The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-09
The Amy Case.

The Amy case brings out clearly
some of the dangers that Turk in the
social democracy of rural New England,
where the hired man often asso-
ciates with the family as an equal and
companion in virtue of his Office. There
are hired men and hired men. Many,
the vast majority who fill this Office on
New England farms, are worthy of con-
fidence and trust. These men are really
young farmers who intend to farm for
themselves some day, and are passing
through higher api renticeship to their
calling. They would resent at once
being called servants, for they regard
their position as an flee that entities
them to the same measure of equality
that banker would accord to bis con.
fidential clerk. Such men are survivals
of the old New England system, and
should be cherished, for there is little
danger that they will abuse a freedom
that reflects the esteem they have Justly
won as a class. Any one who has been
an observer of life in rural New Eng-
land must have noted that the farmer
crnsults The one of his help who is
the hired man." much as the merchant
takes the advice of the bOokke eper or
buyer who has been with him for years.
To see the thrifty New England farmer
aud his "hired man " together of an
evening, is to see two men who realiZ
fully their relations as emp oyer and
employe, without forgetting The merits
of each other, or their manhood. The
farmer sits at the barn door of pleas
ant evening, and discusses crops aud
farm matters with " The hired man " as
one from whom he can learn something.
The discussion often brings out a dit
ference of opinion that is sharply argued
on both sides, as between two men who
know their business, and have a com.
mon zeal for its success. The family
gather round, and throw in a word now
and then, sometime for " father and
sometimes for jerry" or Mr.
Blank, for the hired man is not infre-
quenty stickler for his personal dig
nifty, as one who may and probably will
some day be an employer himself. Per-
haps at that very time he may be court
ing schoolmistress, for the commu.
nifty regard him as "a likely young
man." who is sure to be some time a
leading citizen, who will throw the
weight of many weli-tilled acres in the
deliberations of the town meeting. To
no one is he servant, nor will be if
the popular estimate Of him proves mis-
taken, and he passes all his life as a
"hired man" The survival of this
class, and Of the respect accorded to it.,
has given to individuals very different,
but filling the position, a measure of
familiarity abused by such wretches as
"Almy." Wandering fellows, vaga-
bonds in disposition, have drifted into
the place and taken the privileges in
tended for the old type of hired men.
Farm help is changing more rapidly
than the farmers themselves. Farmers
families are more apt to contain men,
bers like Christie Warden than farmers
are to have in their employ men of the
old stamp we have alluded to as having
by their character and capacity justified
the social democracy of New England
farm life. On the tragedy itself we do
Lot care to dwell further than to re-
mark that the noble victim might have
been saved by the exercise OF little
social vigilance. She, like many other
pure minded girls, believed she could
turn a hardened sinner from his evil
ways to good life. The experiment
often succeeds, but it is always attended
with danger, against which she does not
appear to have been guarded, aud of
which she must have been, from the
very necessity of her high nature, her
generous aims and serious purposes in
life, totally unconscious.-BoSt0a Tran
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