Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-03-16
THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER.

Ia an article under tnu ncsu, tnAties
Dudley wnner. in the March HaTcr'i
lioufkly. thinks that the Pilgrims did
net come 70 New England Tor the pur-
po-s Of farming. he remark:
III Providence had intended New Eug'
land n q farming eoantry, the rocks
vouA have ben pat deep down i The
bottom ant the coll on Top. and there
woald have BEEN more fertile, lovely little
valleys, AL fewer ridges and sand bills.
The PIlgrin had another IDEA than that OF
farmlug Ills setting up q school house
A. soon ~ DC landed. Instead or phos-
phAie mill. sAoxs that On The nrst sand
hlll Islsn. be sst his foot on be held .
meeting. lie nsis . consultation before
be came sshOre, ami though be did not. as
other aiyeuiurcrs hal dcne before him.
set up a cross on the new territory, The
world very soon found that The c0nstitu.
lion had A cross In 10. l know II aAs been
sad tia, be came ~ New EoglAnd In order
- give The Indians and the Qusksrs and
TIE Bspi.sis an opportunity 20 worship
co4 according 20 his. the Pilgrims, eon-
sciroce. Bat this was slander. lie
knew DC was 90 The Lords side, and be
dl1ns want these other people interfering
Win tke Lords work. Especially be
woahot tolerate the devil coming In and
ralciur bis plantations In the form OF
witches and the like. lie IL lcsily called
superstitiOas BY an age and city given
over 20 splrltism. elairvoyance, mind
cure. 'mAisriAllIation. and other certain
ties
"If be had set up merely ~ farmer, he
would have had none OF these troaoles- III
bis idea had been fai, material prosperi'
~. I think be would have len bis bean
hills on The Plymouth heights 20 The To-
dlsns. and looked for land further south.
DO no, say that he Vas lnssnsible 10 The
nAmeless charm OF this COST In summer.
70 the fsvor OF Wild grape, The mslesy OF
The forest. 70 The bloom OF The MaynoSSr
In The spring time, and that be Was nnre-
spOnsive - the delieioasness OF the oys-
Ter and The clam am The spanish mAeksr.
81. But be had Other things IN DIS mind
when be set about s1lduine New hnS-
Land.
.It seemed 70 him that this Was An sx-
csllsnt land In which 10 set up Q govern
ment. anc organize . yirtnous society,
snd develop q theology, and 10 eulii-
ysts idsAs. gather from contemporary
documents that be set more store by eda-
cation and religion tlAn by crops OF corn
ana wheat. and that bis exports OF nsh
aDd lumber were temporary expedients
whlle he Was preparing 10 send oui and
plant elsewhere lnstitations and IDEAS.
| lie set bis meeting house On . hill The
crop be most cared for Was men and wo-
men. That IL the reason his house was
more important than his barn, In distlnc-
ton nom The msisrislistlc notion prevail
ing IN some fertile parts OF Our country,
Were the barn Is magnificent and the house
Il only an adianct Psrhsps be Was more
devoted 70 iown-meetipg than 20 plough
ing, and looking ~ what be had 70 plough
All .eslns What be accomplished In the
town-meeting. history excuses him
The wonder Il that while dragging Tie
sea and scratching The rocks 10 get the
mean. OF sustaining life. he should have
hsd so much time for the cultivation OF
ldeas. and for nursing the virtues and The
lndonltable spirit that were 70 stamp their
impress upon the coutinent- Owing 20
bis narrow means OF living. the notion got
abroad TIA, be Was psnurioas. But be
gave What be had 10 give, and when yOu
come 10 The question OF generosity, In the
Gin OF vital force, principles, Ideas, men
Who make ststes, and women who create
families. and whose beauty and modssv
are the charm OF society, think The New
England farmer vks The most liberal mAn
In The world n be bad had farm ana
been . farmer. you can ladse how the rest
OF the country would have got aiong.
Who would have given IL enterprise and
stsbilI,y. who would have made Inventions
for n, and who would have Insured IT.
Il -. 80. -
"But AZ the son Of New kngiand isrm.
sr. csnnot leave the matter here. Tor 4
remember the old farmhouse, and The wide
nre- plsce beside which used 70 slt And
hear my Grandmother tell how when sns
was little girl, and the red-eoats oeeuplea
Piymoath and Kingston, she used 70 pa'
her shoes under her pillow every nign,,
expecting that any moment sne misns
have 20 dee into The woods TO ssespe tne
British; and how she heard al Gay tne
cannonsdlng q, the battle OF Banker I'LL.
I vas IN fact present, - were AL ne New
England farmer boys OF my time h thls
battle OF Bunker Hin, and % The capture
OF Ticondsrogs. and ~ the surrsudsr OF
Bargoyne. Tnere fingered In every mrm-
house the heroic spirit come down rom
the Frsneh and Indlan vars and the Rev
olutlonary times. The British enemy wss
q reality. There In the Kitchen hang tne
Contlpsntkl nuskes and the cartfidse-oox
"This. however. was not what started
10 say. Iou may have read that 70 them
Who seek first the Kingdom Of heaven sv.
srythlnx else shall Be ADDED. This, !
nrmly believe. wAs the case OF The New
/ Enxlspd farmer. HIS fArm-hooss had Q
mighty cellar. provisloped Ike the waits