St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-02-16

A ST. Johnsbury Lady Writes of Connecti-
cut Valley Farm a Generation Ago.
A prominent st. Johnsbury lady writes
the CALIFORNIAN as follows:
Speaking of farms and abandoned
farms, may 1 tell what 1 know of farm
life almost 20 years ago? The farm was
one of the finest in Vermont; one of the
beautiful meadows on the Connecticut
river with a large acreage of hill-land.
At that time it supported>a population
of 20 or 25 people, "a conservative esti-
mate, | think). The farmer himself had
raised and was raising family of
twelve. Tenants on the place, employed
as workmen, had stable families. There
was place for an aged woman who did
much of the family knitting, to say moth
ing of kitchen help and orphaned grand
children, who found there a place to
learn useful work and time for play, for
romps over the hills and fields, for walks
to and from the pastures with the
patient herd OF 40 cows for boating in
the clumsy canoe on the smooth river,
for cracking butternuts, popping corn,
hunting eggs, jumping from the high
beams to the hay and other amuse
| ments, wholesome if not elegant. This
small colony of folks had little time to be
lonesome or gloomy, though l know
that the quiet twilight stiffness. with the
sweet songs of birds as they warbled
good night lullabys gave a child a
thoughtfulness that was perhaps, an ed
| ucation. In winter the four miles be-
tween them and singing schools and
other sociabilities was a short run for
| Snip and Donkey, and the Sunday drive
| to church was blessing to the elders
| and a JOY to the children. Who called
| Sunday a forlorn day in such Puritan
times?
Nor was the farm a bad investment,
nor was it in any dilapidated condition
when it's owner passed it into the hands
of his sons. The slow gains of years
| were sure and the fine brick house upon
| it stands as firm on its granite fOunda-
| ton today as it did when the dignifed
| old Judge reared it's walls. He was a
rare man in his day. leading the ranks of
| the temperance army and refusing to
| furnish the strong drinks for "raisings"
or other occasions, which were thought
| to be essential. So the builders deter
mined that there should be liquor some
where about the place and hid bottle
| of the genuine stuff" in the walls. [
imagine it is there today, but hope no
| person with burning thirst will try to
| investigate. The house stands. Alasi
for the pleasant gardens, the climbing
vines, the poisoning fruit tress. the
| SW al L11luS DCCS anu OlAC1 uS "a Lila MY
/ life THAI surrounded it.
| The writer went to the place some ten
years ago to find in the farthest corner
of the cheese room young girl of per-
| haps fourteen years. The farmer himself
| came in, who with the help of machinery
did all the farm work that was be-
| ing done at that time. How much have
machines done to make farmers and
their small families a lonely company?
Have they helped to multiply the num-
| Der of abandoned farms," or is the will
of God that the finest of our young far
mers should be seized with an unrest
that drives them to the great some
where else?" 1 should like to have seen
Vermont a beautifully cultivated, gar
den-like place first, and then, the over
plus of population might have helped in
opening up the great heritage of the far
and near West. which perhaps would
have patiently waited their coming.
Eli fares the land to fastening ills prey
Where lands increase and men decay