The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-10-31

I been under closer anu seNcfcF tfditiitNs
while his physical powers have been grow
| ing weaker. His inventive genius during
the last fifty years has truly sought out
''many imVeutiOns." IabOi-saVlng ma
chimes lie all about us. Much OF the hard
work that used 10 require our strength is
| done BY horse or steam power. AS farm
ers. we have too long striven to do with
physical labor what the mind would have
enabled us easily to accomplish. we
have too long been content to be hewers
Of wood and drawers of water. We have
used too much muscle and too little brains.
we must match those who would take the
| fruits of our hard earnings without Civ
ing us an equivalent, with the same knOwl-
edge that has made them our oppressOrs.
The times demand is, our own interests
demand it. and the good of community
requires it at our hands. Our farms too
require development of mind. But some
NAV ask how can we cultivate our soil and
still have time to cultivate our minds.
We cannot read and study and think and
still feed and clothe our families. Had
Elihu Burritt thought thus, when he was
working in the old blacksmith shop in
Mass. with his book pinned up on the
old forge. alternately blowing, ham,
mering and reading, that old Bay State
would not have had the honor of produc-
ing the greatest Linguist ever known, a
! man who understands and can read and
speak nearly every written language
| spoken by any nation on the globe. Had
| Henry Wilson, the 'Natick CObbler," ar
gIIed thus, he would not have perused
zoo volumes during his minority and while
he was apprentced to a shoemaker, and
| laid the foundation for his future great
ness. Had our lamented Lincoln thought
| thus, while he was alternating reading
and splitting rails our country would not
have known a second Washington. And
it was only by a judicious subdivision of
labor and study that they were able to
accomplish such wonderous achievements.
| Had all men thought thus you might have
been stirring your soil to-day as the dwell
lers on the Nile stirred theirs thousands
of wears ago, with crotched stick with
the long prong attached to the bullOcks'
horns with withes while the other scratch
ed the ground. But as the result of cul-
tivated intellect, of thought and labor
combined you are able to take your steel
or iron pillow and your improved harrow
and accomplish more towards producing
crop in one day than the Egyptian could
in whole month. How has this change
in this most useful implement been
wrought? Not by scratching the ground
sixteen hours in day with forked stick,
not by muscular labor alone, but by
thought and labor combined. The world
abOunds In improvements and inventions,
the result of thought and culture, which
directly benefit the farmer. Not only are
there now multitude of labor-saying
machines, which secure to the farmer leis-
ure, but the printing press provides him
with ample means for Improvement i'll
every direction of knowledge. During
the last half of the lith century the art
of printing was introduced into most of
the large cities of Europe. Since that
period what has not the art done forman
kind? 1t has not only enabled man to
know himself. but it has enabled him to
know the world. 1t has raised him from
a state of Barbaric ignorance and super
stition to civilization and refinement. 1t
has not only bluntcd the edge Of persecu-
| tious sword, but it has struck that sword
| from the hand of the prosecutor. 1t has
gone forth like an angel scattering bless
ings in its path, solacing the wounded
mind, silently pointing ont the truths of
Revelation and the triumphs of ilnmor-
| tttiVg ~ iit'o hthN h'i'N ''itHii anu
hide her head for very shame, while it
has unlocked the storehouse acknowledge
and bid us enter its secret chambers and
lay hold on its priceless treasures. 1t
has unncrVcd the arm of the tyrant and
weakened the hand of the oppressor. The
despOt quails and covers beneath its in
tluence, while monarchs tremble upon
their tottering thrones. Ithas awakened
liberty from its long slumbers and sent it
abroad over the land on its high and holy
mission. 1t has struck the chains from
the limbs Of the slave and enabled him to
become the peer of his master, while it
has driven the accursed institution from
the face of our fair domain to find only a
temporary resting place in few dark and
benighted corners of the earth. ere it draw
around itself its dark winding sheet and
totters into an oblivious grave. 1t has
carried light and joy to the dark and be-
nighted heather and made the wilderness
blossom even as the rose. 1t has cast
down idols, and raised up the cross. 1t
has cast out darkness and filled the soul
with a knowledge of the Saviour. Its
blessings, for long period, were known
and enjoyed by the so called higher class
es in society to far greater extent than
they were by the laboring class; but fol-
the last century, perhaps no class in oul
country has been benefited by it more
than has the labOring man. Through its
influence school houses have sprung ur
all over our land, almost as by the hanC
of magic. And through their means
knowledge has been carried even into the
humblest howell, and love for reading
and study has been engendered in the
hearts of the common people, which il
fast showing itselfm the improved condi
ton of the masses. Labor is no Longer
the dull monotonous task that it once
was. The mind is no longer bound dow
3 in stupid inactivity, but while the hand /.
performing its task, the mind can reyel in
paradise of enlightened thought. How
beautiful then is the blending of labo
and thought! How harmoniouslv the,
walk hand in hand, side by side. Labo
giving vital force and activity to thought
and thought in its turn lending to labo
} that peculiar charm that robs it of half it
, burden. Tell me not then that q man
though farmer, should deprive himsel
of study and thought and intellectual cul
ture and spend his whole time in physica
labor. tell you brother Changers ant
: farmers such a course is simply suicidal
Its Pursuance has deprived many farme
of the highest pleasures and brought OF
premature old age accompanied by pain
and aches and decrepitude, which max
life itself almost burden, and that too
I at time when he should be permitted t,
, sit peacefully beneath his own vine am
fig tree and enjoy the fruits of q life o
honest toll. Such a course has been tn
means of making our stalwart young mel
leave the old homestead where, nough
/ but toll stared them in the face, and fol
, low the march of empire in its WESTWARD
course or crowd with the throngs into on
cities. In my honest opinion, no on
: cause has been so active in depicting th