Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-07-03

preaching pay day, does not haunt hi:
night hours.
think it may be true that farmers often.
er lay by something for their old age. than
do clerks, mechanics anil artisans, but il
is moro because they labor harder, OF
more hours, and practice more rigid
economy, Than for any other reason.
imagine. If the clerks family would
dress as plainly, and furnish their houses
as sparingly rs the average farmer is OBJ
liged to do, he too might usually lay by
something every year.
am here reminded of the query in q
late CultiUator, asking how u poor wo-
man can dress herself on fifty dollars a
year?' The Cuitiuator did tell tho "poor
woman" hut the advice given made il
evident to my mind that the editor of the
correspondents column wasn't a poor
woman. and the query itself proved that
the poor woman wasn't farmers
wife, as she would have solved the problem
for herself, without much assistance,
Why. | know dozens of farmers wives
who would consider themselves rich with
fifty dollars year to spend on them
selves.
The farmers wife, more especially if
her husband is dairyman. as are mos
Vermont farmers, has more care, and
more hard work, than almost any other
class, and less "pay," if one may so ex
press it, that is, less recreation, less cloth
ing, less chance to cultivate the mind. and.
Oftentimes, less appreciation of her ser.
vices.
Am | shading the picture too darklyP ]
might make it darker still and not exceed
the limits Of the truth. Yet there is q
bright side. 1t is benefcent law of ma
ture that there is no deprivation without II
corresponding compensation.
The glorious sunshine, the pure, fresh
air. the song of birds, the lovely tints and
delicate perfume of the flowers, the cool
breeze that is waited from yonder mossy
dell. tod has given freely to every dwell
er among the wills of nature. There j.
no mortgage on these things; they are just
as free TO the poorest plodder rs to The
millionaire. | love our grand old noun
tains and hills; every fibre of my being
thrills with the love of tfeir grandeur and
beauty. Though it demands the strength
of Samson. and the patience of tine man
of w. to wrest from these rocky hi(lsidrs
their hidden treasures, yet do we love
them well. Though we cannot coin their
grandeur and beauty into dollars and
cents, yet we should be 10th to give them
up, or exchange them for the fertile soil OF
the prairies, or the glitter and glare of the
city.
If we have less opportunities for attend
ing lectures, concerts, and for contact with
the giant minds of the period, than the
dwellers in the city, we have more oppor-
for communing with nature in her
grandest moods. If our houses are but
furnished, we have. for scenery all
of wo d, val mountain and sky that the
eye Can reach for our own.
Nature is not grudging of her furnish
ings; the richest tapestry cannot vie with
the moss and ferns with which our glens
are carpeled; the grandest picture ever
painted by man cannot equal the lovely
hues or the gorgeous coloring of our au-
forests. There is hardly limit to
our possessions, if we are satisfied with
what eye can command, but our pockets,
alas! are too apt 10 be empty. In conclu-
sion. must add if one wishes only for fine
clio hing, rich furniture and well furnished
liabraries, don't let him attempt farming,
unless he has capital enough to keep him,
self from debt at the beginning. Laura
BFtgtam BOycC, in american Caitiuator.