Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-01-04


The Farm Boy.
There are so many bright spots in the life
of farm boy. that / sometimes think should
like to live life over again should almost
be willing to be girl if it were not for the
chores There is n great comfort to boy in
the amount of work he can get rid of dong.
1t is sometimes astonishing how SLOW he can
go Oh an Grand he who leads the school III
race The world is new and interesting to
htm and there is so much to take his atten-
ton of, when he is sent to do anything. Per
haps he couldn't explain himself why when
he is sent to the neighbors after yeast. he
stops to stone the frogs he is not exactly
cruel, but he wants to see if he can hit EN-.
No other living thing can 60 so SLOW as boy
sent on an GRAND His legs seem to be lead
unless he happens to espy n wOodchuck in an
adjoining lot. when he gives chase to it like a
deer and it is a curious fact about boys, that
two will be a good deal slower in doing any
thing than one. and that the more You have
to help Oh piece of work. the less is accom-
plished Boys have great power of helping
each other to do nothing and they are so in
nocent about it. and unconscious. Il went
as quick as ever ] could. says the boy his
father asks him why he didn't stay all night
when he has been absent three hours on a ten
minute erTand The sarcasm has no effect on
the boy.
Going after the COWS was a serious thing in
my day l had to climb hill, which was COW
cred with wild strawberries III the season
Could any boy pass by those ripe berries
And then, in the fragrant hill pasture there
were beds of wintergreen with red berries.
tufts of columbine, roots of sassafras to be
dug. and dozens of things good to eat or to
smell, that l could not resist. 1t sometimes
even come in my way TO climb tree to look
for a crows nest, or to swing in the top. and
try if l could see the steeple of the village
church. It became very important, some
times for me TO see that steeple and III the
midst Of my investigations, the tin horn would
blow a great blast from the farmhouse. which
would send cold chill down my back in the
hottest days knew what it meant. Ii had
u frightfully impatient quaver in it, not at all
like the sweet note that called us to dinner
from the bayfield,. 1t said why on earth
doesn't that boy come home 1t is almost
dark, and the cows amt MIXED ~ And that
was the time the cows had to start into a brisk
pace and make up for lost time. l wonder if
any boy ever drove the COWS home late, who
did not say that the COWS were at the farther
end of the pasture, and that odd Brindle" was
hidden in the woods and he couldn't find her
for ever so long The brindle COW is the boys
scapegoat many time.
No other boy knows how to appreciate a
holiday as the farm-boy does and his best
ones are of a peculiar kind Going fishing is
of course one sort. The excitement of rigging
up the tackle, digging the bait, and the antici-
patton of great luck; these are pure pleasures,
enjoyed because they are rare. Boys who can
go a-tishing any time care but little for it.
Tramping all day through bush and brier,
fighting flies and mosquitoes, and branches
that tangle the line, and snags that break the
hook, and returning home late and hungry.
with wet feet and string of speckled trout
on n willow twig, and having the family crowd
out at the kitchen door TO look at EN- and
say, Pretty well done for you bub did you
catch that big one yourself this is also
pure happiness, the ika of which the boy will
never have again, not if he comes to be Sc,
lectmRn and deacon and to keep store
But the holidays | recall with delight We're
the two days III spring and fall, when We
went to the distant pasture-and i'll a neigh
boring town, maybe, to drive thither the
young cattle and colts. and to bring them
back again. 1t was a wild and rocky upland
where our great pasture was, many miles
from home the road to it running by brawl-
ing river, and up dashing brookside among
great hills. What dny's adventure it was
Ii was like a journey 10 Europe. The night
=
it, and there was no trouble about getting me
up at sunrise that morning. The breakfast
was eaten. the luncheon was packed in large
basket, with bottles of root beer and Jug of
switched. which packing | superintended with
the greatest interest and then the cattle were
to be collected for the march. and the horses
hitched up. Did l shirk any duty; Was
slow: / think not. / was willing TO run nv
legs off after the frisky steers who seemed to
have an idea they were going Oh a lark. and
frohcked about, dashing into all gates. and
through all bars except the right ones and
how cheerfully did yell at them it was a
glorious chance to ''holler," and have never
since heard any public speaker on the stump
or at II camp meeting who could make more
noise. l have often thought it fortunate that
the amount of noise in boy does not increase
in proportion to his size if it did. the world
could not contain it,
The whole day was full of excitement and
of freedom. We We're away from the farm
which to II boy is one of the best parts of
farming. We saw other farms and other peo-
pie at work. l had the pleasure of marching
along and swingingmy whip past boys whom
knew, who were picking up stones Every
turn OF the road every bend and rapid of the
river the great powders by the waysde the
watering troughs the giant pine that had
been struck by lightning, the mysterious Gov
cred bridge over the river where il was most
swift and rocky and fOamy, the chance eagle
ID the blue sky, the sense of going somewhere
why. as ! recall all these. feel that even
the Prince Imperial, as he used to dash Oh
horseback through the Bots de Boulopne.
with 80 mounted hussars Gathering at his heels.
and crowds of people cheering could not have
been as happy rs was l, boy in short Jacket
and shorter pantaloons, trudging in the dust
that day behind the steers and colts. cracking
my black-stock whip.
! wish the journey would never end but
at last. by noon. we reach the pastures and
turn in the herd and, after making the tour
of the lots 10 make sure there are no breaks
IN the fences, We take our luncheon from the
wagon and eat it under the trees by the spring.
This Is the supreme moment of the day This
Is the way TO live this is like the Swiss Fam
lily Robinson. and all the rest of my delight
tul acquaintance IN romance. Baked beans.
rye and Indian bread, (moist, remember
doughnuts and cheese, pie and root beer.
What richness You may hive 10 dine at Del
monico's or, if those Frenchmen do not eat
each other up. at Philppe's in the Rue Mon
torgueil III Paris where the dear old Thack-
cray used to eat good a dinner as anybody
but you will get there neither doughnuts. nor
pie, nor root beer, nor anything so good AZ
that luncheon at noon in the old pasture. HIGH
among the Massachusetts, hills Nor will YOU
ever. If you live 10 be the oldest boy in The
world have any holiday equal TO the one
have described. But always regretted that
l did not take along fish line, Just To throw
in" the brook We passed. l know there were
trout there. Charles Dudley WarHey.