The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-27
For the Farmer and Mechanic.
RoII Call -

am a sociable being. and do not like
keeping house all by myself, yet here
am alone III my glory. OF all this large
household there is not one to exchange
word with. naturally wonder where
everybody is, but there is nobody to tell
me. | miss the gathering OF ourselves
together and the pleasant interchange of
thought and experience, and if the Others
liked it also why did we scatter like a
wreath of mist:
had letter lately asking me to join
another household, but | begin to think
them such unreal things that it is use
less to Join them, so ! staid outside.
Grandma. you at least might have
been here to keep me from feeling like
the sparrow that sitteth alone upon the
house top" What has become Of you? !?
Are you putting down pretty mating,
hanging filmy curtains, training dainty
vines over the windows, and in various
ways making hospitable "Bellevue'
blossom Ike the rose" for the tide of
friends who come with the summer?
Farmers wife, | have felt very
much detrauded because your charming
pen Law idle and you would not write
one word about the ''Crofters," or your
self, tho | entreated as eloquently as |
could. Are you still hard hearted:
| have been playing invalid lately and
while off duty beguild the weary hours
with books. One that [ tried to read,
but could not. was Molly Bawn" by the
Duchess" | am weary of the Ouch
ess' iuvariable style Her heroines are
so monotououslv alike that they remind
me of book that used to be the tor
ment ofmy nursery days. 1t had twelve
pages. on each one of which was the
figure OF girl but where the face should
have been was round hole. The girl
on the last leaf was blessed with a coun-
tenance and that did duty for the eleven
other unfortunate headless da'nsels.
And so with the Duchess hero
ines, except for a few minor details,
they are all alike. A pretty flower like
girl, bright and possessed of a great
many virtues but with the most elastic,
adjustable, conscience, with regard to
telling the truth, she will look al you
with true fearless eyes aud be telling the
most unmitigated story with perfect
composure! Yet the Duchess" thinks
her very lovely and attractive young
woman, and doubtless she is, except
for this very disenchanting popularity.
1t was very refreshing to turn from
the sentimentality of Molly Bawn" to
the sweet freshness of Zone Summer,
a very charming little story issued by
the publishing house of ''Haughton,
Miflin & Co.. Altho in no sense a
work of genius it is, far above the ordi-
nary everyday novel style. 1t is a pret-
ty little love story whose tone is healthy
and natural with here, and there flower,
or birdsong, a gleam of sunshine or
splash of oar, or watt of perfume so
that while lingering over its pages you,
too, are enjoying one summer.
/ am never willing to read poor book;
it is such useless waste of time and
one feels so silly while in its company,
as if you were entertaining or being en-
tertalned by an IDIOT! | look with
amazement at the people who can find
hours of entertainment III the cheap
novels that swarm Ike locusts. Once
in a while you will find one that is worth
reading, but for the most part they are
rubbish and | would almost as soon be
condemned to Mother Goose" or
Jack, the Giant Killer"
We have just invested i'll a Kerosene
Cooking Stove, and if any of the house,
hold have used one, and learned any
that would be of use to a
tyro. will she he so kind as to speak in
meeting thereof, and oblige.