Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-17


cap raspberries would go for ten cents per
quart, and the bulk of our straw berries for
the same. We abandoned forever the
"small fruits" item of our plan. We have
our thrifty purple canes, and our Wilson
and Jacunda beds, where, with many
back-ache and many dizzy headache,
we grow those great, rich-bearted, scarlet
and crimso berries which are chronicled
as marvels by grateful editors, berries that
one uust need slice for The table but they
are never ro sale, thank you'll
However, by cheerfuly ignoring several
Of the items mentioned by the Labor Com
mission as among the necessities Of the
ordinary family, we did, week by week,
make both ends meet. For our very own
personal needs tue little Arcadiau income
would really have suiliced; but there al
ways came up something to be purchased
which we had not made account Of; the
pound Of nails, the pane of glass, the feed
for our fowls, a horseshoe TO be set, bit Of
repair upon wagon or tools, the road tax,
the pleasant little expenses for company.
1t was, indeed, quite a close affair those
first years. Even in the carly weeks We
dismissed the idea Of smoked ham and
dainty suausage, and devoled "Pin-c cush-
ion' and "Roly-poly" TO the payment of
taxes and the discharge Of debts for hired
labor. Since, however, we corrugated the
Spartan verbs, 'To save, and "To scrimp;"
and the new year never did find us in debt.
They were good days, fail of discipline
and wisdom we would not have missed
them.
II was the busiest of all the springs; q
home has TO be begun iu so many directions
at once meadow, field, garden, orchard,
flowers and shrubbery. All, that setting of
trees with us the "arbor day" stretched
through a week, what with pear, apple,
peach ard cherry, evergreen, lilac, rose,
and locust, TO say nothing Of the vines and
canes. confess TO hours when we toiled
side by side in silence, digging those holes.
Nature is no gallant.
Our tree-selting and early gardening
well out of the way, comes corn planting.
In consideration of certain "suts' made
for his little boys, cousin John sent over
his horses, plough, and old Donald. Him
we coaxed TO sit under budding tree, and
ourselves took possession Of the horses and
what I could do; and truly, at cousin
Johns had not thought ploughing so very
terrible. But found our stony, billy field
somewhat different from his soft, level, gar
den land. To my surprise aud hers, in
stead OF walking quietly along my straight,
loamy lurrow, as had meant aud had led
her to expect, Lou beheld me pulled this
way, then that, dragged over clOds, forced
into long strides, the plough now lying mp
on its side, now leaping along the surface,
until the trained team paused in mute in
quiry.
We can plough, as 1 said, but do not
think il advisable. Dozens of farmers do
not scorn TO do something outside, and by
job of carpentering, mason-work, thresh-
ng-machiue, or the like, furnish them
selves with many comforts, otherwise un-
attainable. So trust that we are none the
less lo9ilimately farmers because by bit
of dressmaking, or rather fine sewing, we
hire our ploughing and moving and what
ever work we please.
We dragged and marked the four acles
without assistance. Then we proceeded
with another item of "that newspaper fool
cry, W ulNi htCtluills " JOuuY uO ldi uGI
can afford. We had so olten been assured
that our land wouldn't grow corn, we did
MT know but it might be so, and thought it
well to assist the soil TO the extent of our
means. With our determined aud persist
ent hoes we compJsted the guIno of the
hennery with plaster until il was fine, dry,
and inodorous. Such a task as that was!
Lon would stop and lean her forehead,
wet and red, upon her hoe handle, and ut
ter Bit OF the current but kindly neigh
borhood sarcasm.
"'Two girlsr don't you think 50, Dol
ly ?"
did think so, sometimes.
Then, with a pail in one hand, and a
wooden spoon in the other, we each went
over the field aud deposited modicum of
this home made fertilizer wherever a hill
of corn was 10 grow.
"Cultivating corn" we found TO our be-
lief to he entirely practicable, although
Pampas at first made cousin Johns instruc-
lions of no effect. Nothing could induce
him, that first season, TO cross the field at
less than his road pace, his naughty, hand
some head held aloft; and at every few
moments he would break into a trot. Az
ter experimenting with him during one
forenoon, we took him down to the stable,
and donned my long dress and went up 10
Mr.. KrOmer's. There / succeeded in lend
ing him to take Mr.. Kroner journey,
and in borrowing in return steady old Jane,
who would walk up and down the rows
with me at my own pace.
We are kept thus busy with hoe and cul-
tivator all the summer long. We spend
few daylight hours in the house and look
ON TO a snug winter indoors with zest in
describa6le. The autumn months come
on apace, bringing still harder work and
greater hurry. We cut up our corn, husk
it, build homely crib of poles, draw our
stalks and stack them, dig our potatoes,
store our vegetables, and rejoice like two
squirrels as we heap up our winter cheer
AS the long cold winter finally closes, we
look cheerfully from our windows out up
on the world. OF course some strange, abb
normal labors fall TO our lot; there are
paths to be shoveled through the snow,
Pampa. and the Maggles TO be led forth to
wafer, stables to be kept in wholesome or
der. But we do it, therefore others can.
The in door coziness rewards us for II all.
There is no enjoyment quite like that
which comes as the lot of thrift and indus
try. We have avoided all debt save that
which in due time the well fattened Po-
lands cancel. Maggie feeding through the
fall upon our golden pumpkins, enables us
to fill the winter fiour barrel, and sur
plus of potatoes purchase store of grocer
les. Eggs, week by week, supply ''items."
A days work OF picking apples "upon
shares" in the Kroner orchards has filled