The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-31
BROOK FARM.
The Famous Utopian Colony That In
terested Many New Engianders.


The Famous Utopian Colony That In
terested Many New Englanders.
Boston Transcript.
when he went to Brook Farm in the spring
OF 1913. He went because his parents did;
e ee was Sot not and ,h
lmputation OF being what people call
crank" nowadays. He went out on.
through an undulating country, by pleas
ant farms surrounded by stone walls" The
farms that lie between here and West Rox..
bury to-day are not many and some Of
them are not. pleasant. He had to sleep.
with others, in not very CHEEKY attic;
curious boy. got up and went out to see
what sort OF world he had got into, he saw
a man in the barn who had on q tarpaulin
mixture that hung down between the tops
OF his cowhide boots. This was George
Ripley and he was taking care of the cattle.
was this leader at Brook Farm. AS the
boy looked wonderingly at Mr.. Ripley the
dS %ho sSun AND it psS sns ae
with 1t. Is interesting to the listener
to learn frCm these memoirs that there
was q dog at Brook Farm, that his name
was Carlo. and that, after the breakup of
the community, the animal pined away
suddenly and mysteriousy; that he became,
been, thin, weak and melancholy creature.
passing most Of his time under the wood
shed, and that within a year his bones were
With the second horn the people came
strolling leisurely into the farm house
dining room for breakfast. There was some
quaintness and freedom of dress-blue tunics
with black belts of leather on the men;
several of the men wore full boards, which
and flowing hair of the young ladies most
TOOK the eye or the young newcomer. Mar
garet Fpller-who, by the way. never lived
at Brook Farm, but often went thereof
5ected at first to the young ladies' practice
OF wearing their hair down, but came
TO allow i a to at ssss f
there were there in considerable number;
they used to wash the dishes In the kitchen
races in their work, and sang and frolicked.
Good times, always, among these young
people and freedom and perfect Innocence.
the Eyrie, and a great deal Of dancing.
The young people," says DR.. Goldman,
danced without expense-as we were, any
time. for five or ten minutes an hour or
an evening, and 1t never became dssi-
patton. There were never late hours. There
handsome clothes, but simply for the love
of it, Its harmony and the love of one
another's society and companionship." ut
seems to me-" he says in another place,
that there never was a more gentle, kind.
amiable, trusting, self-respecting, loving set
they grew in grace rae and educationi How HOW
fine in health and figure, from the free
life, from the grace learned in dancing.
Il,
and the mind filed every day with pleasant
thoughts and ideas l do not know any
one who was not in fine robust health.
healthy men and women" For them, then,
Brook Farm paid-a little.
II you go with DR.. Goldman to Brook
Farm you are sure to have plenty of fun,
not at the expense OF the people there.
but with them Human nature came out
they found that 1t was not really human
nature to quarrel They had several funny
people there; one of them was John Cheev-
on being practical" but he was great
Joker, and apparently as full of poetry as
ths ssnS of his eeS M b
came out in dark blue swallow tail coat
with brass buttons He professed great
it, but II any one spoke earnestly in its
favor he was persuaded By him not to
believe in such .Jesuitical nonsense and
TO the end. had such a positive way with
hem that Irish Joh hIl. nisknamed him
himself and the name stuck to him. Peter
NJ. Baldwin. called the General" was one
of the greenest men on the place. His
arms extended no little way through the
sleeves Of a common green baize jacket,
and his large feet, which were incased
in an old pair Of slippers. had descended
alls before they touched the ground. The
General was universal fayorfte on account
Of the benevolence of his disposition. If
wished for the sweets of the storeroom.
over which he presided, they had only to
coax. the General to succeed in obtain
ing their Wishes" He did the baking and
always argued as he baked.
The farm had great numbers Of visitors.
Bronson Alcott came one day with his
friend Lane. an Englishman. Lane not
only vegetarian, but would not wear wool,
because he avoided all animal products.
Neither would he wear cotton, nor
sugar or rice, because they were the prod
ucts Of slave labor Finally, he walked from
Boston in linen suit, because he would
avoid using a horse, for his argument was
that the value of time spent in providing
food, lodging and care of animals was not
returned to the owners for the outlay. Wis
itors came in shoals from Boston, attracted
by the undoubted fame of the farm they
wanted "A great deal of attention and at
one time threatened TO eat the farmers
out of house and home. But when the
varioloid epidemic broke out and for
good while afterwards, they had blessed
rest. The Brook farmers themselves never
seemed to get tired OF each other Has
any story Of wrangling at Brook Farm ever
come down to this time? There are certain
ly none I'm this book. 1t was haven of
peace. Fancy how it might have changed
the world by this time If that balance of
5000 In two years had been on the other
side Of the ledger!