyes,. wear. out our 1
brains, and demGralize our physical sys-
tenn generally. God made the sunlight, i
and we should use it, and spend the 4
darkness In rest and thought. : It'll not !
the amount he reads. but the amount he 4
thinks thai. makes the man.. : ..i
Judge June said we should not spend I
our evenings on sidewalks OF. Ia stores
talking scandal, WHOSE tongue is set on
fire of hell" In addition to reading it !