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

Il is among the old maxims of business
men to keep silence when a fool is speaking
Thus in this wild presumption Of mine t
attempt to discuss the subject of farm build
ing be ore the wise a1d prudent men of our
State. | trust you Will bear with me IN m,
folly, and setle down ON this one fact, that.
WA ever | may say, dos not debar any man
from that ri sht which 'iod has endowed him
with, OF becoming wise or foolish, as ID mat
ter Ut choice, thus exercising his free agency
in the adoption OF any plan or scheme that
while | could wish that men in this enllght-
ened age might become more wise, vet, | can
but contrast the vast d farence between men
of our times, whose systematic, energetic.
great credit, and the men whose habits and
customs are but the limitations of their fore
fathers, whose aspirations were elevated bur
a tride above the lowest level of their KIM
And while We cast serious reflections o IL
the days of our foreiathers, yet it is not
without q large degree of allowance for the
circumstances by which they were surround
ed. Notwithstanding, in their day as 10
ours, we doubt not much improvement might
have been made that was not made, and a
far greater advance in arts and sciences than
was sought after. An evil of no small mag
nitude and even in this our day of modern
uo -@,ll oI~a,k IL
become hereditary. 1t Is said that like be-
gets like, and thus the fulfIment of the
Scriptures, The iniquities of the fathers
upon the children" etc.,-a rule | am glad
to think, does not prove itself substantially
true in every case. | do not believe that if
my father or my grandfather were perfect
podunks, ESQ to speak,, stupid, and dull Of
comprehension, that it substantially means
that of necessity, [ must be SO to, or, as was
said TO the children of the devil, 90 as your
fathers did so do yes that we of necessity
must follow in the footsteps of our fathers
l believe in reformation of the highest order
not TO con6ne that reformation, however, t.
any one particular theme | care not whether
it be moral or religious, devoted to the in-
provements of farm buildings, agriculture
OF what not, reformation in high order oil
mod,rn improvements and progress should
be our motto.
fnd among the most eminent and learneC
men Of the age, either from custom or habit
all preach from some givea text adapted t.
tho a n ~ tho Ooo,a.,n 81 IT. I
make no pretensions in the art of scrmoniz
ing, yet | trust you will pardon Inc if ! quot,
for your consideration. a passage that ma,
be found recorded on the fly leai of common
observation, {" Hpme Sweet Home In,
sentiment that a Ids so much TO this beautr
full song, " There is no place like home
has proved it-elf true in all past generate ms
Not, however, tat we are to understand b
any means that every home has been. TT J
be to made happy; whether it be surrounde,
by all the convenience and modern improve
ments that art or skill may devise, or uud,
whatever CT cumstances the hume circle INA
be placed, Tor while a cOntented mind is "A C n
tiDusl least, the very opposite, truly, is n
luxury, and adds nothing TO the happiness I
the family. Principle, the efore, should b
the ruling element OF every day progress an
every day lite. And 10 all the improvement
that should be sought after, either for tn
welfare and happiness of the indwellers
the house, or The inhabitants of The stable
the highest style OF architecture should n,
be the prime pal aim, Tor that alone witho,
other commodities, however, pleasing to I'll
eye, would be but an adulteratiop of tt
sweet on which it is the high privilege
every family to feast. Thus the contentc
mind OF those that inhabited the little lc
hut in the forest in the early settlement
our country, with its matched roof. Its boa,
chimney, its blanket PARTITION, lighted on
by one or two small square windows wit
6xo glass, with its mud-plastered walls, t
getber with the conveniences for performir
the domestic duties of the family, bakir
their Johnnycakes in a spider before the fir
roasting their potatoes in the ashes. aft
which to be shaken in the linen towel to fir
them from asher and dirt, roasting the spar
NIB hung by a tow string, to be kept gra
ually turning before the fire, until the beaut
Jul brown roast was fit iOr the mouth of tho
Tor whom 1t was prepared all tend to sho
rs that happiness unadulterated was chi
concern and sole proprietor of the domicil
And who wonders that those ancient motbe
as they sat at the small wheel spinning the
linen for the wearing apparel of the husbar
and the few little ones, (say from twelve
eighteen that daily gathered around that 10
ing mother), that she should be heard to sill
the song OF " Home /! Sweet Home,'' and Il
grestsr the u eIody, as 1t Was the true rem,
NELL. vi Ler i,ving Learr. l remember