Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-08
THEN AND VOW. a GRANGER's IDYL.


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HEN AND NOW. a GRANGER's IDYL.
item By Laura Brigham Royce, aud read at h'
irange 4nniUsrsary in Wait.feid, Dec. 4, 1874.
In days Of old, from Chaos sprung
This grew old world, then fresh and now
As Time himself who then was young
And every shrub and flower that grew
Shed fragrance on the cooling broeze,
That played through Edeu's sylvan shade
The birds sang in the fruitful trees,
And all was good that God had made.
A lovely garden wide and fair,
Ungathered all its luscious spoil
All things for man grew richly there,
But none to till the generous soil.
Unplucked the fruit hung on the bough,
Ungarnered stood the waving grain;
God said "behold tits good and now
Man I'll create to till the plain"
So Adam was our husbandman-
Man first, but soon an husband, he
Most surely was-deny who can
The first "Patron Of efHusbandry."
In Gods own image was he made,
by Him ordained to till the soil
Then can such labor now degrade
Our minds or hearts, o sons of toll
professions then were not in vogue;
No lawyers did the land despoil,
They hired no rogue to catch a rogue,
And thus escaped full many broil.
Yet sometimes have had tho thought,
The serpent from a lawyer sprung,
(See Darwn)-so our woe was wrought
He surely had idpyeT'S tongue.
No doctors peddled out their pills
And nostrums to our Mother Eve,
So Adam had no DOCTORS bills
To pay, for which he could not grieye.
No middlemsa were there, they say,
To gobble Father Adams gains
lie had no grocer's bills to pay,
And Mother Eve neer racked her brains
Over tho last now fashion plato,
To find the style the most becoming
The milliner she did not rate
Because her spring hat was not stunning"
For she was fashioned all so fair,
SO gifted with all queeuly graces,
She had no need to buy "back halr''-
Or deck herself with silks and laces.
When, by the serpents subtle lore,
They found of clothes they stood in need,
They did not rush of to the store,
But manu- featured some with speed.
All, times have changed since Mother EVe,-
Progression is the song now sung,
Though oft we hear old people gricvo
For the "good old times when they were young
Adams descendants now have grown
So wise, here in these latter ages,
You'd think the world had never known,
Since time was young, such race Of sages.
They tell US how the world was made
In centuries, not by Gods one act
They cast poor Moses in the shade,
by the theories that they give for fact;
They tell us man was never made
(And prove 1t to their satisiaction)
From dust, as holy writ hath said,
But by some law ofstrange attraction.
Some molecule rose slowly up,
From age to age he kept progressing,
Till he became likely pup,
Then next an ape, you're surely guessing.
The next age turned him out man,
With brain and soul, as now We see;
Surely these sages scarcely can
Boast of their noble pedigree.
We will admit we've sometimes seen
A man, or one who bore his shape,
Who seemed as If he might have been
Descended from a cur or ape.
And II tits true. as wise men say,
cannot see a thing to hinder
Our race progressing back some day,
Till apes still lower life engender.
Such theory I accept not here,
own no kin with apo or eur,
/ hold my birthright all too dear,
And claim God as my ancestor.
Thus other theories rs wild
Arc held by this wild generations
Each rich man looks TO see his child
Filling some high and lofty stations
doctor, with high sounding name,
Or else lawyer ofrepute,
Who gains most surprising famo,
Pleading some guilty ruiIians suit.
Or ifhe lacks ready tongue
But's sharp enough TO make trade,
A merchant he becomes while young
And strong, retres, his fortune made.
They look ON those who TIL the soil
As far beneath their rank and stations
They would not by such wearled toll
SOL fingers, or their reputation.
Yet, just before election time
They'll shake hands with the sun burned fRrmC
Tell him his crops are looking fine,
His wife and daughter tOO-the oharmer.
The farmers served them long and we'll,
And followed at thoir beck and nod,
Now, they propose to wait spell,
TIL they are counted moro than clod,
They purpose now, these yerdant Olives,
To show the willy politician
That henoelorth they shall help fhsmssiuss
Instead Of him, to gain position.
The fact Is plain enough to-day
Although to some 1t seems surprising,
Oppressive power has lost It's sway,
And there has been grand uprising
Oftoillng masses who must gain
Their daily bread by honest labor,
Unshackled now they stand, and fain
Would help to rise struggling nelghbor'
Patrons, our work Is noble, grand,
To rescue from ali degradation
Our calling, which at last shall stand
Highest and first, as at creation,
And while our fields We cultivate
Wen cultivate our minds AS WE'LL
A crop ofbnins we've found OF late,
tpays to raise II not to sell.
Then lot our aims be pure and high,
As stars that brightly shine above usj
Excelsior is the Patrons cryi
wen climb the heights with those who love US
And as zach silent year goes by
Wen spend this day In sweet communion
To mark this anniversary,
AnA f,a.s "a QnI a. - l.. .,.t..