Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-06-11
agricultural.
Farm Life for the Aged.

Farm Life for the Aged.
Mr. Thomas Meeban, in the Philadelphia
Fress. writes MS follows:
'Ir il often said that farm life is hard
and it's profits small that commercial lit
is An easy one, and that it is IN tie walks %
trade and commerce that money is TO be made
Tho-e of us who have bad experience know
that this is not true; that though farm work
is hard at ceI tain seasons. it is not so hard
on the system as the constant wear Of city
and rfi;e Ii is; and although the five
chances in one hundred of getting one hun
dred thousand dollars for one thousand in
five years does not happen so often on the
farm as in the countlng-room, yet figures
show that in twenty years, OF one hundrt
farmers and one hundred merchants who
started life together, the collective worth OF
the property OF he farmers will be five tlmee
the amount of their mercantile fiends.
s'NoI can it be SAID that there has been
any great recompense IN pleasure to the cltl-
zen rs he goes along. City life IS fascinating
for awhile, but it soon pals; and 1t is very
rare Indeed to find person who has lived
few years in the city who does not pant after
a ] fe in the county, as, in the language Of
the PralmIst, the hart panteth after the
living waterg; while not in a thousand
farmers who have spent the early part o.
their lives in the country, will there be found
one who has the slightest hankering after
city life.
- Aud after all, what is wealth usually
sought Tor but that we may get compe-
rtnce?' so that in the latter end of lite VT
may take the world easy, and enjoy quietly
the glorious sun OF our existence as it gee,
down. But competence alone is not al
that is required to carry us through To,
peaceful val ey. Habits OF industry, tn
love OF doing sumethlng-if it be only lit
ties lar more necessary to the healthy OH
man than TO the one Of middle age. Their
is noihIng which conduces TO these excellent
habits like the life on the country place and
it is one of the greatest inducements to thO-t
young men who are tempted by the appar-
ent brrlIancy of a city career, to remember
that old age will in all probability reacb
them, and that laying up OF a store 0,
pleasure for that time is quite as worthy an
object as the getting together OF money for
immediate effect and show.
We have known OF many who have felt
while pursuing mercantile Fl .irs that if they
could only erloy nature in their advanced
days OF he, they would be supremely happy :;
and large numbers have tOied early and late
at their desks to get money that they In light
buy place in the country when their DAY
OF rest came. But when that time arrived
and the farm was bought, there was no tlste
lett for natural enjoyment. The want O.
cultivation will as surely destroy the mental
g'owth as it will the growth OF our fields,
and we have seen some OF these disappointed
men whose lot S melancholy indeed.
ave hope that these remarks may CO.
courage those who may be inclined TO think
farm life hard one, and that it is deprived
Of the pleasures and attractions they might
find elsewhere. Any one will tell them that
for the decline OF lie there is no place like
the country; but to get all the pleasures
from it which it is capable of giving, we
must live up and grow with it.
1--WE have bee n drawn into these remark'
by reading the report OF the recent meetin-
or reunion Of some of the original member,
OF the Massachusetts Agricultural Club. l.
might not have interested US 50 much, bu
we happened to know personally many OF the
bale, hearty old fellows who compose THE
association. We question very much whether
a miscellaneous lot OF mere city men coul,
ever be brought together OF the same age "a
must of these are, OF the strength and vigor
ply steal and Intellectually, and who EMO,
t-OId-sged liie-sO thoroughly as they do
and we know that this has been brOugh
about IN a great measure by their early an(
cuntInu GUS love OF rural life. We close b,
an extract from the proceedings, which vii
give good idea of what We mean:
a. Mr. Cheever Newhall, of Dorchester
occupied the chair at it's first meeting thirf,
Years ago. and still holds the position. O.
Thursday. the 18th, the celebration of bI
18th birthday, he invited the club, consist
- fofu or a
guests, to special social entertainment a
the Parker House. The table was spread i
PaIkt1's est style ard loaded with super
collection of rare flwers, beautiful fl bra
tribute OF affection and reg ird by the mem
beis of the club to Their hOnOred preside
a. ter a reasonable time devoted to tn
discussion of practical matters, the Hot
Marshall P. f1der made congratulator
add ess on behalf of the members OF the cut
upon the ,yous occasion which had ctlle
them tOg,thrr, abiding to the iufuenC
which the club had exerted in q lf1using Co
rect inform ,tion upon the various branche
OF agriculture and horticulture during tt
lurg period of its existence. He also trace
tie story of MIR. New halls labors from tt
time when be became one of I'll orig NAL CO
pOrat0rs oil the Massachusetts HOrtlculj uri
Soeieiy and one OF the founders of the No
folk A. ricultural Snciety, and the usetulne
OF his example and experience as a practic
farmer and cultivator OF iruits.
".CDlUnel Wilder was followed by Charl
L. Flint. the Secretary of the State Board
Agriculture, who referred to the many COZ
SO ati"Ds and satisfactions of old age, as s.
forth by Cicero IN his most fascinating tre'
tise upon that SUBJECT, written in the coul
ty. and rOruayIng the felIcitles of advance
age in SO charming a style that we were a
most persuad, to long Tor old age as Il
most enviabe portion Of human life. II
cI,iei evils OF it. lie says, as they exist in t!
minds # most men, are that it withdraws
from active pursuits; that it weakens t
organs of the body; that it takes away fro
Us The pleasures of youth, and that it lea
to pc. vIehness, com plant. and avdrlce. The
objections the great orator answers in
mastery manner, and shows that those wi
have no Internal resources of happiness FL
themselves uneasy in every stage of lie
that the loss OF strength is not to be regrette,
that dotage and imbeciity in old age a
centrally occasioned by the irregularities
youth; and that DO season of life can
passei more agreeably than the learned ],
sure of vIrtuous old age in the midst of t
pleasures aud profits of rural employment
Just the part which our friend, Mr. Newha
has so wisely chosen.