Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-08-01

iniquities of the fathers upon the children"
etc,-a rule am glad to think docs not
prove itself substantially true in every case.
| do not believe that il my father or my
grandfather were perfect podunks, (so to
speak,) stupid, and dull of comprehension.
that IL substantially means that Of necessity
l must be so too, or, as was said to the chill
dren Of the devil, . as your fathers did SO do
ye;" that we Of necessity must follow in the
footsteps Of our fathers. believe in reforma-
ton Of the highest order not to con6ne that
reformation, however, to any one particular
theme. care not whether il be mora. or
religious devoted to the improvements Of
farm buildings, agriculture, or what not, re-
formation 10 high order of modern improve
mcnts and progress should be our motto.
find among the most eminent and learn
ed men OF the age. either from custom or
habit, all preach from some given text
adapted TO the circumstances of the occasion,
and while | make no pretensions in the art
Of sermonizing, yet | trust you will pardon
me if | quote for your consideration pas
sage that may be found recorded on the fly
leaf of common observation, F." Home Sweet
Home" The sentiment that adds SO much
TO this beautiful song, " There is no place
like home" has proved itself true in all past
generations. Not, however, that we are to
understand by any means that every home
has been, or is to be made happy whether
it be surrounded by all the conveniences and
modern improvements that art or skill may
devise, or under whatever circumstances the
home circle may be placed, for while con-
tented mind is continual feast, the very
opposite, truly, is no luxury, and adds moth
ing to the happiness Of the family. Principle,
therefore, should be the ruling element of
everyday progress and everyday life. And
in all the improvements that should be sought
after, either for the welfare and happiness
Of the indwelers of the house, or the inhabi-
tants of the stable, the highest style of archi-
lecture should not be the principal aim, for
that alone without other commodities, how
ever pleasing to the eye, would be but an
adulteration Of the sweet on which it is the
high privilege of every family to feast. Thus
the contented mind of those that inhabited
the little log hut in the forest in the early
settlement OF our country, with its matched
roof, its board chimney, its blanket partition,
lighted only by one or two small square win
dows with 6xS glass, with its mud-plastered
walls, together with the conveniences fol
performing the domestic duties of the family
baking their johnnycakes in spider befor,
the fire, roasting their potatoes in the ashes
after which to be shaken in the linen tewe
to free them from ashes and dirt, roasting
the sparerib hung by tow string, to be KEEP
gradually turning before the fire, until the
beautiful brown roast was fit for the moutt
of those for whom it was prepared all tenC
to show us That happiness unadulterated wal
chief concern and sole proprietor of the domi
Gil. And who wonders that those ancient
mothers as they sat at the small wheel spin
ming their linen for the wearing apparel o
the husband and the few little ones, tsa,
from twelve to eighteen that daily gathered
around that loving mOther,) that she SHOULD
be heard to sing the song Of Home Swee
Home" and the greater the melody, as i
was the true sentiment Of her loving heart
| remember of hearing my father tell tn
story Of the first log house that his fathe
built on the same farm where | now reside
| about the year 1895 or g, and how the
, used to fell the big naples, and cut of loI
about eight feet long and hitch the horse t,
| it, and draw it into the house rolling it Vi
! against the back side Of the old stone fire
place, against which they built their fires
. and before which the cooking was done a
: above described. Thus my grandfather live,
, and raised up small family of children, HAY
/ ing but nine) for it was in those days, as no,
that some families were blessed with but fe,
while others had abundance and dout
! not as he descended from noble and ger
I erous ancestry, that his heart was truly gratc
n iIl for the few. Improvement implies muci
but | doubt whether improvement in tho.
days was trouble to the early settlers, vi
til the time when necessity, as the mother
: inventions, compelled them to make SON
move in the line Of progress. As their farm
became more and more cleared and the
products more and more abundant, togethe
with steady increase of the family, the
were obliged to build better barns and bel
ter houses; and yet the conveniences of tn
same for many years were marked with lin
i. tied progress.
Imagine ourselves going back to thOi
o days of our iorelathers, when the most {
|. their cattle were without shelter, even /
r. much as a shed. See them after a har
v storm, curled up beside some old barn c
Il haystack, on some cold morning with icicl'
v hanging like jewels from their sides to ii
d ground, and the thermometer 400 below zero
a Behold them as they moderately start frOI
10 their sweet repOse, kicking, first the one fOc
r and then the other, as if to shake of son
I. dread intruder that had stealthily Crept
ID unawares to disturb the peace and quiet
% their nights repOse. Imagine them as the
r. are thus moving slowly along to take the
70 morning meal, singing as they 60, Hon
Is Sweet Home, there is no place like home
N Such scenes were but common occurenc
a. years ago, and, in fact, have come with
ls my own observation since my remembrance
st And were We to behold similar scenes in thi
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