Was mine a happiness too pure for erring man to know? Or why did Heaven so soon destroy my paradise below? Enchanting as the vision was, it sunk away as soon As when, in quick and cold eclipse, the sun grows dark at noon. I loved thee, and my heart was blessed; but, ere that day was spent, I saw thy light and graceful form in drooping illness bent; And shuddered as I cast a look upon thy fainting head; The mournful cloud was gathering there, and life was almost fled Days passed; and soon the seal of death made known that hope was vain ; I knew the swiftly-wasting lamp would never burn again; The cheek was pale; the snowy lips were gently thrown apart; And life, in every passing breath, seemed gushing from the heart. I knew those marble lips to mine should never more be pressed, And floods of feeling, undefined, rolled wildly o'er my breast; Low, stifled sounds, and dusky forms, seemed moving in the gloom, As if Death's dark array were come to bear thee to the tomb. And when I could not keep the tear from gathering in my eye, Thy little hand pressed gently mine in token of reply; To ask one more exchange of love, thy look was upward cast, And in that long and burning kiss thy happy spirit passed. I never trusted to have lived to bid farewell to thee, I hoped that thou within the grave my weary head shouldst lay, And live beloved, when I was gone, for many a happy day. With trembling hand I vainly tried thy dying eyes to close; And almost envied, in that hour, thy calm and deep repose; For I was left in loneliness, with pain and grief oppressed, And thou wast with the sainted, where the weary are at rest. Yes, I am sad and weary now; but let me not repine Because a spirit, loved so well, is earlier blessed than mine; My fate may darken as it will, I shall not much deplore, Since thou art where the ills of life can never reach thee more. LESSON LXXXIII. Duties of a Farmer.-GEORGE B. EMERSON. THE pursuit which occupies the greatest number of persons, in a civilized state, and which is essential to the subsistence of men in a social community, is the cultivation of the earth, or agriculture. This includes the raising of all kinds of vegetables for the food of man and other creatures that depend on him; the rearing of cattle, horses, and other domestic animals; the management of the dairy; the preparation of fruits and their juices, such as the making of cider; the planting and preservation of fruit and forest trees, and whatever else is necessary to the bringing to perfection the productions of the earth. It is commonly supposed, that very little information is necessary to enable a man to conduct the business of a farm. But to be an intelligent and successful husbandman, requires no trifling acquisitions. He must understand the nature and management of soils. Without this knowledge, he cannot be sure that he tills his ground on right principles, or applies the different soils to their right uses. He ought, therefore, to be acquainted with chemistry,* which treats of the nature and qualities of soil. Chemistry will also give him much valuable information upon the qualities of milk, and the processes of making *The word chemistry is derived from an Arabic word, signifying the secret science. It was early cultivated by the Arabians, who sought thereby for the means of prolonging life, and converting inferior metals into gold. butter and cheese; upon the management of fruits, and the modes of making cider and perry; and upon the preparing and applying of manures. So that some knowledge of it should be considered indispensable to the well-informed farmer. Indeed, without a knowledge of chemistry, a farmer cannot avail himself of the advantages of his situation. There are often to be found, beneath the surface of the ground, clays, marls, and other substances, which, when properly applied, are excellent manures. The knowledge. of chemistry will assist in finding and applying them. Then the farmer should be well acquainted with the mode of growth, and the diseases, of the different kinds of vegetables, grains and fruits which he cultivates. He will otherwise often waste his labor in attempting to cultivate a plant upon soil which does not yield it proper food, or lose his crop from not knowing what remedy to apply, to remove an evil which he does not understand. He should know how to breed horses, cattle, sheep, swine, &c., so as to stock his farm with animals of the best breeds; to prevent or heal diseases among them; to improve the breeds, and to do all profitably. He must, therefore, not be ignorant of that part of natural history which relates particularly to these animals. There is a branch of culture which has been much neglected in this country, but which is very important, and deserves to be attended to: this is the management of forest trees. There are now throughout New England, large tracts of land, which are very valuable only while covered with trees. The forests, in many parts, are disappearing, and new ones are not often planted to take their place. This was once the case with Scotland; and the destruction of its forests is, at this day, lamented as a national misfortune. Many animals and delicate plants are supposed not to flourish so readily in an open country, as in one protected by trees; rain is thought not to fall so beneficially, nor the lightning, that mighty but beneficent agent, to do its office so gently, as when it is drawn from the clouds, gradually, by these natural attractors. In our burning summers, too, shade is sweet to man and beast. Against the fury of the north-west wind, what a barrier is presented by a grove of old oak trees! I say nothing of the value of fuel and timber; and yet, for these alone, a growing forest, even if left to itself, and much more if taken care of, is like money at interest. Let the landholders of New England hesitate before they throw away so many advantages, which they now hold in their possession, in the forests that cover their hills. Forest trees, like every thing else, are improved by care; the less useful trees may be removed, and the more valuable ones favored. In some cases, foreign trees might, with advantage, be introduced; in many, the health and growth of the native kinds be improved. To do these things successfully, would require a particular study of the character and habits of the trees to be cultivated. In the last place, it may be said of a husbandman, what may, indeed, be said of almost every man,—that he can hardly be strictly honest, and do exact justice to himself and his neighbor, without the practice of keeping accounts. He must have a memory which never fails, to be sure that he has paid what he owes, and demanded what is due to him, if he trusts to his memory alone. The practice, moreover, will be of great use to him in his husbandry. The only sure way of knowing whether one crop is more or less profitable than another, is to keep an account with each crop, as if it were a person, to charge all it costs, and credit all it yields. A farmer should, therefore, be familiar with arithmetic and accounts, and should know something of chemistry and the natural history of the common plants and animals. As he is often called to superintend mechanical operations on his farm, and to judge of improvements in ploughs and other implements, he should not be ignorant of mechanics. LESSON LXXXIV. Man and Animals.-JANE TAYLOR.; MR. F. and his children were walking, one summer's evening, in what were familiarly called the high woods. A narrow path conducted them through the underwood, where straggling branches of the wild rose intercepted them at every step; the rich and variegated stems of the forest trees were illumined here and there in bright spots, by golden beams of the setting sun, which streamed through the interstices of the massy foliage. Swarms of merry gnats danced in the open spaces of the wood; birds of every note sang, in uninterrupted gladness, amid its deep. recesses; the nimble squirrel was observed occasionally leaping from bough to bough; and the timid eye of the wild rabbit was seen peeping from behind the roots of the trees, and then, swiftly disappearing, she escaped into her inaccessible fortresses. How happy are young people, whose taste is raised to the enjoyment of these elevated and simple pleasures, and who find, in their parents, intelligent friends, capable of cultivating this taste, of inspiring and guiding their love of knowledge, and of giving a right direction to both! The liberty and happiness evidently enjoyed by the various little inhabitants of these woods, gave a turn to the evening's conversation, as the party returned home. "I think," says little Joe, "that if I were going to be changed into any thing else, I should like best to be a rabbit, and to live in the woods; they seem so happy and comfortable here." Father. Can you tell me, Joe, what is the greatest difference between you and a rabbit? Joe. Why, papa, we are as different as can be. Rabbits have got long ears, and four legs, and are covered all over with soft hair. Father. So far, then, the rabbit seems to have the advantage of you, for it can run faster with four legs than you can with only two; and its long ears enable it to hear more acutely; and it has a warm dress, ready made, without any trouble or expense. Now, can you think of any thing in which you are better off than the rabbit? Joe was such a very little boy, that he could not think of any thing; but his brother Edward soon answered for him, saying, "Why, we are better off than rabbits almost in every thing; we can talk, and laugh, and read, and write, and learn Latin. Father. It is true the rabbit cannot do these things; but then she is quite independent of them, for she answers all the purposes of her existence perfectly well without their assistance. Richard, can you give us a more accurate account of the difference between man and animals? Richard. I suppose, papa, the chief difference is our having reason, and they only instinct. |