Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-02-26

the house, rolling it up against the back side
of the old stone fireplace, against which
they built their fires, and before which the
cooking was done as above described: Thus
nv grandfaiher lived and raised up q small
family of children, (having but nine), for it
was in those days, as now, that some families
were blessed with but few, while others bad
abundance and | doubt not, as he descended
from a noble and generous ancestry, that his
heart was truly grateful for the few. In
provement implies much, but | doubt wheth-
er Improvement 10 those days was a trouble
to the early settlers, until the time when ne
cessity, as the mother of inventions, CON-
PEELED them to make some move in the line
of progress. As their farms became more and
more cleared, and their products more and
more abundant, together with a steady in
crease of the family. they were obliged to
build better barns n better houses; and yet
the conveniences of the same for many years
were marked with limited progress.
Imagine ourselves going back to those
days OF our forefathers, when the most of
their cattle were without shelter, even 50
much as a shed. See them, after a hard
storm, curled up beside some old barn or
haystack, on some cold morning, with lei
Giles hanging like Jewels from their sides
t. the groln1, and the thermometer 40 below
zero. Behold them, as they moderately start
from their sweet repose, kicking first the one
loot and then the other, as il to shake off
some dread intruder that had stealthily crept
in unawares, t. disturb the peace and quiet
of their nights repose. Imagine them as
they are thus moving slowly along to take
Their morning meal, singing as they go,
Home, Sweet Home, there 10 no place like
lime"
Such scenes were but common occurrences
years ago, and, in fact, have come within my
own observation since my remembrance.
And were we to behold similar scenes in this,
our day of progress, our first impression
would be that there was more humanity in
the cattle than in the men who owned them
AID cur honest conviction v ould sanction a
like expression. And yet it is a lamentable
tac5 that there are many men, even now,
whose cruelty TO animals is but slightly i'm
proved from the ancient custom alluded to
above. | make plain to say, we would do
such men, in this age of progress, great in
Justice to call them human. So we leave
them without name, to plod their way along
in their narrow m%indedoess, to become a by
word in the land, and a reproach to the race
to which they claim to belong having no
''S"S OpJONS III Q eHdH suC tiikbty Ooiidi,
1t which they have become true worshipers.
| 'ey are among those who style themselves
strict economists, ever doubling the proprie-
~ ct investment, ia the line OF 10 Improvement,
or fear they shall never get their money
buck. They are among those that are in
attendance on all the second hand auction
sales; making punches of worn out hoes,
shovels, old forks, and old scy'hes, for II l.
pta ari,no fr,pn NH oh tho stool l,Lo tho hal
+ Sleeper's stocking, is pretty much gone
alodp, thus setting hired help to using
\ rthless tools, an old scythe for instance, on
which you can put no good edge taking the
lie ont of a man to use them. besides leaving
-rass poorly cut, and taking time with an
"xtra hand to turn grindstone every two or
three hours, and is an actual damage of six
times their cost each day they are used
Grand economy this a penny wise and a
pound FOOLISH economy.
We have reason to thank Heaven that
there is a higher style of economy, aud a
greater degree of humanity yet existing ID
the better blood, or I'm other words) in the
scientific, energetic and progressive men of
our age. Strange as 1t may appear, as We
contrast the rich and the poor, the high and
low, the energetic and the sluggard, all seem
10 have one common end IN view, seeking aE-
ter happiness, but very few attaining unto
t. ever reaching forward for something to
ill up the aching void. Thus the eye, the
ear, the taste, are never satisfied; but the
more We have the more we want and as
Beccher says, holding our heads the higher,
getting proud as We get full. But as pride
Is looked upon as a great evil, yet L believe
pride, IN its proper sense. is sanctioned by
the court OF Heaven; that Is, pride enough
t. he respectable, enough to establish g. stem
and order, enough to GRITTY our own desires
for Convenience and comfort, both for man
and beast for instance, We would not be
satisfied with a house merely for shelter, bu,
We would seek to have all its apartments
justly arranged for the comfort and happi
'ess OF its inmates, and we would fnd it much
easier to build new, having every apartment
just to our liking and fancy, than to remodel
some Of the ancient styled dwellings 20
numerOusly inhabited by the great mass o.
the people, yet it is not every man that can
afford to throw aside a house in passable re-
pair, because it is ar cient in style and archi
lecture, but he may SO alter or improve witt
small expense, as to very much facilitate the
labor OF the domestic or housewife, and thu.
add much to the happiness of the home cir.
Gle.
A house should be so arranged as to max,
that most dreadful day of all the days, (Mon
day. but a sweet return of a day, wher
cleanliness shall characterize the entir,
household. 1t should be supplied with
washing machine and wriuger of the mos
improved patterns. with hard and soft watel
handy, and plenty of good soap, 50 that in
stead of singing the sad lamentatIon Of
,L Th---. ~ .aot1 ,o~lI. L.--
thump away we may hear our wives anc
daughters all joining in the chorus of thai
familiar song, Home, sweet Home, Their
is no place like home"
The cook room, which is one Of the ut
most Importance, should be one of grea
convenience, large enough to hold the -four
The meal, the rye, the graham, butter, lard
cream, salt, spices, &C., with all the utensll
necessary to perform the work of the cook
cry with the greatest ease and satisfaction
SO that Bridget need not be called from he
accustomed work to go up stairs for the fl UT
out in the back room for the meal, dow
cellar for the Ia d, out in the milk-room 70
the cream, and somewhere else for the but
ter. Every Ingredient should be directl
before the cook, each occupying its prope
place, SO that she has only to put forth he
nand and help herself to whatever she likes
Running water should be an indoor commod
i1y, saving many steps in course Of the veal
Woo lshed should be handy, we'll prptecte
from wind and snow. MIlk-room if CONVEX
lent should be attached to the house in som
col apartment, where it may have if needed
! good ventilation, and the utmost care shout
ne taken TO have pure air and perfect clear
ii ess throughout nothing should be kept j
SAID room but the milk and dairy utensils.
1t Is conceded by the best judges that mill
. is the most sensitive OF all farm product.
u aud it has been proved to a demonstrate
{ that where the air becomes impure from an
j nuisance about the building near where til
{ milk Is kept, or from any vegetable matte
{ kept in the room with the milk, it will tail
u ehe milk and impart an unpalatable flavor
;, the butter. Sucn butter not only finds a
/ unlavorab!e reception in all our marke
/ but a falling off in price from the bett,
{ inuaIfu Tho ohnuo footo -,o,or