The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-09-21


cherry tree, brought from Asia by Lucul-
lus. as well as the vine, and first planted
in France by the Romans, now surpasses
in her soil the world beside. The Greek
colonists, on the coasts of the Mediter-
ranean, transported the olive and the
raspberry bush. From the discovery of
the new world, France obtained the acri-
viola of Peru, the lycopersicon of Mexico,
and the potato Of V5rgimia. The humble
parsley has been brought from Sardinia,
and the cardoon from Barbary. The
orange and lemon came from China, the
apricot from Armenia, and the peach
from Persia. The gardens and the or
chards are adorned now with the pro-
ductions of Asia-the white mulberries,
the walnuts, and melons, which latter, for
mess, are Incompatible. Lastly, the Kid
ney bean. white endive, and lettuce, have
passed from the burning climate of India
to this temperate land of western Europe,
and in her gardens have reached their
finest perfection. The gardeners of
France without their equals anywhere
have, by their art, preserved the lily
of Palestine, the sunfower of Peru, the
dahlia of Mexico, the balsamine of India,
the reseda of Egypt, the angelica of Lap
land, the tuberose of Ceylon, the tulip of
Turkey, and the inodorous rauculus, the
only monument of st. Lewis pious expe-
dition into Syria. All these fruits and
flowers and vegetables, and many besides
in wondrous profusion, we beheld in our
ramble along the highway of Normandy.
N hnf Il 4
mother earth could be turned into such
paradise, or be rendered so fruitful by
the hand of man. On wall-sides, pear
trees loaded with fruit fattened them
selves, economizing the space. From
bowers OF vines the great round melons
shone. In beds Of various colors, vege-
tables grew as if no weed ever attempted
to disturb their peace of mind-while
from. inconceivable spots and corners
started beds of flowers or strange fruit
bearing trees.
The Homes of the Peasants
neat and tasteful, not so much in them
selves architecturally, but in the garden
esque touches added to them by their oc-
cupants-are grouped together rather
than scattered over the land as with us.
In the Oriental civilizations, whose his
tory the Bible relates, they farmed from
the city. Babylon was, to some degree,
but walled farm. France, in this re-
gard, betrays her eastern origin, as well
as her dread of loneliness and isolation.
And we are persuaded that the French
method of farming, from the village in
stead of the lonely farm house, is the
more human plan. In America insanity
is pre-emlnently common among the ag-
rlcultural classes. 1t is doubtless be-
cause In homes separated by wide dis
tances from any other human habitation,
the farmer and his wife are deprived too
much of the social element. It savors of
the solitary confinement. principle in
prison management, which has proved to
end so often in the same results. The
farmer is at his labor the day long. When
man and wife do come together, it is with
WEAKNESS of body and under conditions
of familiarity which prevent any sense of
social or mental excitation in each others
presence. The laborious days are lonely
to both. And the night ah can any,
thing be more solemnly silent than an
isolated farmhouse In the evening time
WAOh ILlS COWbb ISllGN6u Ulelr milk, lie
down to chew the cud Of silence, and the
chickens have gone to their :troost, and
the birds sit mute, with folded wings,
amid the motionless branches Scarce a
sound nothing but the hoot of the owl,
or the mournful note of whip poor will
in the distant forestl What marvel that
many are driven by such a lonesome,
gloomy life, to broodinp. to melancholy
to insanity The French peasant is wiser
In his generation. He lives not alone,
but with others. He leads two lives
one of labor and another of society. His
partner in life does the same. They keep
their wits FURNISHED by attrition with
their fellow creatures, and in their lone
lest and most dispirited moods can Ay
to the shelter of a human face and q
neighbor's presence.
Watching the laborers at their work,
we perceived that the most antiauated
instruments were still in vogue among
them. The ploughing was done with two
immense horses attached to the half front
of wagon, and the beam of the plough
was laid up in the most ridiculous man
ner on the axle of the vehicle. The work
was poorly done, to our thinking, and
why the ploughman did not fling away
the half wagon in despair and attach his
team directly to the plough beam. we
could not tell. Doubtless he had no
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