The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-04-23

Some Of the most postical ideas are
founded on the old-fashioned usages
and implements that are now obsolete.
Tale, for instance, fence as an illus
tration. There is something beautiful
about an old stone wall, even ii in a
sad state of preservation. To it wild
flowers cling lovingly, and MOSES ten
DERBY cover all evidences of neglect.
Then there is the old rail fence, mod
eled after the capital style of archi-
lecture, when wood was cheap and land
plenty. 1t is a waste of both, but who
ever thought of that fact when he saw
couple of squirrels engaged in go
as-you-please race over its labyrilthine
track? And who ever saw q squirrel on
barb-wire fence? Young people sing
about sitting on the stile, but never a
word about the barb-wire fence. In
fact, nothing even roosts upon it but
gigantic monopoly, unless, perhaps, q
mortgage. There is one other fence L
like-a hedge, and there are not half
enough of this kind. The stump fence,
made by piling up lot of old stumps,
heller SHELTER, looks too much like col
Lotions that are sometimes seen in den
tai Offices to invite admiration.
The scythe is still used by small
farmers, and to some extent by others,
to grub around fence corners and NOW
thistles from the roadside, but its old
fashioned glory has departed. Death
is appropriately represented with an
hour-glass and scythe, but how would
he look perched upon gathering now
ing-machine and sporting stem-wind-
ing stop watch? There is poetry in the
motion and music in the sound of a
fail, but who can find anything to adj
mire in steam thrasher? No wonder
we old fellows mourn the decadence Of
everything that was familiar when we
were young. True, the grain waves as
gracefully as ever, but the hum of the
reaper's song is hushed, or drowned in
the rattle of machinery.
There is charm in an old-fashioned
fre-place-the bigger the better
which all acknowledge. If the kitchen
is festooned with strings of gayly paint.
ed red peppers, so much the better.
An upholstered garnet, where one may
rummage among old "trumpery' and
fish out the playthings of childhood,
or listen to the rain on the roof is a
luxury to one who can appreciate it,
and the song of the teakettle, espe-
cially if it is our teakettle, is soothing
house if it is painted an ugly red-they
paint whole towns red now, l believe
nor to the old sharp-peaked barn, with
its caves almost touching the ground,
and Familiarity known as lightning
splitter" Can any youngster tell me
where bread can be procured to equal
the delicious "rye and Ingin" that
baked all night in the big Dutch oven ,
In the old time we had the old mill
wheel, now it is steam and the patent
process; then it was the rustic well
sweep and the old oaken bucket, now
we have drive we'll and a lawsuit.
Why, there have been more songs
sung about spinning wheels, matched
written about all the new inventions
under the sun. Think of the corn
huskings, the singing schools, the barn
raisings, the log rollings, the sleigh
rides, the sugar making, the apple cuts,
the turkey shoots, and-the girls OF
long ago. In their place we have the
church sociable and its nutritious
soup, which neither cheers nor inebri-
ates, but yet is superior to the thinner
jokes concerning it, and which would
hardly do credit to modern Congress-
man.
The ringing of the blacksmith's anvil
is musical, but the crunching of trip
hammer will never he utilized In q
peace jubilee. And the music Of old
After jabbering and screeching in some
foreign tongue, the prima donna is en-
Enthusiastically encored, because the au-
dience know she will fespond by sing
ing some bonnie Scotch song. Why,
there is as much difference In the mu-
sic as between ship under full sail
and q steamer putting black smoke and
coughing like heavey horse. But
many are again approaching the old
time beauties, and andilons, old clocks,
old tableware, tally no coaches, canoes,
buckboards and sailing yachts are illus
trations of the fact.
There is one old legal holiday in which
could never find anything to admire
-"hog killin';" and the hogs don't
seem to like it any more than q minis
ter does donation party. And right
here let me admit that the improve
ments are improvements; but Ipropose
TO exercise my right of grumbling. new
ertheless, and some young men who
criticise me now will subject themselves
to like criticism forty years hence.
Forty years ago, when the fishing
was good and there was game in plenty,
one could live much faster, according to
my way of thinking. and yet more mod
erately, than now; and though our
tackle was rude and our guns were not
susceptible of rapid msnipulations, we
were not obliged to wear out our shoes
in order to fill our game bags. In the
language of Artemus Ward, "this was
said sarcastic" My old gun is in bet
ter condition than / am, in more
ways than one. 1t talks less but il
says more, and may outlast me on that
account. Forrest. Forge and Farm.