Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-05
For the vermont FARMER.
Recollections of Farm Life.
WRITTEN BY BOY FOURTEEN YEARS OLD.


Naturally, the first impulse Of the boy
newly dOmiciled in the country is to inspect
the barns and their contents. The house is
but the necessary accompaniment of the
barns, to him, sort Of resort at night, or
when there is a vacancy Of the stomach,
therefore vacancy In all manner of delight
ful amusements, save that Of eating. Indeed,
believe that there is sort of universal
liking for the barn iu every boys heart, more
or less developed according to circumstances.
l might state several reasons which make
this seem not at all singular. Firstly: 1t
is the boys natural store-house. Seeing that
his treasures generally consist of such things
as would be entirely out Of place in the
house, viz domestic and wild animals OF
various descriptions, dangerous looking tools,
and weapons Of the chase, etc. Is it any
thing to be wondered at, that the boy should
wish to be among his possessions ?
Secondly The real boy has great dread
Of getting too much mixed up with domestic
Affairs, and the females, whose dominion he
is ashamed to invade. So strong was this
feeling in myself that l have been known to
cit for hours out on the steps, listening to the
female super6ciality within, but scorning to
enter the place where was not to be found
one Of my own sex
Thirdly: There is wonderful suscepti-
bility Of the beauty Of vastness, complicated
and mysterious, as felt by the boy who has
had laid open to his research the hidden ex-
tents Of a range Of old-iashioned barns. True
1t is that outside in the fields there is height,
and length, and breadth, a million times
more extensive than is to be found in that
homely and weather-worn building, yet it is
too open and revealed to have any charm to
him. 1t is far more delightful to range
over few square rods Of condensed space,
having all its wonders Of reaching, without
its uniuterestiug stretch between, than to
look forward and see-uAlimited space, and
to look upward and see-emptiness of space
Now tho barn, when rightly constructed,
is large and full of hidden retreats. 1t is
high, and yet its whole inside is, as it were,
ribbed with substantial looking beams, which
invite the bold climber; or difficult scatfolds,
upon which lie treasures Of hens eggs, and
behind which the swallows nests cling to
the joints iu the framework.
Thus you see that the boys love Of ex-
ploriug mysterious and hidden things of any
kind, may bo perfectly gratifed on the farm.
Where | spent my happy days on a farm
there was a perfect village of barns, and
nearly all of them were connected. What a
pleasant undertaking (but what dusty and
begrimiDg) it was to traverse tho whole
length of that vast and irASgular line Of
buildings To crawl through dubious and
dark holes from one TO the other, aud, at
times to take mighty leap from an over.
hanging beam to the soft hay below, or to
ascend to the necessary level by means of an
upright, notched supporter of the crOssbeams
Then what crowning act to climb on to
the sloping roof of the last barn, through a
little opening, just below the caves, and sit
there IN the cool upper air, watching the
tired teams and labOrers progress Indifferent
ly to and from the field. Occasionally, a
shout would tell me that was recognized
but for the most time, the stiffness was al
most oppressive to my halE.awed heart.
That perch was grand place for eating
apples. The orchard being just below,
would there proceed, 6ll my pockets witt
the fruit, and then make my cautious wa
to the roof. l do not know why it shOul'
be so, but it seemed as though the apple
had an additional deliciousness, up there il
the keen breeze.
And what a magniGcent view there wa
from that height!
Perhaps some Of you have never had tn
} opportunity to :" set up" in some secludec
barn chamber, mcnagerie of such small
! wild animals as it is in your power to cap
ture. To such would here take the liber
ty to say, that yOu have not tasted one @
tho dessert pleasures of youths play-life. A
boy is naturally near akin to animals. II
: has little thought, save of those movement
! of the body which will bring about the mos
4. cOpious flow of physical spirits, and his clum
~ attempts at invention, or device Of an
. kind, show that his mental qualifications ar
8 still subordinate to his bodily. To sucl