Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-22
elt u8 For the vERHoNr FARNER.
The Farmers Autumn.

EVt tho NhhAoNA hANAAp"
The Farmers Autumn.
The days have come which Bryant, many
years ago, named 1.-The saddest Of the year."
though I never could understand how Octo-
Der could be called sad. To be sure, the
grass has lost its vivid green, aud the wind
means about the corners and rattles the
kitchen easement, and the dry leaves whirl
in eddies about the walks; but what does 1t
matter? The barns are filed with hay, from
these brown meadows, the moaning wind rustles
among the corn stocks which stand 10 ranks
among the golden pumpkins, and the falling
leaves disclose treasures OF nuts 10 the forest
and fruit in tho orchard, which shall make
short work Of the long winter evenings which
are coming. Now is the time for the chill.
dren to make excursions to the woods with
bags for nuts and baskets for the gorgeous
colored leaves which shall make the house
gay at Christmas tide.
The garrett will be stored with butter-nuts
and hickory nuts aud beeeh.nuts aud perhaps
choice bag Of hazel-nuts, while all the UNI
used ledgers and day-bOOks and super.annu.
ated cook-books and patent Office reports
will bristle with leaf stems as the precious
beauties dry themselves between the yellow
leaves
The farmer is busy with the harvest the
corn fodder is carefully stored away for the
winter mich cows the great barn floor Is
crowded with corn, and every spare moment
is devoted TO husking; sometimes in the
moOn-lit evenings the whole family will
gather around the suspended lantern, with
pumpkins for seats not only father and the
boys, but mother and the girls, willall help;
and the pile Of corn will grow higher and,
the old barn will ring with children's pleas
ant voices and uproarious laughter, till the
staid COWS will clash their horns in disap-
proval, and Kirby and Kitty will whinny
from their stalls.
Then comes the apple picking. A dozen
little hands are to be mittened, a half.dozen
heads to be hooded or capped; little calico
bound blankets are pinned around the girls
shoulders; the boys button their rounda-
bouts oil bundle into the old farm wagon,
a laughing, screaming, rolickiug set; father
sits on an upturned bushel basket with three
years old in his arms, Jamie cracks the whip
and starts the horses with jerk which tum-
bles the chidrea all on the bottom Of the
wagon. Nero barks an accompaniment and
they are of for the orchard.
What fun it is to dodge the shower Of
fruit as the boys shake the trees. perched in
the tallest branches Fuller and fuller grows
the wagon box, piled up by busy, tireless,
little fingers redder and redder grow the
blooming cheeks as the blood dances through
the veins, quickened by the bracing October
air and at last the horses heads are turned
homeward and the happy children straggle
after them. Half-a-dozen little red hands
grasp the door.knob, half.a.dozen shrill child
voices, pitched to the highest notes OF joy,
shout for mother; all talk at 4 time, each
eager to pour into her dear ear the wonder
full exploits Of the afternoon; how Nero
picked up apples but would not put them in
the basket how jamie drove the horses as
good as papa how Nelly undertook to ride
home in q basket on the load and was only
saved from falling by fathers watching eye
and ready hand. Grandmother's knitting
glides to the depth Of her capacious pocket !;
her fingers are busy uBpinning blankets and
untying hoods; little three years old mounts
TO his throne upon her knee, aud, while she
chafes the chilled fingers and warns the
little tired feet, he pours into her sympa-
thetic ear the wonderful prattle so dear to
her grandmotherly heart. The mother
spreads the supper table-plles of juicy
baked apples, good brown-bread, pitchers of
rich milk-and while her hands were busy
administering to the endless wants OF the
brood which clusters round her, her heart
swells with thAnkfulness for the many bless
ings which crown farmers life. Then
father comes in from the stable, where his
horses are munehing their oats, and calling
his family around the board, smiles as he
notes tho flashing eyes, rosy cheeks and ami
mated voices OF the little ones. and the quie
happiness 10 his wiis's faces aud would
hardly exchange calling with the most
favored sou of fortune whose feet never brush
the dew from the greensward, and whose
lungs are never filled With the pure noun
tain air.
All! we'll; It is pleasant picture. 1t
seems pity to turn the reverse but apples
are sometimes wormy and very scarce the
cattle get tired of the clOse-ied pasture aud
break into the meadows before the corn is
secured, potato digging makes the back ache
and the fingers sore, the cruel dogs some
times kill choice eve ora pet lamb, the
chill winds which tell of the coming winter
fnd the house-mother unprepared to protect
the dear ones from the cold. There are piles
Of clothing 10 be made aud re-made. thou.
sands Of stitches for which she has neither
time nor strength shc is tired and fretted
with the many calls she must answer-the
many ways she must turn the children are
cross aud quarrelSome; they get colds and
require an unlimited amount Of pockethand-
kerchiefs; grandmother gets the rheumatism
and cannot move without the mothers help.
o, there are 80 many things to tarnish our
fair pioture--tO dash LIES brimming CUP
with sorrow.
Aud alas Tor those whose sous and whose
daughters sleep where the grass is unknown
among the billOwy hillOeks between which
the rustling leaves are huddled, waiting
their decay. Their home Is silent no sweet
chid-music rings through its rooms no
playthiDgs lilo about the floor no muddy
boots stand in the corner no little water.
proofs or suD.hatS fill the empty chairs. But